FLUB: WHERE IS HE?! He … he said he’d always be here! And now … he’s … it’s all … it’s all falling apart … and he’s not … he’s not here to … to put it all …

[Pause.]

He must … he must be on his way! He’s been held up! That’s all! Caught in traffic! The streets are empty, I admit, but … all of those lights … some of them still work, and he’s … he’s probably … oh wait … I’ve got it! He’s found another theatre! That’s it! A new space! And he wanted to surprise us! Oh, how exciting! We’ve been acting like such babies! He’ll have a good laugh at our expense, won’t he! I can’t wait to see! A new stage! It must be something wonderful! Not like this one! This husk! No! This is only a shadow! A mustard seed! Why it’s … it’s probably beyond our ability to grasp! Something magnificent for once! A … a single site! With no partition! No barrier! No auditorium!

[FLUB jumps down from the stage and into the audience.]

One space! All of us together! A hundred thousand swiveling seats! Always a full house! And lots of clapping! Clapping and laughter! And … and lights! Oh! Lights! All kinds of luminous vibrations! Fresnels of gold shooting light in waves, in sheets, in fusillades of fiery arrows! A living theatre! It’s going to be something! He must be on his way! Right now! To tell us! To let us know! I’m going to tell him all of the silly ideas we’ve passed around! We’ll all have a good laugh! All of us! A nice little chuckle! He’s … he’s probably at the door right now! There! That cough! Did you hear it?! I’d know that cough anywhere! We have to give him a great welcome!

[FLUB throws open the doors of the theatre, but there is no one there. Pause.]

I … I don’t …

[Pause.]

I’ve made a great fool of myself. Haven’t I?