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This is the fifth installment in Stories from the Strange Side, about my adventures and explorations into less conventional forms of theatre—specifically in coursework I did at Grinnell focusing on avant-garde performance art. As with all great journeys, you begin at the bottom. Kneepads, lanterns, and a handful of sparkling alabaster stones rest neatly arranged at the base of a long and murky stairwell, gifts for the road ahead. Darkness stretches in front of you; only one way forward. A glance at your partner; the cricket-click as your lamp ignites; you ascend. It’s not far to the summit, but the climb is only beginning. A small cairn attends a bridge stretching over a precipitous drop. At the base of the shrine is a bowl of pebbles matching the ones in your pocket; you deposit one and move on. Across the chasm your path leads into a tunnel, low and black, quickly twisting out of sight. From here you must progress on hands and knees, single-file. The lanterns cast your companion in stark shadows as you enter the darkness. The path is long. The walls brush your arms as they swing. The ceiling bumps your back. Stiffness and aches creep into your elbows and wrists. The darkness seems eternal, but thrice more you encounter a cairn, and thrice more you leave a prayer behind. You are not forgotten. You are not lost. Others have been this way before. The cave ends suddenly, opening onto a ledge, bare but for two scraps of blanket. Beneath you stretches a sea of stars. Across a wide gulf, on a ledge not unlike your own, a single robed figure sits with crossed legs. He raises his gaze, regards you for a moment in silence. The answers you seek are before you, he says, and bids you lift the fabric. Beneath are two pieces of parchment, lettered with archaic script. Two texts. Two pilgrims.
The robed figure bows his head, returning to silence and solitude. Pilgrimage complete, you take your leave. You shall not forget the lessons learned.
Prompt: Roberts Theatre Discovery: An extra pair of hands can make all the difference.
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