We Need to End this Suffering
A short play about love and attachment
By Liziah (2009)
Characters- 
A Woman
A Man
Scene
Dimly lit stage. There is a couch, a table with dead flowers in a vase and a couple books on it, an open suitcase with clothes inside and some on the floor.
M-I can’t go through this anymore.
W-Every time I see you I end up feeling bad.
M-Whose fault is that?
W- I had the most beautiful dream last night, about us. We were so in love and happy, like the time we went to the mountain festival, remember how blissed out we were? You should have asked me to marry you then, before I really knew you.
M- Funny. We could be like that again if you could just move on.
W-It’s not that simple.We each have a pain brush and are brilliant at creating the art of suffering.
M- You’re always getting hurt. You are too sensitive.
W-I am hurt, really hurt.
M-You need to get over it.
W-I want to. I can’t.
M-Why are you here then?
W- I’m attached to you.
M-I’m attached to you too…You blame me for everything, it’s all my fault. I am the asshole!
W- I can’t talk to you when you’re angry.
M-Well you know where the door is.
W- Fine. I’ll leave. I’ll get the hell out of here and you will never have to see me ever again.
M- Go then, and please save your dramatics. I can’t stand them.
W-My emotions are not dramatics, they are real, they are…
M-old, we are old, this is old.
W-I will get the rest of my clothes and just go! (woman starts crying)
M-Please don’t cry. I feel bad enough. This is hard for me too. Please stop crying. God this sucks… we have been here so many times.
W-Again and again I have tried to find peace with you and I can’t, there is no peace here. I just can’t see you anymore, ever!
M-Good!Just get out then! Go!
W- Why are you so angry with me?
M-You are the one that is angry, everything I say to you, you think is a put down…
W-Half the time it is.
M-I’m sick and tired of being here.
W-Me too.
(they turn slowly away from each other)
M-I need to end this suffering.
W-I need to end this suffering.
M and W-(in unison) We need to end this suffering.
M-I need to end this suffering
W-I need to end this suffering
M and W-(in unison, turning back towards each other) We need to end this suffering
W-I’ll go
M-I’ll stay
M and W- Goodbye
M-Don’t go
W-I won’t
(they embrace passionately)
M-you are so beautiful
W-I love you
(pause)
M- How do we end this?
W-How do we end this?
They move apart to different parts of the stage and speak to themselves
W-I end this by caring for and loving myself, not just in words but in actions. I do this by having the courage to end patterns that are destructive to me no matter how much it hurts. I need help…I can get better.
M-I end this by caring for and loving myself, not love mixed with meanness like I was taught, a higher love, like that song says, (he sings) bring me a higher love, I need a higher love…I need help….my heart is good
W- When I close my eyes and listen to my heart I know I have to…
M-When I close my eyes and listen to my heart I know I have to…
M and W-When I close my eyes and listen to my heart, I know we have to break this cycle.
W-I can…
M-I can…
W-I love you.
M-I love you
M and W-Goodbye
(They Exit through different sides of the stage)
