PRODUCTION NOTE

Characters and scenes will appear and disappear as trains of thought, like drifting snow on a lake; the piece is constantly in ­motion. Changes of tone or shifts in time or location are variously noted by a typographic ornament, a stage direction, or the arrival or departure of a character. In production this is accomplished largely through lighting changes and stage positions. There is ­simultaneous action throughout the play. The arrival and departure of characters should surprise us, but at the same time seem perfectly natural, as in a dream.

Tom, it should be noted, is visible only to Colette, and she often ­addresses him in the midst of dialogue with the other characters. Jasper, Evelyn, and Bill often remain onstage during the Colette and Tom sequences, but do not take part in them; instead, they go about their own business.