CHANGE POCKETED

by Matthew Ivanoff

NARRATOR 

Hey, hi. You’re here, wow you’re… you’re early. Good on ya, it’s great you’re here, we’re here; downtown…

Downtown noises

Well, I’m ready if you are, I think. Before we start moving, take a moment to notice your surroundings. How well do you know this location? Can you notice one thing here that you’ve never noticed before?

Now, I invite you to close your eyes if it is safe to do so.

When you close your eyes, can you still see your surroundings in your mind? What do you remember being around you? What is the tallest building? A church? A highrise? Are there apartments on this street? How many people do you think live near this corner?

Now shift the focus on to yourself. Are you carrying a wallet? Is there change in your pocket? Move side to side slowly. Can you feel any change in your pocket shifting?

The sound of footsteps approach from the left

(Beat)

NARRATOR 

You arrived here today with someone you know, your partner on today’s journey. Open your eyes and take a look at them now. Meet their gaze. How often do you look someone in the eyes on the street? What do you do when someone talks to you? Asks you for change? Together you and your partner are going to go for a walk. The leader will change, so please pay attention to one another and your surroundings. There is no rush, so make sure to watch for traffic any time you cross a street. But for now, stay where you are and look away from your partner. Take a moment to notice any other people around you.

Beat

Depending on when you’re here, the streets might be packed. Maybe a jazz festival is on to close out the summer, or perhaps it’s quieter on a cold winter’s day when everyone has retreated indoors. There’re always people downtown though, whether you are there or not. Who do you see? How do you look at those around you? Who’s hungry? [Breathe] Do you see any shopping bags being carried by passersby? Are they full, or empty? [Breathe] What’s heavier, their wallet or their grocery bag? Who can eat down here and who serves?

Oh look. Your partner is on the move. Make sure you follow their lead. Your time to lead will come soon enough.  

Beat

As you walk, continue to observe the street and the people you pass.

We hear footsteps move to the right and a stomach growl

GRADUATE

Oh not now. Maybe breakfast wasn’t the meal to skip today. Do I have any…

We hear the graduate rustling their pockets for change

GRADUATE

Oh god…

We hear the Graduate pull out their phone and dial

GRADUATE

Hey! Hey Mom, sorry I didn’t text you back, I… no I was just busy – yeah, yeah, well no – I got the resumes in my hand right now looking for one… I’m gonna go to all the bars and restaurants, and yeah… no I’ll find something… [Breathe] So, I’m not home right now and I completely forgot my wallet but I have my debit and, I was wondering… can you maybe, like, transfer me 20 bucks please? It’s just I won’t be home for a while and I haven’t eaten today and… no… but like, that’s why I’m out. yeah… no I’ll find something. I’m gonna find something.

NARRATOR 

Yeah. You will.

The Graduate’s voice fades as the narrator continues

GRADUATE

And I’ll pay you back. Yeah, 10 is fine. 10 is great. Thank you. Yes, love you too. Soon as I get my first check I’ll send it all back. Okay thanks, yeah, love you

Footsteps walking away.

NARRATOR 

Don’t worry, they’ll find something. I ran through downtown with my resumes a while back. They’ll get something from one of these restaurants. Barback or server, just say you’re willing to work until 3am and you’re golden. I’m sorry, didn’t mean to get distracted. Point of this isn’t to get to know me, beyond this disembodied voice.

Now it’s your turn to lead the walk. Go in a different direction. It’s your choice. Just take your partner on a new route, perhaps to somewhere unexpected. Is there somewhere ahead that you’ve always wanted to explore? Somewhere you’ve never really looked at closely before? Make sure to connect with your partner and signal for them to follow you. Do you see anyone else around? If you do, see if you can copy their gate as you walk. [Beat] How different does this feel? Have you ever walked like this before? If you’re near storefronts, walk up to the windows and doors, look at everything on display. Take your time – your partner will be close by… Look for sales, deals, store statements. [Beat] Is there anything written on the doorway? What do they tell you about the store, the people who operate it, the people they want to attract? Are they written with care? Are they written to advertise? A few stores around here have started putting up land acknowledgements. It’s really nice to see, I think. I started seeing land acknowledgements a few years ago when I went to see live theater. But they were always very “by the book.” They recognized the land being performed and lived on, but sometimes it felt a bit like an item on a checklist. It would sound something like:

PERFORMER

“Hello all, thank you for joining us. Before we start the ‘real’ show we want to acknowledge the land we’re on today. Guelph is located on Treaty 3 Land and is the traditional and territorial home of the Mississaguas of the Credit Nation. We recognize the caretaking that has taken place here for centuries and wish to continue caring for the land and recognizing the Indigenous communities who still reside here today.”

NARRATOR 

And there’s not anything necessarily wrong with saying that, I guess a couple words maybe feel off… What do you mean by “before we start the real show.” That kind of thing, I don’t know.

PERFORMER

Before we continue this performance…?

NARRATOR 

Uh, yeah. Sure that works. That’s great… I guess. It’s nice knowing that these acknowledgements exist outside an auditorium or a single event. Words to keep with us, recognize, remember. I was born in Toronto, so not far from where you are now. That’s a part of treaty 13 territory and is home to members of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Mississauguas of the Credit, but I didn’t really learn that until after I moved away. I’m glad I know now though. Glad I know our history outside of Canada’s impact at Vimy Ridge. The way I grew up—in middle class suburbs—I had food and water and decent education and everything I needed, everything I was told I needed, at least. Was never really hungry when I didn’t want to be. But I’m not home anymore, now I’m here. And so are you.

Fade in ambient sounds of the street

 Come to a stand-still wherever you feel comfortable to do so. Make sure you haven’t lost your partner! There they are. Let’s take a moment to re-group.

We hear a flurry of cars move from right to left.

There’s the sounds of footsteps, half heard conversations. Out of the white noise of the street, there’s a beat of silence.

You are going to start walking again. But this time there is no leader. You and your partner will continue listening separately but you will also start to move. Together. There is no set destination. Just move through the streets and make sure not to lose one another.  

GRADUATE

Why is everything in this town ‘Royal’? ‘Royal City’ this, ‘Royal’ that. It doesn’t look so royal to me…

I should eat down here before heading to class… but spend $11 dollars on potato wedges? I’ll pass. I could walk over to a grocery store and get some chips or something? I think there’s one nearby. Probably cheaper than a sit-down place… maybe..

The sound of money being riffled through

..If I had like, 3 more dollars I could probably get something to tide me over…

The sound of a phone being checked

…damn, money from mom hasn’t come through…

This conversation fades as their footsteps lead us.

Cars, wind. 30 seconds pass as distant conversations fill the void of a dialogue to follow until:

NARRATOR 

Are you still with me? Where are you right now? What street, what store? Are you waiting for something? Your partner? An e-transfer? For this audio to end? If you’ve walked this entire time, how far have you gone? Are you still downtown? I am glad you’re here with me. Someone who can actually hear me, someone who can say something back. [Beat]

Where’s your partner? Close by? Once you’ve found somewhere on the sidewalk where you feel safe to stand, and not in anyone’s way, come to a standstill facing your partner. Make sure you look at your partner. Really look at them. Meet their gaze.

How often do you look at someone on the street? I mean actually look at someone.

Graduate

Erm… hi there…

Narrator 

(a bit startled) Oh, you’re talking to me… Hi..

Pause

Graduate

I’m just wondering if you could, like, spare some change or something for food… I’m in a bit of a bind – I’ve been giving out resumes all day (the sound of rustling papers) and I’m waiting for an e-transfer from my mom and… it’s just like, I really need to eat something, if you know of someplace…

NARRATOR 

Hey- yeah, I.. Don’t have any spare change bu-

Graduate

Sure thing, I’m sorry… it’s just I’m in a bit of a pickle and it’s just like, I really need to eat something…

NARRATOR 

Hey- yeah, yeah, it’s ok, I… don’t have any spare change but umm…I’m sure you can find something. Maybe The SEED –  at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. You can pay what you can…

Graduate

Uh, ok… that’s just down…er…here? Right?

NARRATOR 

Yeh, it’s just past city hall, under the railway bridge, opposite Essex – you can’t miss it…

Graduate

That’s amazing, thank you – really, thank you (spoken while walking away)

NARRATOR 

Hey, do you have that change? Did you feel anything in your pocket earlier? Is it still there? You know, I’ll forget about you when you walk away. I shouldn’t, I don’t think I want to, but… maybe it’s not something I can change. Thank you for hearing me, listening to… if you hear about The SEED, or pop-ups, nonprofits who harvest and feed, maybe take note. Write down an address, a number to call. I’m audio, I’m a file on a screen I can’t… but you… some people can’t hear me. But you’ve got footprints, change in your pocket, change in your hand you can… If you can walk away from me too, you can follow or call out their name or… Take a deep breath. Look past the storefronts at the people inside, and notice what you see in the reflection on the glass. The ones in the high rises and the ones who don’t… if you’re hungry, that’s okay. Feed yourself, grab some potato wedges or a shiny gala apple. There’s lots to find downtown. If you’re still there, if you’ve got the change.