[Open. A stage.

Right, one wall with door. On the wall, a ticking clock reading 11:45 and a calendar showing December. On the calendar, all the days are crossed off except the last, which falls on a Saturday.

Center, a table with three chairs. On the table, a DOLLHOUSE, partially constructed.

Around the table, THREE OLD MEN working steadily.

Up, MAN 1 has pieces of dolls, doll furniture, and the DOLLHOUSE to his Left, finished pieces to his Right.

Right, MAN 2 places finished pieces in DOLLHOUSE from pile Left of MAN 1.

Left, MAN 3 removes pieces from DOLLHOUSE, carefully cleaning them and taking them apart. He places pieces in pile Right of MAN 1.

All THREE MEN wear blindfolds.]

[Enter YOUNG GIRL, Right, closing door behind her. She stands by MAN 2.]

GIRL What are you doing?

MAN 2 Building a DOLLHOUSE.

GIRL Why?

MAN 2 Our PATRON wants it ready by twelve.

GIRL How is it going?

MAN 2 Poorly. I just can’t seem to get it right.

[GIRL unties blindfold form MAN 2. It falls away.]

MAN 2 Oh dear. This is far too empty to satisfy our PATRON.

[looks at clock] Oh dear, oh dear. [he begins to work frantically] Brother, could you help me with this DOLLHOUSE?

MAN 3 Yes.

MAN 2 Thank you. [MAN 2 runs out of things in his pile and begins picking up string and trinkets from the floor to place in DOLLHOUSE.]

[GIRL walks over to MAN 3.]

GIRL What are you doing?

MAN 3 Cleaning a DOLLHOUSE.

GIRL Why?

MAN 3 Our PATRON wants it ready by twelve.

GIRL How is it going?

MAN 3 Poorly. I just can’t seem to get it right.

[GIRL unties blindfold from MAN 3. It falls away.]

MAN 3 Oh dear. This is far too cluttered to satisfy our PATRON. [looks at clock] Oh dear, oh dear. [MAN 3 begins to work frantically] Brother, could you help me with this DOLLHOUSE?

MAN 2 Yes.

MAN 3 Thank you. [In his rush, MAN 3 begins to break the dolls and furniture, rather than taking them apart.]

[GIRL walks over to MAN 1.]

GIRL What are you doing?

MAN 1 Making stuff.

GIRL Why?

MAN 1 I like to.

GIRL How is it going?

MAN 1 Very well.

[The clock strikes twelve. MAN 2 begins throwing things into the DOLLHOUSE. MAN 3 begins smashing the walls of the DOLLHOUSE. MAN 1 continues making dolls blindly.]

GIRL May I have my DOLLHOUSE now? [She receives no response.]

[GIRL goes to calendar and crosses out December 31, then tears off the page. January is underneath. Girl exits through door, closing it behind her.]

Act II

[The girl walks over to the pile of torn-off calendar pages. She picks up the last one and carefully reattaches the page and erases the mark. The calendar now reads December 31.

She walks over to the table and removes the blindfold from MAN 1.]

MAN 3 I need to clean up the DOLLHOUSE.

MAN 2 I need to furnish the DOLLHOUSE.

MAN 1 I need to build things.

MAN 2 [Turns to MAN 1] Brother, you are building things far too fast for us to keep up with you.

MAN 1 I'm sorry. I was so caught up in my work that I let things get out of balance. I will slow down until you get caught up.

MAN 2 Thank you. As soon as we get caught up, we can all resume at an equal pace. Are we agreed?

MAN 3 Yes.

MAN 1 Yes.

[MAN 2 moves a significant portion of the pile of constructed parts and MAN 3 removes a portion of the stuff in the pile next to MAN 1. They all nod and begin working at equal paces. The stage lights fade.]