5 people:

• 3 people sitting onstage
• 1 person who crosses the stage
• 1 person who helps

Three people are sitting on the stage. Their heads are down and they look decrepit. A person crosses the stage and doesn't see them. The same person crosses the stage again and notices them. The person crosses again, goes over to them, hesitates, then leaves. The person crosses again, goes to them, hesitates, then touches one of them, hesitates, then leaves. The person crosses again, goes to them, touches one of them, hesitates, then picks one up and takes him offstage. The person crosses again, looks at the other two, hesitates and leaves. The person crosses again with another person, they go to the other two, pick them up and leave.

Copyright 1988 Debra Bruch