First off, I'd like to thank my wonderful betawriters, Caleb and "a href="mailto:slashingmsjadey@hotmail.com">Carolyn I feel obliged to note that this piece was inspired entirely by English and Changeling. The scene titles are the steps in my preferred essay form, and as for the title:

"zeugma n. a figure of speech in which one word is made to refer to two or more other words, but has to be differently understood in the different contexts, usually with a ludicrous effect, as in 'he took his time and the floor' [Gk=a yoke]" (Taken from Webster's Dictionary)

The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope is full of these things, as in lines 105-109 from Canto II:

Whether the Nymph shall break Diana's law,
Or some frail China jar receive a Flaw,
Or stain her Honour, or her new Brocade,
Forget her Pray'rs, or miss a Masquerade,
Or lose her Heart, or Necklace, at a Ball;

and I was inspired while studying this poem. A simpler definition: a figure of speech wherein two or more items of different categories (ie physical and spirtual) are linked using the same verb.

The Changeling part's a little more complicated, and it might be wise to turn back now. For those who care to know, though, I'm currently playing Soliloquy (Lord Soliloquy des Espoirs, a Sidhe) in a Changeling campaign, and was trying to work out details on my character background for the bits involving these three. I got to thinking if I could put a little Malevolence/Soliloquy angle into the theatre proper, and this is what came of it. I am also writing a number of background stories for that version of Soliloquy (and Monologue) which apply at least in part to their counterparts which you all know and love, and may decide to post those later (as I can pretty much guarantee that none of the other players will be reading anything here) and, of course, anyone curious about this is welcome to talk to me, although I am occasionally a bit slow replying.