In one scene of Our Country’s Good, the latest play put on by the Mason Players, a character of the play is dying. He lays on the floor, on his back, while his love interest sits next to him on the floor. She promises all that she can give as incentives for him to stay alive: her fidelity, her love, everything she has.
As he dies, several of the ensemble members are hitting the floor, surrounding the two characters in a circle, resembling a heartbeat. As he comes closer and closer to death, the heartbeat becomes slower and slower, in contrast with the grand proclamations the woman is making to save him. When he finally dies, the heartbeat dramatically stops—as do the woman’s proclamations. She states that she loves him and then starts to cry as the scene comes to a close.
by Izz Lamagdeleine, Fourth Estate, April 1, 2019