Thou Art That; a “fabula contracta”

Time: Early 21 Century

Place: The inside of the elevator ascending the interior of the Gateway Arch in St.Louis, MO..

Players: Tat - a tattooed lady

Tvam - a male television personality

Asi - a masked soldier (no gender)

{Music: "Up, up & Away" - 5th Dimension.}

[Background projection shows scientist chalking out formulas on a board; a priest holding a monkey that is holding his nose as he laughs. A sand bag. Two small children; one is chasing another w/ a piece of dry wall. A scene from Caligula. Steve Jobs and Andrea Mitchell standing next to each other; both wearing black turtle neck shirts and blue jeans. Last image is of a sea turtle covered in crude oil.]

[The players are seated very close together.]

Tat has an abundance of tattoos. 

Tvam is wearing a 3 piece suit from The Men's Wearhouse, he smiles a lot. And when he speaks its in a radio voice. 

Asi is dressed in black and wearing a black mask that covers the head and face, and says very little, but breathes heavily.

[NOTE: from left to right - Tat, Tvam, Asi.]

(Mechanical sounds of an elevator.)

TAT: (very dry, little emotion) I like shifting.

(Hydraulic sound.)

TVAM: Good morning United States of America! Bubbles of joy, bubbles of hope, and I'm not talking detergent folks!

TAT: Are you talking deterrent?

(Hydraulic sound)

TVAM: Oh, no. I said detergent, but we're really not talking detergent.

TAT: Are you going to say; "Look . . . or, At the End of the Day, or We Need to Stay on the Same Page, Absolutely!"

TVAM: No.

(Sounds of electronics, hydraulic sounds.)

(Tat and Tvam look over at Asi.)

(Asi looks over at them.)

(Silence. All 3 stand up.)

(Sound of elevator door opening.)

(The players walk behind their seats, and turn their backs to the audience. Projection shows view from Gateway Arch Observation Deck Windows.)

TAT: Wow. You can see East St. Louis from here.

TVAM: Looks like the industry really fucked them on that one.

(Asi slowly pulls out what looks like a Pez dispenser. Tvam and Tat look over and notice.)

TVAM: Oh my God! Look out. Its a Hindu!

ASI: What? (pauses) No, man . . . its just gum. I thought you guys might like to pop your ears from the altitude.

TVAM: Oh.

TAT: Oh. Alright.

(They both reach out and take a piece of gum.)

ASI: I know why you guys were afraid at first, the Pez dispenser looks a lot like this . . . 

(Asi pulls out a detonator switch to a bomb.)

See if I push this thing . . . . 

(Sound of large explosion. The Gateway Arch is completely destroyed and fall into the Mississippi River.)

fine

summer/2010