wALLs: Excerpt
An original script by K.W. Poole
© K.W. Poole 2017
Permission must be obtained by the author to perform and/or reproduce this script
PART One - Scene 1 – The Dictator
Opening scene: The chorus (entire cast) sits on edge of the stage in a line. Some are back to or sideways, casual, relaxed positions. They begin pattern of movement as they speak the lines together. Eventually they build a wall with their bodies.
Chorus:
Mark ye the tale of our greatest demise,
When men of false power took over with lies
and tried their best to kill what we’d built a democracy of truth not guilt.
And then with force and social media - a coup -
Built so hideous, blatant, untrue
A star of no consequence joined forces
Of worst possible purity-Penance.
A puppeteer with barbed strings of wire
Who wished to build the newest empire.
A false and racist society came
to own the once bright democratic name;
And here we stand a reminder of truth to those who chose to drink the poison juice.
What say you now as in short days, we muddle through this vacant haze
No sense to be made or ground to stand on,
This presidency has gone terribly wrong.
“Impeach!” they cried - after the fact - but if so, well what of that? What would happen if the puppet master’s hat sat
above the brain that took over this insidious reign?
What worse a psychopath’s buffoon
or a man who understands the doom?
He set forth to take away all freedom of our liberties, put to paper throughout our histories. Have you forgotten? What say you now as the falsehoods ring out
with shadows cast doubts?
A finger of bone points to the archives of history’s tales and death’s genocide.
Will you sit there watching, idly by or admit your mistake, hold your head high?
The trail it is long the wall it is thick - was your vote cast to be one of its bricks?
Hurumph (steps out from that line) in front of the wall of people.
Hurumph:
As President - which wilst be me -
As I am great that you MUST see!
I will make US great again!
Know this now I’ll not pretend!
The greater you will see
Wil'st not tolerate others who pretend to be accepted in our society!
With our bigotry we prove we are the best Most Awesome of all;
The rest of world may take its fall, And lie in ruin ‘mongst our weeds,
N’er to plant their ‘riginal seeds.
Hear me now - for I am truth
I represent the purest youth.
And my past is all a blur, no need
For you to pay it heed!
My truth, my tax none of your biz
For I speak the word ’tis his - The lord of all
The God I emulate -
Women are here but to procreate and be the slaves of my great cause -
World of mine is law of laws!
Part One - Scene 2 – The Lovers
Lífa stands frozen regarding herself in a mirror. The chorus speaks her internal monologue.
Chorus:
Thou art cautious my love,
Thou art cautious my love,
As the eyes of Judgement rain upon us from places we’ve known
Your hand slips from mine, with the hands of lost time
Ticking backwards the truth of our promise’s youth
The things we fought so hard to find
Once again it is here, a reality fear, as ghosts of our sisters draw nigh and near.
Lífa (Inner monologue):
O’ sweet temptation of falsest belief,
As Gods look down upon us from above, Does’t tho know’st mine grief?
Each morning mine eyes lock with yours,
A reflection of all my inner wars.
For years now, I have been under the haze, believing that people had changed their ways;
Our voice heard, a moment to praise the God who wouldst not repeat false days.
I believed we truly accepted, no longer the cursed,
Our lives would matter for better not worse.
The world wouldst now see us as one of mankind
As partners, as lovers, as women refined.
And yet now the glass she mocks me in shame
How couldst I have fallen, false hope of fame
Cover my head as my choice cast aloud
Brings down upon us the funeral shroud.
Audra enters behind her and watches as Lífa stands frozen.
Audra (inner monologue):
Here she stands again, a woman captive,
Born not to yet die, yet not born to live.
Skin so pale with the memory of cold,
A past that reflects the days of old.
Eyes hollow with the pain of their new view–
Links her to years full of burdening blue.
Each day she regards the damage, and loss
Not seeing beauty I see, at cost.
But were she to know would it sooth her soul?
Gods why must we repeat and repeat a hist’ry of defeat?
Has she not been tortured enough -
By loss of family, by thrones of false kings -
Desire of gold and power of things?
Those who wish our kind to evaporate like the smoke of their cigarettes clouded with hate -
those smokestacks of power ignited of late.
And how do I comfort her?
How can I say “Tomorrow wilst be a much better day.”
When our love will be recognized once again whether by choice of foe or of friend.
That we are still us and I’ll not let her go back to the past of her almost gallo.
Tis true, I did not see the coming of ways,
The darkness of fair men, the heretic plays of a madman
I thought wouldst bring change for the best.
Now wilst he be the end of our rest?
Can she not see, this lover of mine,
I did what I thought would bring peace of mind;
To our country which needs to rise up from the past;
A choice of great impact, a mark that would last.
Yet, now as o’re her shoulder I see in the glass,
my reflection of ignorance is all comes to pass;
Mocking us both with the stand that I took.
Rewriting the pain of our history book.
Mistake I’ll soon not let go of or hide;
A truth I wish now to never confide.
And so in the ‘math of this confession of stone
I’ll carry the weight, bear it mine own;
Ye, I’ll fight ’til the death and stand by her side
For she is my love, my hero, my life.
Audra comes closer and wraps her arms around her partner’s waist from behind. The two stand facing the mirror and freeze. The torturous distance between them apparent in their faces.
PART Two Scene 1 – SLY Newscast I
As the chorus speaks, Perplexia Injudicious and Tarragon Tumultuous are C, back to the audience, sitting on the wall boxes.
Chorus (The first line delivered in a sing song fashion, lightly like a song bird.):
Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. The orange bird he bleats.
His cries are lies wrapped in boldest disguise
Shouts masking truth, his reality self,
A political ploy of greed and wealth.
We search for the answer of how came t’be
This unprecedented led mockery!
Perplexia Injudicious and Tarragon Tumultuous turn sharply to the audience, sitting on the wall boxes.
Tarragon Tumultuous: I am Tarragon Tumultuous.
Perplexia Injudicious: Ye, with Perplexia Injudicious.
Both: And this is Sly News at half past seven.
Perplexia Injudicious: This just in the polls to win, and yes ‘tis true, ‘tis true!
Tarragon Tumultuous: We’ve a new president elect, and er-
(Perplexia looks at him and cuts him off.)
Perplexia Injudicious: Hurumph took the vote, of elected win! The people have spoken so let us begin -
Tarragon Tumultuous: What it will be, well that remains to see -
Perplexia Injudicious: He’ rocked the vote let’s see if he floats! Though he lost the popular people of states, He won the electoral rates.
Tarragon Tumultuous: True, oh true, it matters not how - this we know Hurumph wilst next take the vow.
Perplexia Injudicious: His hand upon the bible sworn, is sure to bring both joy and scorn.
Tarragon Tumultuous: Job security for us - I’d say this win is a journalistic plus!
Part Two Scene 2 - The Lovers
Audra and Lífa are standing facing the audience, same positions as prior scene. (As if in front of the mirror.) The Chorus moves around them and reveals them.
Chorus:
Alas that girl – the one you know -
You stand beside her in bittersweet silence -
a reality of new colors now show...
Alas the girl you’ll never know.
Thou walks beside her every day,
Now for her choice you both wilst pay,
Trapped as those sure to be wronged,
So close were you to love you longed
to have accepted and revered
But now step backward as thou feared.
Audra speaks facing outward as the two are still in front of the mirror. Lífa stands in front of her and speaks out towards audience.
Audra: My love I -
Lífa: Wouldst thou speak words of our love on this day?
Such that we should pretend to play - the roles we now know are lost in the dust -
Audra, what wilst become of us?
Audra turns Lífa around to face her. She pleads with her love.
Audra: From now until days ends wilst I toil,
And prove our love it wilst not spoil.
This change will not be good
I knowst now,
But we will muddle through somehow
And fight the fight
Take wrong from right.
An original script by K.W. Poole
© K.W. Poole 2017
Permission must be obtained by the author to perform and/or reproduce this script
PART One - Scene 1 – The Dictator
Opening scene: The chorus (entire cast) sits on edge of the stage in a line. Some are back to or sideways, casual, relaxed positions. They begin pattern of movement as they speak the lines together. Eventually they build a wall with their bodies.
Chorus:
Mark ye the tale of our greatest demise,
When men of false power took over with lies
and tried their best to kill what we’d built a democracy of truth not guilt.
And then with force and social media - a coup -
Built so hideous, blatant, untrue
A star of no consequence joined forces
Of worst possible purity-Penance.
A puppeteer with barbed strings of wire
Who wished to build the newest empire.
A false and racist society came
to own the once bright democratic name;
And here we stand a reminder of truth to those who chose to drink the poison juice.
What say you now as in short days, we muddle through this vacant haze
No sense to be made or ground to stand on,
This presidency has gone terribly wrong.
“Impeach!” they cried - after the fact - but if so, well what of that? What would happen if the puppet master’s hat sat
above the brain that took over this insidious reign?
What worse a psychopath’s buffoon
or a man who understands the doom?
He set forth to take away all freedom of our liberties, put to paper throughout our histories. Have you forgotten? What say you now as the falsehoods ring out
with shadows cast doubts?
A finger of bone points to the archives of history’s tales and death’s genocide.
Will you sit there watching, idly by or admit your mistake, hold your head high?
The trail it is long the wall it is thick - was your vote cast to be one of its bricks?
Hurumph (steps out from that line) in front of the wall of people.
Hurumph:
As President - which wilst be me -
As I am great that you MUST see!
I will make US great again!
Know this now I’ll not pretend!
The greater you will see
Wil'st not tolerate others who pretend to be accepted in our society!
With our bigotry we prove we are the best Most Awesome of all;
The rest of world may take its fall, And lie in ruin ‘mongst our weeds,
N’er to plant their ‘riginal seeds.
Hear me now - for I am truth
I represent the purest youth.
And my past is all a blur, no need
For you to pay it heed!
My truth, my tax none of your biz
For I speak the word ’tis his - The lord of all
The God I emulate -
Women are here but to procreate and be the slaves of my great cause -
World of mine is law of laws!
Part One - Scene 2 – The Lovers
Lífa stands frozen regarding herself in a mirror. The chorus speaks her internal monologue.
Chorus:
Thou art cautious my love,
Thou art cautious my love,
As the eyes of Judgement rain upon us from places we’ve known
Your hand slips from mine, with the hands of lost time
Ticking backwards the truth of our promise’s youth
The things we fought so hard to find
Once again it is here, a reality fear, as ghosts of our sisters draw nigh and near.
Lífa (Inner monologue):
O’ sweet temptation of falsest belief,
As Gods look down upon us from above, Does’t tho know’st mine grief?
Each morning mine eyes lock with yours,
A reflection of all my inner wars.
For years now, I have been under the haze, believing that people had changed their ways;
Our voice heard, a moment to praise the God who wouldst not repeat false days.
I believed we truly accepted, no longer the cursed,
Our lives would matter for better not worse.
The world wouldst now see us as one of mankind
As partners, as lovers, as women refined.
And yet now the glass she mocks me in shame
How couldst I have fallen, false hope of fame
Cover my head as my choice cast aloud
Brings down upon us the funeral shroud.
Audra enters behind her and watches as Lífa stands frozen.
Audra (inner monologue):
Here she stands again, a woman captive,
Born not to yet die, yet not born to live.
Skin so pale with the memory of cold,
A past that reflects the days of old.
Eyes hollow with the pain of their new view–
Links her to years full of burdening blue.
Each day she regards the damage, and loss
Not seeing beauty I see, at cost.
But were she to know would it sooth her soul?
Gods why must we repeat and repeat a hist’ry of defeat?
Has she not been tortured enough -
By loss of family, by thrones of false kings -
Desire of gold and power of things?
Those who wish our kind to evaporate like the smoke of their cigarettes clouded with hate -
those smokestacks of power ignited of late.
And how do I comfort her?
How can I say “Tomorrow wilst be a much better day.”
When our love will be recognized once again whether by choice of foe or of friend.
That we are still us and I’ll not let her go back to the past of her almost gallo.
Tis true, I did not see the coming of ways,
The darkness of fair men, the heretic plays of a madman
I thought wouldst bring change for the best.
Now wilst he be the end of our rest?
Can she not see, this lover of mine,
I did what I thought would bring peace of mind;
To our country which needs to rise up from the past;
A choice of great impact, a mark that would last.
Yet, now as o’re her shoulder I see in the glass,
my reflection of ignorance is all comes to pass;
Mocking us both with the stand that I took.
Rewriting the pain of our history book.
Mistake I’ll soon not let go of or hide;
A truth I wish now to never confide.
And so in the ‘math of this confession of stone
I’ll carry the weight, bear it mine own;
Ye, I’ll fight ’til the death and stand by her side
For she is my love, my hero, my life.
Audra comes closer and wraps her arms around her partner’s waist from behind. The two stand facing the mirror and freeze. The torturous distance between them apparent in their faces.
PART Two Scene 1 – SLY Newscast I
As the chorus speaks, Perplexia Injudicious and Tarragon Tumultuous are C, back to the audience, sitting on the wall boxes.
Chorus (The first line delivered in a sing song fashion, lightly like a song bird.):
Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. The orange bird he bleats.
His cries are lies wrapped in boldest disguise
Shouts masking truth, his reality self,
A political ploy of greed and wealth.
We search for the answer of how came t’be
This unprecedented led mockery!
Perplexia Injudicious and Tarragon Tumultuous turn sharply to the audience, sitting on the wall boxes.
Tarragon Tumultuous: I am Tarragon Tumultuous.
Perplexia Injudicious: Ye, with Perplexia Injudicious.
Both: And this is Sly News at half past seven.
Perplexia Injudicious: This just in the polls to win, and yes ‘tis true, ‘tis true!
Tarragon Tumultuous: We’ve a new president elect, and er-
(Perplexia looks at him and cuts him off.)
Perplexia Injudicious: Hurumph took the vote, of elected win! The people have spoken so let us begin -
Tarragon Tumultuous: What it will be, well that remains to see -
Perplexia Injudicious: He’ rocked the vote let’s see if he floats! Though he lost the popular people of states, He won the electoral rates.
Tarragon Tumultuous: True, oh true, it matters not how - this we know Hurumph wilst next take the vow.
Perplexia Injudicious: His hand upon the bible sworn, is sure to bring both joy and scorn.
Tarragon Tumultuous: Job security for us - I’d say this win is a journalistic plus!
Part Two Scene 2 - The Lovers
Audra and Lífa are standing facing the audience, same positions as prior scene. (As if in front of the mirror.) The Chorus moves around them and reveals them.
Chorus:
Alas that girl – the one you know -
You stand beside her in bittersweet silence -
a reality of new colors now show...
Alas the girl you’ll never know.
Thou walks beside her every day,
Now for her choice you both wilst pay,
Trapped as those sure to be wronged,
So close were you to love you longed
to have accepted and revered
But now step backward as thou feared.
Audra speaks facing outward as the two are still in front of the mirror. Lífa stands in front of her and speaks out towards audience.
Audra: My love I -
Lífa: Wouldst thou speak words of our love on this day?
Such that we should pretend to play - the roles we now know are lost in the dust -
Audra, what wilst become of us?
Audra turns Lífa around to face her. She pleads with her love.
Audra: From now until days ends wilst I toil,
And prove our love it wilst not spoil.
This change will not be good
I knowst now,
But we will muddle through somehow
And fight the fight
Take wrong from right.