"Man: Biology of a Fall"
Music by Evan Hause, Libretto by Gary Heidt
Act III, Scene 2
Performed 10/7/07 at Kumble Theater in Brooklyn, NY
Directed by Jyana S. Gregory
Conducted by Evan Hause
Sets: Rumiko Ishii
Costumes: Jessica Ford
Lights: Matthew Richards
SYNOPSIS
81 Bedford Street a CIA safe house in Greenwich Village. Friday night.
A CIA safe house fronting as the hipster pad of MORGAN HALL, a.k.a. GEORGE WHITE. A party is in progress, including BILLY and female prostitutes JANET & GLORIA among them.
LASHBROOK (played by Darren Lougee)
Just stay put. You understand?
I've got to talk to a man.
Did you hear me?
OLSON (played by Steven Ebel)
You've got to go milk a cow.
BILLY (played by Christopher Burris)
Hey, man,
you know all the cool spots.
OLSON
What's an anarcho-syndicalist?
JANET (played by Kamala Sankaram)
How'd you meet the skipper, Man?
OLSON
I don't believe I have.
JANET
Morgan Hall, you know, the skipper?
OLSON
I don't know him.
JANET
Well, there he is, over there.
OLSON
George White!
JANET
That's Morgy.
.hes gone all white.
GLORIA (played by Miriam Tabb)
Have you known Morgan long?
OLSON
I don't know Morgan. Whos Morgan?
GLORIA
Morgan Hall. The captain.
OLSON
You're not sailors.
You're not even thespians.
You're guinea pigs.
LASHBROOK
I envy you. What an assignment.
Whores, gin, drugs in the service of God and the U S of A.
WHITE
"I am just a minor missionary,
actually a heretic,
but I toil in the vineyards
with my whole heart.
[actual George White quote]
LASHBROOK
You old salt, you.
You have it all.
You are a fisher of men,
An apostle, catching sinners
in the unholy sea of conscience
in your nets.
WHITE
Where else can I lie,
kill, cheat, steal, rape, and pillage
with the sanction and blessing
of the Most High?
[actual George White quote]
Listen, we've got the crème de la crème of artistic activity
Coming here for parties--
And Frank Olson's out there.
A chemist with a conscience.
A softy.
A critic of our methods.
A known cavorter with pacifists.
What will he say?
JANET
What do you do, Billy?
BILLY
I'm a poet. I use meterless, unrhymed forms.
OLSON
Isn't that like talking?
BILLY
Exactly. The arts will abandon all technique.
OLSON
The CIA has already beaten you to it, I see.
BILLY
What do you mean?
OLSON
Is this being done scientifically?
This scene--is it metered?
What are the metrics? Where the gauges,
What result, what scale, what test?
How scientific is this party?
WHITE:
Tom, what am I wearing?
TOM (played by Yuval Boim)
A wedding gown.
WHITE
And who could I be?
TOM
Sweet mother asks me?
WHITE
All right. Now strangle Dr. Olson.
LASHBROOK (to WHITE)
You cant just kill him! You villain!
Get him to stop! The party, the cops!
The body, the press!
WHITE
The society of our vows.
Tom, stop.
OLSON
Tom, Mom says strangle George.
(TOM does)
LASHBROOK
You fool!
Think of Alice!
OLSON
My kids! My life!
Tom, let George survive.
Tom, Mom says let George live!
LASHBROOK
We're getting out of here.
Sorry George, have a beer.
WHITE (revenging himself on TOM)
When attacked, one must make certain
That punishment is fast and merciless.
Janet, get a book that's heavy and thick.
Ah, the bard, nice pick.
WHITE
We're going to go wild tonight.
--------
Cameras: Orin Buck & Michael Sandoval
Sound: Dan Gaydos
Video editing: Evan Hause
www.manbiologyofafall.com
This opera is a work of fiction based upon true events and people.
© Evan Hause & Gary Heidt
Loading...
9:00
MBOAF 17 - Statler Hotelby gpthoss106 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)