Floating on Idea Clouds
At Rise of blimp: Interior Goodyear Blimp at morning. In control room the ensign is steering. He gets on the intercom to speak to the captain. (One spotlight on Goods and one on Captain Rialto, on two ends of
stage.)
ENSIGN GOODS blows into intercom. A high-pitched whistle sound in four tones occurs.
ENSIGN GOODS
Ensign Goods to Captain Rialto. Ensign Goods to Captain Rialto. Over.
CAPTAIN RIALTO
Captain Rialto to Ensign Goods. I copy. Over.
ENSIGN GOODS
Captain, the ship is approaching Berkeley. We have a tail wind at 4 knots and clear skies. It’s all smooth flying from here. I suggest we use the fair skies to our favor. You know what I mean, Sir?
CAPTAIN RIALTO
Got it, Goods. The Golden Bears kick off at noon in Memorial Stadium; then the Niners get on the field at one at Candlestick. We want our message to the fans down there to hit them where they live. When those gates open at game end, I want them to head for their nearest Goodyear shop and ring the registers.
ENSIGN GOODS
Long live the ‘49ers! I can give them the royal treatment. Nothing like a digital LED panel to get out your pitch.
CAPTAIN RIALTO
Nailed it, Goods. The power of words from out of the sky.
ENSIGN GOODS
I set it so, Captain: THE OPEN ROAD…THE POWER OF THE PEDAL…FLOATING ON A DREAM…AND GOODYEAR
CAPTAIN RIALTO
You’re either a philosopher or a god, Goods.
ENSIGN GOODS
The difference between us and the Greek gods were that they were confined to Mount Olympus, while we go to the faithful.
CAPTAIN RIALTO
Don’t say Olympus. They might hear you and get their own blimp.
Both laugh.
ENSIGN GOODS
It’s so good to fly up here in this blimp, Captain. I don’t know…maybe it’s the way we’re not tied to everything down below…freedom, you know. It’s like we’re free to dream up here in the clouds.
CAPTAIN RIALTO
As long as those dreams tell you messages for the LED panel, Goods.
Both laugh.
CAPTAIN RIALTO (cont’d)
There is a kind of freedom up here, but we’re still in uniform – still have our mission. We have discipline too, like those early German zeppelin crews in World War I. Then it was about dropping bombs on the cities, but the airways have come a long way since then. Now it’s about blitzing the consumer.
ENSIGN GOODS
Yes, and our logic reflects that. We go along over the stadiums in a straight line: U.C. Davis stadium, Memorial Stadium, The Cow Palace, and finally Candlestick – starting small and building toward the most profitable sales pitch. Bigger stadium…bigger consumer market…longer LED message. It’s linear logic. Routes according to profit; messages according to profit.
CAPTAIN RIALTO
Yes, and chains of command. The consumer determines Goodyear’s moves; Goodyear tells marketing what to do; and marketing gives us the flying orders.
ENSIGN GOODS
And don’t forget you give me orders.
Both laugh.
ENSIGN GOODS (cont’d)
I understand. It’s linear logic: Each point of higher power controls each lesser point down the chain. Each thing in its place, and you always know who to answer to.
Spotlight now on two balloon tents. DEMOS and SHARISE are communicating between their two balloons with platform tents from cell phones.
DEMOS
Mike check.
SHARISE
Mike check.
DEMOS
Hey, SHARISE. This is DEMOS. We’ve got the wind at our backs, because the spirits favor Occupy. I can lower the tarp and release our message. You know what I mean, Chief?
SHARISE
I do. The Berkeley administration has its new entrepreneurs luncheon at 12. The cops shouldn’t be here to give us any trouble ‘til one, so that gives us an hour of pure communication. We want those unsuspecting downtown shoppers to reconsider their ways.
DEMOS
Nothing like a hand-painted balloon from the science department to get out our message, Chief.
SHARISE
The power of words from land and sky!
DEMOS
Maybe we should work Mario Savio into the sign. We owe the Free Speech Movement to him, you know, Chief.
SHARISE
You’re either a linguist or an Athenian democrat, DEMOS. And stop calling me chief. I’m not in command here; everyone has an equal voice in our democracy.
DEMOS
The difference between us and the Athenians was that they confined democracy to landholding men, while we represent everybody.
SHARISE
Don’t say landholding. The university might sell speaker’s corner to a Greek restaurant.
Both laugh.
DEMOS
It’s so good to be floating up here above where the cops can’t storm us. We’re free to express almost anything.
SHARISE
As long as we don’t yell “Fire”- could burn the balloon.
Both laugh.
DEMOS
Really, the French used hot air balloons and carrier pigeons to stay in contact with the world outside Paris during the Prussian siege in 1870.
SHARISE
Words can’t be stifled when there is truth behind them. They’ll find a way to float.
DEMOS
Our movement has roots in classical Greece, when words meant everything. We’re like those early Athenians in the fifth century B.C.E. We’re starting a new system of government…we hope…and we’re imperfect and floundering, but in a few months we’ll unleash it on the world.
SHARISE
And there’s no roadmap. Sure, we’ve read the Greeks and all the books, but it’s not linear logic. The Occupy movement evolves organically…like our sign in the form of one of those word clouds from a blog…not structured like sentences, but free-floating phrases, each evoking an idea on its own, yet together coalescing into a beautiful unity.
DEMOS
It’s poetry.
SHARISE
No voice louder than another and no orders from a central command based on money and power.
DEMOS
Except when you shitheads make me do the pizza run.
Both laugh.
SHARISE
Enough bullshit. Let her rip!
DEMOS
Ay, ay, oh leaderless one.
Spotlight now on Goodyear blimp. (Sound of tarp flapping against
balloon improvised)
ENSIGN GOODS
My God, Captain. Look below starboard. Do you see what I see?
CAPTAIN RIALTO
Yeah, I do. A tent balloon with one of those word clouds on it. Says:
OPEN GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY EVEN IN CLOUDS
POWER OF WORDS
FIGHTING FOR AIR TIME
NO LIMITS TO THOUGHT
FREE SPEECH FREES THE MIND
MARIO SAVIO
BORN ALOFT DREAMS
HOVERING OVER LIES
GODS ARE DEAD
FLOATING ON THE WINDS OF CHANGE
LONG LIVE THE 99
HAVE A GOOD YEAR……………
THE END
—Stuart Kurtz, Brookline, MA
