What is the Moronic
Plague? Primarily it is
a play – an artistic endeavor – meant to confuse; entertain;
titillate; amaze and mystify.
It is meant to state issues both politically and artistically. And then, the Plague is my way of having
an opportunity to speak out on issues. A “social conscience?” Dear me – is there room in “ART” for that?
So, what is the
Moronic Plague? Einstein
says that it is fact not fancy.
“This is real!!”
(Act
I, Scene VII)
As a “Universal”
truth, this applies to everyone. The joy has gone out of our lives. The thing of living for life’s sake.
Morality. Truth. The marvelous sense of a way to better this life, this world.
Quality of life is the bottom line.
To create a time
of peace and harmony.
The
Voice – actually, more than merely the character of “the
voice” is the role played by technology.
The technology is as important a character in the Plague as any
other actor. As an ideal in
staging this “mechanactor,” the citizen operates the machinery
as well as Moses – on stage in character – a “D.J.” In melodramatic structure, this replaces
the piano player as “punctuator” of fact and fancy. Specifically the
Voice in the 5th stage, “Television” steps forward
as a central figure with the characters accessing it. The sound must feel over whelming. The audience viewing a static scene. Time plays a strong part – to watch
nothing is the message. (Act
II, Scene III)
The plague is the disease that
has altered our societies.
To proceed in
an incautious mode. To
make rash decisions – things we have been trained to avoid. Why? To be polite? Art
is never polite – that suggests subtlety – Art is not subtle
in its substance. It is
subtle in its essence – in what it leaves behind. But Art has all the subtlety of a 2x4
board across the forehead. – Think of van Gogh’s “Sunflowers.”
– Think of Shakespeare’s “MacBeth.” –
Think of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.”
Each era makes
a leap forward at some point.
These sports are rarely accepted by the times that be. Not a new concept but one that should
provide us with the realization that change is inevitable and in fact
its necessary to growth – without change ART becomes stagnant
and redundant unto itself. Artists
who avoid change or who refute change for that reason are immune to
new ideas and only maintain a status quo.
Begbick, Fatty
and Moses know, in detail, about this contagion. They seem to be unaffected, but are not. They assist in “spreading the word.”
And as a result – the infection.
(Act
I, Scene II)
The Soldier, Scientist
and Reporter represent the commonality of all of us. The Hoi Poloi, they have an opinion, even
a part of the disaster – they are responsible but – we are
they! The citizen, the
victim epitomizes the plight of the individual who, on his own has no
control over his lot in life.
But – it must be known that each individual does have some,
albeit small, power over any given circumstance. To all these questions,
within the text of the Plague, there are all the unstated truths, the
veiled intents, external to the play.
How are Begbick, Fatty and Moses backgrounds indicated if not
through direct text? By
innuendo? I don’t believe that this is “honest”
theatre. I feel that through
developed characters – multi-faceted personalities maintained
throughout brings substance to the text.
Time as well is
another factor not inherent in the text.
Einstein is not glib. He
is precise and as a result he considers each word as being the correct
in context of his intent of saying what it is he wants to say. It is what he does not say but thinks that the Actor must concern
himself with. Time –
real time – the pauses that are filled with ideas. Soldier, Scientist and Reporter deal with
Time in the bar scene. (Act
I, Scene VI) Pauses,
racked with fear, animosity, impatience, murder, frustration. Time studying the Plague – As simple as possible. One thought – when actors are “off-stage”
they should exit to the 1st row of the audience.
Seven seats reserved for actors maintained.
The backstage then becomes another aspect to the play.
i.e. Old Voice and
Young Voice. These are
entities on a much different level.
They come from a point of NO time – a limbo – They
speak at the opening from backstage which should be illuminated behind
Einstein thereby making the “Backstage” area another “on
stage” experience.
Other staging notes: Primarily the Moronic Plague takes place
in a bar. It should be
made up of found materials. A
riser on its edge for the bar proper, ‘A-frame’ ladders: one about 8 feet to act as the tellers
booth; a “leaving point”; to put a drink on; and to stage
the love sequence upon. The
other 3 as stool. Obviously the
potential for any piece requires this kind of analysis –
The audience really
has no inkling of these things.
These are ACTORS
making a play. These are
words MAKING a moment. This
is a PLAY about issues. This
is art FOR art’s sake. Here
is an AUDIENCE to watch this process.
FINALLY is the point at which ENDS all speculation and life begins
AGAIN.
But where does
it go? Comments to ponder
but why must it necessarily “go” anywhere? – Conversations
that end abruptly without completion of a thought.
– Infinite pauses – To embrace the
unknown – and go willingly into darkness seeing only the possibilities
ahead as opposed to the possible difficulties ahead is the role of art. To discover something we already know
and see it for the first time as unique – a tree, a colour in
a blossom, a cloud or the sky’s shades at 9:30p.m.
The Moronic Plague
is out of the norm in content and mode. Not a normal piece. I
have strived to create something that is comparative only to itself.
It is not original or unique but merely a statement made in as
creative a fashion as I know how.
For the past few
years I have had the luxury of observing the world and not really taking
part. I watch and listen
to things that to me just make no sense.
Famine? War? Disease? Puritan Ethic? All
of these dreadful issues tend to frustrate us. Why at this time of the earth’s
history are there oppressors of people?
Famine and devastation?
Needless to say, I don’t wish to dwell on this topic for
fear of putting a damper on creative expression, but ISSUES of life
are life. We must see them for what they are and
make some firm decisions about our feelings.
Anti-ambivalence
is what it is al about for me.
An opinion is absolutely necessary for an artist. “I like this”, “I dislike this” –
but never – Gee, I haven’t really thought about it”
is out. Not just good or
bad but never nothing. No
opinion is death to art. Ambivalence
is a sentence of doom. For,
for someone to “not care” about a piece is to say, “this
is nothing.”
The artist’s
lot is difficult enough without being ignored for what you do –
not who you are. Artists
are a practical breed – they produce tangibility to pure thought. But the precariousness of that role is
so very dangerous for so frail a being.
The Moronic Plague
will not be reacted to with ambivalence. It forces a reaction from the observer. Complacency is doomed in the face of the
Plague.
A disease, which
is, at the same time, restorative in its contagion? Ah yes! Will miracles ever cease in art? NEVER! For daily
the artist is called upon to overcome futility and out of nothing create
something. Who else but
a child or an Artist could see excitement in a stone in the road? Never a banker or any other being dedicated
to measurement and comparison only. For an Artist each grain of sand, each star in heaven’s
vault is unto itself a thing of splendor and excitement.
Life and living
is a most complex and delicate happenstance – not one to be taken
lightly – the artist is called upon from within and duty bound
to record and present just that: Life.
A static form
like painting exudes a similar energy as music and dance – kinetic
things in their form. Energy
/ Life is their commonality.
The Plague is
alive and well living in these pages and percolating in my Mind. Zip. Pop. Crackle. Phzz. Sport. Yippitee
do laddee dah. Ahhh.
What more can
I say relative to this play? -
It needs far more work – scenes should be expanded sometimes with
more text, but mainly with more time.
The voice and
music need more attention.
Staging and technique
– Input from committed
types –
Energy and life
– ZIP!
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