"THE MAN WHO SEARCHED FOR
TOMORROW"
by
Charles Deemer
CAST
CASSANDRA (Cassy), a child
AASHA, the actor playing Cassy
UNCLE MIKE, a manchild
MICHAEL, the actor playing Uncle Mike
TIME
It's nearer than you think
The
Haven Project
(LIGHTS UP. MICHAEL,
an adult
actor, and AASHA, a
child actor,
face the audience.)
MICHAEL
(in Italian)
Good
evening.
AASHA
(translating into English)
Good
evening.
MICHAEL
(in Italian)
Tonight's
performance will not be in Italian.
AASHA
Tonight's
performance will not be in Italian.
MICHAEL
(in Italian)
Thank
you.
AASHA
Thank
you.
(BLACKOUT.)
(LIGHTS UP. As
before.)
MICHAEL
(in Czech)
Good
evening.
AASHA
Good
evening.
MICHAEL
(in Czech)
Tonight's
performance will not be in Czech.
AASHA
Tonight's
performance will not be in Czech.
MICHAEL
(in Czech)
Thank
you.
AASHA
Thank
you.
(BLACKOUT.)
(LIGHTS UP. As
before.)
2.
MICHAEL
(in English)
Good
evening.
AASHA
Good
evening.
MICHAEL
Tonight's
performance will not be in English.
AASHA
Tonight's
performance will not be in English.
MICHAEL
At
least not the English you usually hear.
AASHA
If
you don't like our play, leave through the rear.
(BLACKOUT.)
(LIGHTS UP. Michael
faces the
audience alone.)
MICHAEL
There
was a manchild, once upon a time, / who whenever he
spoke
would speak in rhyme. / This condition had a fancy
name
/ and brought the manchild considerable fame. / But all
he
ever wanted to do / was be able to speak like me and you.
(Michael moves to
other area, where
a suitcase and a sign await him. He
becomes UNCLE MIKE.
He holds up the
sign, which reads
"Bound for
Tomorrow! Every ride
helps!" He
holds out his thumb,
hitch-hiking.)
(Cassandra, or
"Cassy," played by
Aasha, enters. She
wears sunglasses,
a sun hat, gloves --
complete
protection against
the sun.)
CASSY
Uncle
Mike! Do you know how many people are looking for you?
Didn't
you hear the alarm? Look at you -- no hat, no gloves.
I
bet you came outside without putting on sun screen, didn't
you?
What am I going to do with you? And what's this sign?
What
do you think you're doing?
UNCLE MIKE
I'm
trying to get to tomorrow today / but with traffic so
light,
there's prob'ly no way.
3.
CASSY
Going
to tomorrow -- I swear, you put the child in Manchild.
Come
on, we have to get underground before the sun breaks
through
the shield.
UNCLE MIKE
I
don't want to go and hide. / I'm waiting here to catch a
ride.
CASSY
Just
what do you think you're going to find in tomorrow?
UNCLE MIKE
To
tell the truth, I've never been there. / But it's gonna
be
great, from what I hear. / Today I speak
and every time
/
the words I speak come out in rhyme. / A doctor told me if
I
wait / Until tomorrow, I'll speak great!
CASSY
Did
the doctor tell you the sun's rays can kill you? How
about
that? The alarm sounded an hour ago. The weatherman
says
there's going to be a break in the shield this
afternoon,
and we all have to get underground.
UNCLE MIKE
I
remember when the sun / Was warm and safe and full of fun.
CASSY
Well,
I don't, and those days are long gone. We don't have
all
day here. You remember what happened to Daddy and your
cousin
when they didn't go underground.
UNCLE MIKE
God
rest their souls, I remember well. / It's deadly to
ignore
the warning bell. / But this is a crisis that happens
today.
/ I'll be in tomorrow, safe from harm's way.
CASSY
I
can't believe you're trying to leave. Won't you even miss
me?
I'll miss you. Who else will I read stories to? You're
the
only adult who treats me like an equal.
UNCLE MIKE
Saying
so long is not saying goodbye. / You can come visit
me
by and by!
CASSY
Uncle
Mike, I want you to come with me, right now!
UNCLE MIKE
Let
me do my way this time, / Whatever it takes to break
this
rhyme.
4.
CASSY
But
you can't catch a ride to tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes.
Tomorrow
is always tomorrow, and today is always today.
Listen
up!
SONG (CASSY)
Living
for tomorrow / Fills your life with strife /
Everything's
a plan / Waiting is your life / Living for
tomorrow
/ There's never time to rest / The forest hides the
trees
/ Right here is never best
CHORUS
Yesterday's
a memory / Tomorrow is a dream / Today's the
beating
of your heart / Today is where the living starts /
Today
you taste the cream
SONG (CASSY)
If
you live for today / The here-and-now is real / Each
moment
has a life / Each life is what you feel / If you live
for
today / You open up your heart / You welcome each
surprise
/ Whether sweet or tart
CHORUS
Yesterday's
a memory / Tomorrow is a dream / Today's the
beating
of your heart / Today is where the living starts /
Today
you taste the cream
CASSY
You
get it now? You'll never reach tomorrow because as soon
as
you get there, it's already today.
UNCLE MIKE
But
the doctor said this was the cure. / I am, I fear, no
longer
sure.
CASSY
What's
wrong with rhyming anyway?
UNCLE MIKE
It
makes me different and a freak! / And don't tell me
"you're
so unique."
CASSY
I've
always thought it's amazing how you can rhyme. I could
never
rhyme like that.
UNCLE MIKE
I
don't do it from craft and skill. / It just comes out
without
my will.
CASSY
I
think you should be proud! You're different from anyone
I've
ever met, and you're my very favorite uncle. So come
on--
5.
UNCLE MIKE
My
speaking always brought me shame. / Aren't we supposed to
be
the same?
CASSY
You
need a new attitude. Diversity is great! And you know
what
you are? You're a poet!
UNCLE MIKE
My
o my, where do I start? / This doggerel is not high art.
CASSY
I
don't know about dogs but I know it sounds like poetry to
me,
and I like it. I want you to tell me more about Hiawatha
and
gitcheegumee, just as soon as we get underground. Come
on
now ...
UNCLE MIKE
I
remember when the sun / Was warm and safe and full of fun.
CASSY
You
already said that. You can't live in the past, Uncle
Mike,
any more than you can live in the future.
SONG (CASSY)
If
you live in the past / Then everything is old / Everything
is
gone / And everything is cold / If you live in the past /
There's
nothing to be done / Everything is stone / The race
already
run
CHORUS
Yesterday's
a memory / Tomorrow is a dream / Today's the
beating
of your heart / Today is where the living starts /
Today
you taste the cream
CASSY
You
can only live in today, and today the alarm went off and
the
sun is coming out and we have to get underground before
it
does. So let's go!
(Uncle Mike shakes
his head, No.)
CHORUS
What
am I going to do with you? ... Okay, how about this?
I'll
teach you how to talk without rhyming. Then you'll come
with
me. Is that a deal?
UNCLE MIKE
If
you can stop the way I rhyme / I'll come with you, yes,
any
time!
6.
CHORUS
Now
listen up. In order to rhyme, you have to speak two
sentences
at a time. Right? So just speak one sentence at a
time.
You can't rhyme if there's nothing to rhyme with! Try
it
-- just speak one sentence.
UNCLE MIKE
One
sentence is all I say? / But a second comes out right
away.
CHORUS
Well,
don't let it! Hold your mouth!
UNCLE MIKE
One
sentence is all I say ...
(He holds his mouth with one hand.
A second sentence is
trying to come
out.)
UNCLE MIKE
Ummm!
Ummm!
(He clamps a second
hand over his
mouth.)
UNCLE MIKE
UMMMM!
UMMMM!
(The second sentence
has great
force, trying to get
out. It's all
he can do to stop
it.)
UNCLE MIKE
UMMMMMMMM!
UMMMMMMMM!
(Finally he
collapses, exhausted.
He still has his
hands over his
mouth. Cassy looks
down at him.)
CASSY
See?
It worked.
UNCLE MIKE
(tentatively, hands still over
mouth)
Ummmm
.... ummmmm . . .
CASSY
Take
your hands away.
(Slowly he does.
Silence. Then:)
UNCLE MIKE
I
think it worked. What a great day!
7.
(But it hits him that
he made the
rhyme.)
UNCLE MIKE
It
didn't work at all, you see? / I'll be rhyming til
eternity.
CASSY
We
won't survive the day unless we get underground.
UNCLE MIKE
It's
sad to have to run away / When the sun comes out today.
CASSY
We
only have to stay underground until they reseed the
protective
shield.
UNCLE MIKE
It's
sad that birds no longer sing, / that geese no longer
take
to wing.
CASSY
You
can't live in the past, Uncle Mike.
UNCLE MIKE
It's
sad that crops no longer grow; / It's sad that we reap
what
we sow.
(An alarm sounds,
like an urban
emergency alarm.)
CASSY
Come
on, we don't have much time! You can't live in the
past,
Uncle Mike, and you can't live in the future either.
You
have to concentrate on today.
They sing.
CHORUS
Yesterday's
a memory / Tomorrow is a dream / Today's the
beating
of your heart / Today is where the living starts /
Today
you taste the cream
SONG (CASSY)
Live
in the present tense! / Embrace each daily hour / Make
each
moment count / Whether sweet or sour / Live in the
present
tense! / All your senses tuned / The ground beneath
your
feet / And overhead the moon ... Now come on, Uncle
Mike!
There's not much time!
(She runs off to
BLACKOUT except
for SPOT remaining on Uncle Mike.)
8.
SONG (UNCLE MIKE)
Live
in the present tense / I look around and see / Water I
can't
drink / Dead fish in the sea / Live in the present
tense
/ An earth that we destroyed / Living underground /
And
nobody annoyed ...
(BLACKOUT. In the
DARKNESS:)
AASHA
Wait
a minute! Bring up the lights! We can't end the play
this
way!
(The LIGHTS COME UP
FULL. Aasha
comes on stage
alone.)
AASHA
(calling backstage)
Michael,
get out here!
(Michael peeks out
from backstage.)
MICHAEL
Aasha,
the play's over.
AASHA
No!
This is too depressing.
(Michael comes on
stage.)
MICHAEL
Maybe
so, but it's the ending Mr. Deemer wrote for you.
AASHA
I
don't care! This is my play, and I'm ending it my way!
MICHAEL
My
o my.
AASHA
I'm
too young for this downer ending. I believe kids can
save
the world. Sure, things can get bad, and then they can
get
worse, but that doesn't mean they can't also get better.
If
enough people want change for the better, if they do
things
in the present tense that support change for the
better,
then it will happen.
MICHAEL
Good
point, Aasha. Can we end the play now?
AASHA
I
have more to say! Listen up, people! When you're all
growing
daisies, I'm still going to be here. Got it? What
you
do today is going to shape the world I live in when I'm
your
age. Got it? So get your act together!
9.
(Michael takes
Aasha's hand to lead
her off stage.)
MICHAEL
Come
on, Aasha. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
AASHA
Kids
rule! Tell them in Italian.
MICHAEL
(in Italian)
Kids
rule!
(Michael picks her
up.)
AASHA
Kids
rule! Tell them in Czech.
MICHAEL
(in Czech)
Kids
rule!
(He starts carrying
her off stage.)
AASHA
(being carried off stage)
All
over the world, and in every language, kids rule! Kids
rule!
Kids rule! Kids rule! ...
(They are gone, and
the play is
over.)