SUMATRA
Collective Casuistics

C. Scott Ananian

Characters

CHRIS

-- An American girl.

WILL

-- Chris' brother.
Wired. A technology trader, traveller and rebel. Newly wealthy.

PETE

-- Chris' father.
Scruffy. Perhaps a beard. Hasn't shaved in a while.
Fiercely independent.

MEG

-- Chris' mother.
Starched and prim. A faithful church-attender. A sturdy woman, Pete's match if it ever came to a fight.

BLUE MAN

-- Chris' first boyfriend.
Chris' brother Will met the man in Sumatra. Not quite human: his skin is blue.

MAGIL

-- Pete's companion. Slinky.

DAN

-- Meg's companion.
Clean-shaven. Played by the actor who plays the Blue Man.
Dan's skin is not blue.

PREACHER

-- Pete's other self.
A crazy peddler of gin and cheap remedies. Played by Pete.

Setting

The waiting room of a quaint and eerie Victorian train station. Poorly lit. The walls don't fit together right. Three doors: one at back opens onto station platform and train tracks, and two stage left which go into the men's and women's restrooms, respectively. A low bench on the stage right wall. A ticket booth, destinations board, and flashing ``Train Approaching'' sign. A light switch and a telephone. Upstage, at least four small windows looking out in direction of tracks, with shades. An old jukebox.

Note

An asterisk in the text indicates that the next speech begins to overlap at that point. A double asterisk indicates that a later speech begins to overlap.

The stage direction [beat] indicates a short pause, akin to a rest of a single beat in music.

ca$\cdot$su$\cdot$ist$\cdot$ry (kazh'-$\overline{\rm oo}$-i-stre) n

1:

Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead.

2:

The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general principles of ethics or religious doctrine.

--

ca$\cdot$su$\cdot$is$\cdot$tic (kazh'-$\overline{\rm oo}$-wis'-tik) or ca$\cdot$su$\cdot$is$\cdot$ti$\cdot$cal (-ti-kel) adj

Ode on the Mammoth Cheese
Weighing over 7,000 pounds
James McIntyre (1827-1906)

We have seen thee, queen of cheese,
Lying quietly at your ease,
Gently fanned by evening breeze,
Thy fair form no flies dare seize.

All gaily dressed soon you'll go
To the great Provincial show,
To be admired by many a beau
In the city of Toronto.

Cows numerous as a swarm of bees,
Or as the leaves upon the trees,
It did require to make thee please,
And stand unrivalled, queen of cheese.

May you not receive a scar as
We have heard that Mr. Harris
Intends to send you off as far as
The great world's show at Paris.

Of the youth beware of these,
For some of them might rudely squeeze
And bite your cheek, then songs or glees
We could not sing, oh! queen of cheese.

We'rt thou suspended from balloon,
You'd cast a shade even at noon,
Folks would think it was the moon
About to fall and crush them soon.