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Teatro precario (2010), Maxi Rodríguez
Precarious Theatre, translated by Gwynneth Dowling
SCENE TWO
- Context:
- A woman has been called into her superior’s office to explain why the employees are so lacking in energy. There have been redundancies in the factory, and the woman wants to know how secure the remaining employees’ jobs are.
- Sample text
-
- MAN:
What the hell’s going on out there?
- WOMAN:
I don’t understand what you mean.
- MAN:
Look at them. (Pause.) Look …
- WOMAN:
What?
- MAN:
Does that look like the right attitude to you to get anything done? Those faces, the way they’re moving … where’s the energy? Where’s the intensity? Where’s the ...
- WOMAN:
What do you expect?
- MAN:
What do you mean?
- WOMAN:
Morale’s at an all-time low. (Pause.) What with restructuring after restructuring …
- MAN:
Careful, there. (Pause.) Tread very, very carefully …
- WOMAN:
I’m sorry?
- MAN:
When morale’s low, productivity’s low.
- WOMAN:
I know.
- MAN:
Meaning more need for restructuring …
- WOMAN: (Cynically.)
I see.
- MAN:
And these restructurings can go on and on until the company itself disappears. (Pause.) Am I making myself clear?
- WOMAN:
We just want to know what’s happening.
- MAN:
What’s happening?
- WOMAN:
Yes, what’s happening. And how and why it’s going to affect us.
- MAN:
What’s happening? What the hell’s going to happen? You’re on the payroll! What is it you need to liven up those faces down there? To get them working with some enthusiasm? Beer? Music?
- WOMAN:
Information. That’s all.
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation Precarious Theatre by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
SCENE FOUR
- Context:
- A child asks his father to read him a story. The only story the father can tell is that of his own redundancy.
- Sample text
-
- DAD:
Once upon a time … in a land far, far away …
- LITTLE BOY:
What?
-
The DAD lets the storybook drop between his hands. He takes a deep breath and, his voice trembling, starts to tell a tale.
- THE DAD:
Once upon a time, a very ordinary man woke up without a job or a wage.
-
Pause. The LITTLE BOY looks up at his father with a tiny scrunched up face.
- LITTLE BOY:
Why?
- DAD:
Because his factory, the company he used to work for, was no longer there.
- LITTLE BOY:
Why?
- DAD:
It had gone somewhere else. To another country …
- LITTLE BOY:
How? Did it fly away? (Pause.) Were there witches?
-
The DAD smiles painfully.
- DAD:
Yes, that’s it. The very ordinary man knew there were witches involved. A big sinister witch, called Economic Globalisation.
- LITTLE BOY:
What?
- DAD:
And she had a little sister. Called Offshoring.
- LITTLE BOY:
Those names are weird. And do they have any superpowers?
- DAD:
Of course. They’ve the power to take the food and the jobs of people from one country and move them to another. From one continent to another.
- LITTLE BOY:
Why?
- DAD:
Well, so that the powerful become more powerful and earn more and more money.
- LITTLE BOY:
Oh. (Pause.) And what happened?
- DAD:
Nothing. The very ordinary man knew that nothing would happen. As usual. Only that unemployment would grow in the country where the company used to be. Many people would end up like him, unable to work …
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation Precarious Theatre by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
SCENE SIX
- Context:
- A son argues with his politician father over information that the son has discovered about his father’s political colleagues. The son wants his father to tell the truth, while his father is more worried about losing his position.
- Sample text
-
- The living room of a lavish family home. The SON faces the FATHER, holding a number of files that he angrily waves about.
- FATHER:
I can’t.
- SON:
You can’t?
- FATHER:
It makes no sense. We’d all end up losing out.
- SON:
All? Who do mean by ‘all’?
- FATHER:
Listen, son. I …
- SON:
Don’t you think it’s time to get things out in the open? To set things right?
- FATHER:
Easier said than done.
-
The SON feverishly stuffs a fistful of pages back into the files and heads towards the door, muttering.
- SON:
And you lot are surprised that people don’t believe a word you say.
- FATHER:
Where are you going?
- SON:
There’ve been too many letdowns. The public’s had it right up to here. (He makes a gesture demonstrating his point.)
- FATHER:
Wait!
- SON:
People aren’t stupid, Dad. You know the enemy’s within, that all the time, sing-songs and flag-waving in the world won’t conceal your dirty little secrets anymore.
-
The FATHER rushes towards his SON.
- FATHER:
Where has this come from?
- SON:
Let me go.
- FATHER:
Are you ashamed of me? (Pause.) Tell me. Are you ashamed of me?
- SON:
No. (Pause.) Of course not.
- The FATHER, a little calmer, leads his SON to the sofa.
- FATHER:
Do you doubt that I’m a good politician? An honest man?
- SON:
The opposite.
- FATHER:
Well then?
- SON:
Either you’re a fool for not noticing …
- FATHER:
It’s not that easy, you know.
- SON:
Or you’re implicated …
- FATHER:
Me?
- SON:
Yes, implicated by association. For looking the other way.
- FATHER:
What was I supposed to do?
-
The SON waves the files in front of his face.
- SON:
You know everything now.
- FATHER:
What do you want me to do?
- SON:
Let the cat out of the bag! The cat out of the bag!
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation Precarious Theatre by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 4 May 2011.
