Canadian

The square swells with conflict
But for a dream like second
The Chorus speaks:

Note: This can be performed solo, by CHORUS 4
Or can be performed chorally, with each member of the chorus
(Minus Antigone or the Guard/Chorus 5)
Taking one line at a time.

Chorus
How strange is the world
How confusing
How clear
How incredible
How disappointing
How angry
How funny
How utterly strange is our world.

But compared to mankind . . .
Well,
The world sits back to
How confusing
How clear
How incredible
How disappointing
How angry
How funny
How utterly strange we humans are.

We fly through the skies
Sail through the seas
Conquer our lands
Inch by inch
As if the world belongs to us alone

The winged creatures that share our skies
We shoot them down and scream
THE SKY IS OURS

The fanged beasts that share our earth
We trap them and scream
THE LAND IS OURS

The fish, the sharks, the submerged entities
We take our nets, our knives, and scream
YOUR FLESH IS OURS

We, men, masters of animals
Of cities
Of countries
Of each other
Whipping through our tongues
Speaking like thunder to show just how smart we are
Flaunting our hair
Brushing our faces to show just how beautiful we are
We answer every unknown with an arrogance of
We know it all, we know it all
We know everything

But
Do we?
What happens afterwards?
After the fall?
After we disappear?

What happens when we die?

We vibrate between the law and our lives
Between being good and being bad
If man veers and stays with the good
Well.
Good for him.
But if man derails.
Finds himself warping his tongue
Into bitterness and anger.
Finds himself disappearing others
For the sake of his own appearances. Finds himself
A leader, leading us to the end instead of the light.
If man stays with evil.
Well.
Good for him.
He proves just how utterly strange we are.

We hear a phone ringing as the Woman enters.

WOMAN
I need your help! I screwed up.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 4
Who are you?

WOMAN
Jesus!

GIRL
Relax!

WOMAN
Who are they?

GIRL
They’re, they’re my friends.

WOMAN
Well, I’ve never met them before.

GIRL
They usually disappear when you show up . . .

WOMAN
This isn’t good. I’m getting worse.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
Is she your mom?

WOMAN
No!

GIRL
She’s—

WOMAN
I’m her!

GIRL
But I’m not her.

WOMAN
(taken aback) You’re me.

GIRL
But I’m not you. Not yet. Thank god.

WOMAN
What the hell is this?

The Woman starts tearing down the cartoon penises.

GIRL
Hey!

The Girl steps in to gather up the drawings.

WOMAN
(to Girl) I did a bad thing.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 2
What did you do?

WOMAN
It’s none of your business!
(to the Girl) He’s going to call any minute.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 4
Who?

WOMAN
Nobody!!
(to Girl) It’s my fault—

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
Why is she lying?

WOMAN
What do I do?

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 2
What’s the secret?

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 4
Yeah.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
What did you do?

WOMAN
Shut the fuck up!

SYNCHRO SWIMMERS
(overlapping) Whoa. That is— I can’t believe you just said that . . . that is so . . . why would you say that?

WOMAN
(to Girl) I texted him.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
“Tested him?”

WOMAN
No, “texted.” I texted . . .

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
“Texted.”

WOMAN
It’s like leaving an e-mail—

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
E-mail?

WOMAN
Forget it. I “paged” him, okay? I told him that we should meet.

SYNCHRO SWIMMERS
Oooh . . .

WOMAN
It’s not like that.

The Woman’s phone vibrates.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 3
Oh my god, what is that?

She pulls it out of her back pocket.

What is that?

WOMAN
(to Girl) It’s him.

SYNCHRO SWIMMER 4
It’s a flashlight!

GIRL
Answer it!

WOMAN
What . . . ?

SYNCHRO SWIMMERS
Answer it!

WOMAN
I don’t want to.

The Synchro Swimmers grab at the phone, as the Woman attempts to evade them. “What is it?” “A computer?” “How do you answer it?” “It’s so tiny and flat? Somehow, in the scuffle, the phone is answered.

TY’S VOICE
Hello?

They all go dead quiet and listen to TY’s voice coming through the phone.

Princess? It’s Ty. You there?

GIRL
Yes. Say yes!

WOMAN
Yes. Hi.

TY’S VOICE
What you up to?

WOMAN
Uh, nothing. Just here with some, friends, or, (fading out) um . . .

TY’S VOICE
Hello?

WOMAN
Sorry, this feels a little weird.

TY’S VOICE
No kidding.

WOMAN
It’s been a long time.

TY’S VOICE
You haven't changed.

WOMAN
I still look thirteen?

TY’S VOICE
Nah . . . You’re still pretty.

The Synchro Swimmers shriek and giggle. A few follow the Woman offstage.

lisa: So, if we live here, is he going back to school.

maria: Yes.

beat.

Eventually.

beat.

lisa: If he doesn’t go to school, everyone will think we’re inbred.

beat.

jude: How come only I have to go to school.
How come she doesn’t have to go back to school.

beat.

maria: Your sister’s gonna have a full-time job as a mom.

beat.

And also, she must take time to find healing.

beat.

Honey, after what you’ve been through, you can’t expect to-

lisa: So you’re going to homeschool him.

maria: Yes.

beat.

Homeschool.
Homeschool on the fly.

beat.

lisa: Is there an official paper you’re supposed to get.

maria: We don’t need some paper that shows how smart we are.

jude: Colleges might.

beat.

maria: Haven’t you been learning a lot.

beat.

All that history, at those national monuments.
All that math, calculating the miles to the next hotel.

beat.

I’ve taught you both how to drive.

beat.

You wouldn’t have learned that in fourth grade.

beat.

Now, for the first lesson, in the great, Maria Grace, homeschool experiment: living every day like it’s the last episode of the season.

beat.

jude: Whoa, awesome.
The last episode of the season is where the whole world almost falls apart but then he hero risks it all to save what he cares about most.

beat.

maria: That’s right.

beat.

maria: I’ve still got a few more tricks to show you.
Then we’ll go back to school.

beat.

jude: I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.

beat.

maria: Let the homeschooling begin.

beat.

jude: What’s a fugitive.

beat.

beat.

beat.

maria: A fugitive is someone who wants to clear their name.

beat.

jude: That’s not what she said.
She said a fugitive is someone who everyone is chasing because they want to know all about you.

beat.

lisa: That’s celebrities . . . not fugitives.

beat.

jude: What’s the difference between fugitives and celebrities?

beat.

maria: Public opinion.

beat.

jude: Hmm . . .

beat.

lisa: Mom, I need to know, no kidding: is this our—

maria: Yes.
Why do you keep asking me that.

lisa: It just seems . . .
Doesn’t it.

jude: What.

beat.

lisa: A little too good to be true.

beat.

jude: nope.

beat.

maria: Honey, nothing is too good for you.

beat.

maria: Now grab the rest of your stuff.

Rock music.

jude exits.

lisa exits.

maria exits.