SYNOPSIS: “Ba-bang!”
Time: September 1998
A group of powerful and influential men and women were greeted by Lord Jacob Rothschild at Waddesdon Manor, the ancestral home of the Rothschild banking family to discuss economic and political issues: The ultimate networking venue. Waddesdon Manor is a Renaissance-style chateau in the undulating hills of Buckinghamshire. For the purposes of this play, a black box theatre will do. Among those invited is billionaire Warren Buffet, and the soon to be governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Other notable guests included the President of the
World Bank, James Wolfensohn, Chief Executive Officer of Nokia, Jorma Ollila, De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer, Chief Executive Officer of the worlds largest food processing and distribution company, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the worlds largest research-based pharmaceutical company, Chief Executive Officers of major oil corporations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officers of major banking establishments and three unnamed guests, outside the meeting hall: “Jay”, “Que”, and Dubya”. The men, after the women are removed for disturbing the process, nominate one of the three unnamed guests to a very important position: the Presidency of the United States. They nominate ‘DUBYA’. Bush. DUBYA agrees on the condition that he make his presidential legacy by waging war against those countries throughout the world denying freedom and democracy to their citizens and that he be allowed to spread the word of God in those freedom deprived countrys with the exception that he leave certain countries alone (if they are ‘owned’ by his “moneyed buds”: He wants to be a ‘War President’. They enthusiastically and supplicatingly agree. At curtain, Scene Two, we find DUBYA trying to use his influence with GOD to help him with his legacy: his quest to spread freedom, liberty and Christianity throughout the world. During his private prayer session he is visited by some of the worlds greatest thinkers, politicians, scientists, artists, etc.:
CARL SAGAN, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, HARRY S. TRUMAN, CONFUCIUS, JOHN F. KENNEDY, LEONARDO DE VINCI, MAHATMA GHANDI,
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, BARBARA JORDAN, GOLDA
MIER and of course GOD. [Unlike da Vinci’s “Last Supper”, which is contra to a Jewish Passover feast, I have included four women in the’surreal stage painting’: Eleanor Roosevelt (Mary Magdalene), Golda Mier (Sarah) and Barbara Jordan (Ruth).]
They were summoned by “GOD” to ‘fix’ DUBYA’s (Dubyaisms and all) leadership image. A good politician must have a good image to sell his agenda and to buy his legacy for the world to remember.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
( 3 F, 10 M. Some ‘doubling):
DUBYA George W. Bush (1950’s movie cowboy costume: Roy Rogers style, w/pair six guns and his gold pilot’s wings. Imitate DUBYA.)
UNCLE SAM: Very Tall. Taller than anybody else.
Act I, Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two, and
Act II, Scene One traditional costume of UNCLE
SAM including rd/wh/bl tophat, coat and tails. Act
II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day.)
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER: Act I, Scene One,
business suit. Act I, Scene Two, and Act II, Scene One, Army General’s uniform, Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day.
CARL SAGAN: Act I, Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two, and Act II, Scene One, scientist’s lab coat, Act II, Scene Two, costume of Christ’s day.
Imitate CARL SAGAN’s delivery.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: The ‘Bard”. Act I,
Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two, and Act
II, Scene Two costume of his day. Act II, Scene Two, costume of Christ’s day.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Act I, Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II, Scene One, Presidential coat w/tails and tophat. Act II, Scene Twocostume of Christ’s day. HARRY S. TRUMAN: Act I, Scene One, Business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II, Scene One, costume of his era, Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day. JOHN F. KENNEDY: Act I, Act II, Scene One business suit. Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day.
LEONARDO DA VINCI: Act I, Scene One,
business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II Scene One, costume of his era, Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day.
MAHATMA GHANDI: Act I, Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II Scene One, costume of his era, Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: Act I, Scene One,
business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II, Scene One, costume of her era, business suit. Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day.
BARBARA JORDAN Act I, Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II, Scene One, costume of her era, Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day. GOLDA MIER: Act I, Scene One, business suit. Act I, Scene Two and Act II, Scene One, costume of her era, Act II, Scene Two costume of Christ’s day.
WARREN BUFFET: Any one of the males.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: Any one of the males.
LORD JACOB ROTHSCHILD: Any one of the males.
GOD: Any one of the females. (v.o.) Terrorists video training scene: could be vo with television facing upstage or an actual video taped telescript.
CONDOLISA RICE (CONDI), CONFUCIUS,
BRADLEY, JEFFERY, UM NADAL, MOUIN,
MOUIN’S TRAINER, REPORTER
SET: A black box.
A long table to accommodate the cast, chairs or benches, pillows, couches, desk, computer monitor, a reclining office chair television, wine goblets and bread.etc.
Props: DUBYA’s pair of matched cowboy style silver six-shooters (cap guns if ossible).
HARRY S. TRUMAN’s Chicago Daily Tribune: “Dewey Defeats Truman”.
LEONARDO DA VINCI’s paintings of “Mona Lisa”, and “The Last Supper”, easel and painting parapernalia.
PowerPoint Presentation of cartoons, photos and slides: Included in production rights through playwright.
