BACK BLIND2 7'?m3f Spiritual blindness, scientism, physicalism (production note: it is important that the blind actors never look directly at one another or speak directly to one another, in order to simulate blindness) SUE -- (enters carrying tape measure, wearing sunglasses, feeling her way along with a white cane) There should be plenty of room over here to launch the vehicle. LIZ -- (enters carrying a paper airplane, wearing sunglasses, feeling her way along with a white cane) I hope you know what you're doing. I'm not all that comfortable being away from the buildings. We have no idea what's out here in this field. There could be wild animals out here for all we know. SUE -- Nonsense! We're not that far from civilization! You want to have enough room for the launch, don't you? LIZ -- Yes. Of course. But... SUE -- There's no progress in science without a little risk. (offers end of tape) Here, take the end of the tape measure. LIZ -- (takes tape) Okay, but let's not waste time. Science is risky enough without the wild animals complicating things. SUE -- (unfurls tape, sidestepping toward far exit) Okay, you set up there and I'll set up down range in the most likely landing zone. Now remember, keep the vehicle horizontal at take off. LIZ -- Horizontal. Got it. AMY -- (enters opposite quietly, no sunglasses or cane) SUE -- And remember to keep the launch speed moderate. LIZ -- (gasps) Professor Kranston! SUE -- Remember that excessive speed changes the aerodynamics of the... LIZ -- Susan! SUE -- What. LIZ -- Something is out there! SUE -- I think you're hearing things. LIZ -- No. I'm sure I heard something! We should go back! SUE -- We haven't tested our vehicle yet. Okay. I'm set up near the landing zone. Launch the vehicle on my mark. LIZ -- (poises paper airplane to launch) Well, alright, but... just one flight. SUE -- Three... two... one... LIZ -- Wait a minute! There's something out there! I know it. SUE -- (sighs) Alright. Where is it? LIZ -- Behind you! SUE -- (shouts toward Amy) Alright, you wild animal! You can eat me as soon as this test flight is complete. Okay? AMY -- I'm not an animal. (Liz and Sue scream) SUE -- You scared the heck out of me! LIZ -- We thought you were a predator! SUE -- You're not a predator, are you? AMY -- No. I'm a missionary. SUE -- A what? AMY -- A missionary. LIZ -- What's a missionary? AMY -- I come from a land far away. We heard about your civilization and we sent a representative... a missionary... to share our knowledge with you. SUE -- You talk as if your people have superior knowledge to ours. AMY -- We do. LIZ -- I doubt it. SUE -- That's impossible. Professor Blomburg and I are just two of dozens of scientists who work full time making scientific break-throughs. LIZ -- That's right. Have YOUR scientists discovered the principles of sustained flight? AMY -- Yes. SUE -- I doubt it. Professor Blomburg, show our visitor, here, what sustained flight really looks like. LIZ -- This will really rock your socks! We're the only scientists who have solved the problems of aerodynamics. (throws paper airplane toward Sue) There. SUE -- (feeling for plane, sets tape next to plane, feels tape) Do you know what we just did? AMY -- Yes, but... SUE -- I'll tell you what we just did. We just propelled an inanimate object twenty-two feet seven inches through the air. LIZ -- That's right. And our next step is to add an engine to the vehicle which will allow virtually unlimited flight. SUE -- Bet you can't match that with YOUR science! LIZ -- Yeah. AMY -- Actually. We can. SUE -- Sure. LIZ -- You got a vehicle that can fly farther than twenty-two feet? AMY -- Yes. SUE -- How far can yours fly? AMY -- We've had our vehicles fly 25,000 miles. LIZ -- Miles. What are miles? AMY -- A mile is 5280 feet. SUE -- That's impossible. LIZ -- There's no tape measure that long! SUE -- You're making that up. AMY -- No. It's true. SUE -- Nobody can throw a vehicle that far! LIZ -- Nobody. AMY -- Our vehicles have engines. SUE -- EngineS?! More than one engine? AMY -- Yes. With midair refueling. SUE -- That's impossible! That means you'd have to have a second vehicle to refuel the first vehicle. AMY -- That's our technology. SUE -- That's impossible. LIZ -- Impossible! How do you get the two vehicles to meet up in the air?! No way they could find one another! AMY -- We have a technology called VISION. LIZ -- Vision. SUE -- Vision? Never heard of it. AMY -- It allows your brain to make an image of the objects they can't touch. SUE -- Impossible. How do you do that? AMY -- Through our eyes. LIZ -- You mean these (points to own eyes) eyes? AMY -- Yes. LIZ -- That's impossible. Our scientists tell us that eyes have no function in the human being. AMY -- Oh, but they have a function. The purpose of your eyes is to sense things out of your reach and send an image of them to your brains. LIZ -- That's not the purpose of mine. SUE -- Mine neither. Mine are worthless. I think you're making up this whole story. I don't believe a word of it. LIZ -- Me either. If I can't feel it or taste it or smell it or hear it, it doesn't exist. SUE -- No way! I suppose you're going to try to convince us that you can sense things that are too far away to feel and hear and smell. AMY -- Of course. That's how I got here. LIZ -- How? AMY -- I flew. LIZ -- YOU... FLEW?! AMY -- Yes. SUE -- You're whole body rode on a vehicle (holds up paper airplane) and the vehicle actually left the ground? AMY -- Yes. LIZ -- Impossible. SUE -- She's right. Unless you're scientists have perfected a way to take off and fly at really slow speeds, air vehicles go too fast to feel your way along. How do you avoid bumping into things? AMY -- It's the new technology I was talking about. LIZ -- You mean this technology you call VISION? AMY -- Vision. That's right. SUE -- An image of things in your mind. AMY -- That's right. You know, there are some things you can know that are beyond your four senses. SUE -- In your dreams. AMY -- You don't believe me? LIZ -- (exiting) This VISION thing sounds more like science FICTION than science! SUE -- I'm a scientist. Science is limited to what a person can measure with the four senses. If you can't measure it or observe it with the four senses, it's not science. (exits) AMY -- Well, I tried. (exiting opposite) Good thing I didn't tell them about landing on the moon. (mimicking) Moon?! What moon?! There's no such thing as a moon! ©2013 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.bobsnook.org email: [email protected] BACK |