Below is a 5-act play about an educational situation. It is written in the abstract with six characters. Two teachers, a male and a female, two students also a male and a female and a pair of dancers. They meet in a very special classroom where there is ability to watch the dancers portray what is being spoken of. But when the female student protests the attention being put on her, the class is obligated to open all their souls.

Do I say anything good or bad about this play? Read it. It probably needs a scrub but as an idea, here it is from beginning to end. I hope it’s interesting and enjoyable and that the language is pleasing to the ear. I hope the characters are interesting to look at and the stories they have to say are pertinent to your imaginations. Please enjoy The Class.

Thank you for attending our theater.

Act 1 Scene 1 The Great Teachers’ working space. To the left there is a frame big enough so that we can see a couple of human beings against a black background. The actors are dressed in black in such a way that the white stick figure can be seen clearly on their bodies. Their job is to be representatives of anything desired from the teacher or their student. The two stick figures, a male and a female, enter from the right and casually Move across the stage and climb into their frame and assume a casual pose so that we can see this illustrated on their stick figures.

It’s possible they can change positions a few times, trying to get comfortable. If there is an audience reaction, we can use this. But after a moment the stage is still and then we hear the entrance of the teachers and their students. T1:

T1: no, no I’m sorry. You’re absolutely wrong and there is no possible way that it can be correct.

T2: don’t really listen to him when he speaks like this. He just doesn’t really understand that students have a right to be satisfied in their own time. He just likes to force things down people’s throats and feels it’s good for them.

T1: how dare you undermine my lesson like that? If I wish to show people that they need to be ready, they need to be ready. Most of these people are not here to flit about. They come to us for knowledge so they could use it for important things like making money. Am I right?

Both students humbly nod their heads.

T1: you see? It’s as simple as that now stand aside and let me do what I do.

T2: as you like.

T1: Pointing to the picture frame. You are our fellow on the left and you are the figure on the right. Now listen to me because this is exactly what I’m talking about. Last night, you were at home and you had finished your days chores and you are arguing what you wanted to do? Is that correct?

S1: okay.

Immediately the stick figure to the left starts walking around a theoretical home looking for something to do. It pauses and touches its chin thinking carefully.

And so you thought that this was the very best time to get involved with doing our homework.

It wasn’t exactly like that.

What exactly was it like?

Darling, he can be so direct. We are not a court of law and we are not telling you you are good or bad. He just wants a very clear response regarding this situation.

I just tried to do the best I could.

We both do. We are trying really hard to be a good students.

It’s not easy. I tell you, maybe you think this is easy because you’ve done it 3 million times. You already know this backwards and forwards. This is new to us. You don’t even know what new things are like?

There is a pause and then teacher number two puts her hand on teacher number ones shoulder.

There there. Nobody needs to be defeated for a simple truth like this. It is arguable whether we know what new things are or not. Sometimes when you have been doing something a long time, you don’t even remember all the things you’ve done and something that has already been resolved for years and years seems brand new and you’re looking at it for the first time.

All right. I’m sorry. I keep getting emotional and I know I shouldn’t.

Yes. We have to be very aloof and intellectual to pass this class.

I’m not sure that that’s true.

Well of course it’s true, dear. You have set us up for this. You told us it’s about a good solid workout. You told us that the learning takes place along the road. You told us it’s absolutely a physical class and athletes and musicians are the ones who truly understand how to get good at this. It’s about practicing and making sure the practice is done crisply.

Yes. That’s exactly the truth. And therefore, although we want freedom of speech, we would like you to speak freely at specific times.

No. That’s not true at all. We want them to be participatory all the time.

Yes. That’s what I meant. We want the students to be participatory except to when we are talking.

No. The students are allowed to ask questions. Take an interrupt if they don’t understand.

Wait a minute. There must be some sense of authority in the classroom.

There is dear. It’s the lesson. It’s not the teacher. It’s also not the student. It’s the lesson. The trick is to do the lesson.

Okay. I think I understand this now. You want to make a lesson out of my homework choices, is that correct?

I’m not sure that’s what I was thinking but that sounds awfully good to me.

What do you think, darling? Are you okay with using a moment of your personal life as something that we can all look at and discuss?

Can I stop you?

I’ve already started talking. It’s already on the table.

No. Of course we don’t need to do this. But you do understand that we do have the right to make suggestions to improve performance.

S2: This is also a reasonable question in terms of the basic contract. Do you get to tell us what information goes in or do you suggest what information we should invite in? There’s a big difference there. One is a dictatorship and the other is perhaps the freedom of education.

T1: well you have to listen to someone, don’t you? The information has to come from somewhere. Maybe it’s in text. Maybe we are speaking verbally. Or maybe our stick figures here can help show us the way. Either way we have to be cognizant of information, right?

Everybody agrees that this is a basic fact.

T1: well if this is the way we’re going to do this, can we take a look at this picture or not? And truly, how much of our time are we wasting right now arguing about whether or not we can even talk about what we are talking about?

T2: or be open to receiving information. Hopefully the mood is not so completely spoiled that nothing can come in.

S1: or that the information we are talking about is not so humiliating as to scar someone for life. I never asked to be the center of attention here. I just wanted to learn to speak English better.

S2: I don’t have any particular problem using my life. I don’t really have very much of a life. If you can find something meaningful in my life, I’d appreciate it. Also, I’m kind of happy learning how to turbocharge my brain. I like being alive. I’m enjoying this.

T1: you see. I like him better than her.

S1: that’s not fair. That’s even sexist. You can’t even come close to saying that?

T1: in a democracy my dear, I am free to say what I want.

T2: dear, perhaps we could just show the example already. Is it anything truly embarrassing?

T1: not to me.

S1: Oh come on!

T1: gesturing emphatically towards the frame. The stick figures immediately dive into their job illustrating his point. You see that’s you on the left and you’ve come home from your day. Are you tired?

S1: you want me to say yes but let’s say I’m young and I still have metabolism. Maybe I don’t deal with the end of the day the same way an old person such as yourself would deal with it.

T2: She does have a point dear. You have so much fear about people wasting their time when studying that you forget that not everybody is curmudgeony as yourself.

T1: If you are going to live the life of a slave, there is no way you come home jazzed.

S2: I’m kind of jazzed coming home to do this class. I like this class. I get energy from it.

S1: okay. Are we going to end up talking about our attitude?

T1: Do you mean are we going to say that the basic point of all of this is how much negativity we bring into things?

T2: dear, we cannot define that axiomatically.

T1: no but there is enough empirical evidence to prove the point.

S1: So you’re saying that I am very negative. And I suppose you’re saying that my being female is a part of this. Maybe what we’re talking about is that you don’t like females.

T1: perhaps what I’m trying to say is that I had a point to make several minutes ago but we had to have an argument before I could make my point. And now we have a new argument on the table as to whether this is sexist or not. I can’t argue that I am a male and you are a female. I’m arguing that when I tried to say something, you don’t let the information in.

S1: I just think it’s a matter of reasonable politics that we all understand our place in this supposed classroom of ours. You are allowed your voice but fair is fair, I have to be allowed mine.

T2: if I can help you dear, I think we might have found the flaw.

S2: yeah, sister, I think we found a flaw.

S1: all right I’m listening.

S2: I think what they are saying is that you’re not actually arguing any of the intellectual points. You’re not helping us get to the end of the lesson. You’re just demanding to have equal power to make things stop and start.

S1: am I? Really? I think that’s probably true.

T1: technically speaking I am the one with the decades of experience in the subject. Technically, I am the one with the accumulated knowledge.

T2: and you are the individual student in need of a particular type of attention in order for your flower to open up, as it were?

S1: well there is a lot of male female bi-play here that is not absolutely necessary. You would agree to that, yes?

T2: are you asking the teacher not to be a male?

T1: my friend, if you are more comfortable with a female teacher, please I will allow my partner to run everything. She has every competence here. I only run the class because I am the senior and I wrote the class. I have no particular need for this egotistically. Would you prefer I sat silently?

S1: Maybe I would. Would you? Let her teach the class and we will study the class and then you can just comment but let her do the main part of the work. Would that be okay?

T1: This is absolutely what you want?

S1: not forever. Just for a while. Just to try it. Don’t go away. We need you here. We really need you. You’re the only one who really knows what’s going on. Just let her teach and maybe just comment on her instead of us.

T2: o aren’t they clever. They are using me as a barrier to further stop information from you from coming. My goodness, they have no respect for the teaching profession, do they?

T1: We can do this if you’d like but you do realize what’s going to happen?

S2: what’s going to happen?

T2: well if you make me the alpha then I become alpha. Don’t you see? You’re just fighting against the alpha. If the alpha was a female, do you really believe it would be such a different situation for you? You’d still need to hear the information and consider it?

S1: Maybe I just prefer my teaching through women.

T1: I for one will second her motion. I will take a chair and take it easy. My darling, you shall take over this class and this moment and see it through to the end. What about you, my boy. Shall we let the women teach us or would you prefer to be right in the middle of the fire?

S2: yes, I think I will also sit this one out. Let’s let the women do everything.

T2: you see, I told you you couldn’t win this even if you tried.

S1: it’s okay. I’ll listen to you. What do you want to say?

T1: go on. Say it with authority!

T2: well my dear, it’s kind of simple. You wake up in the morning and you’re very tired and you really don’t want to do anything. But you know you have to. You know you have to get up and take care of your chores. Everyone has things they must do. Whether you go to work or you go to school. Everyone has a day. Well, all day every day requires decision making. Either you trying to fill other people’s ideas or trying to fulfill your own. And then there’s all the energy you spend trying to balance between how you personally handle your responsibility and how much energy it takes from here. Usually people who are stuck in a work a day life have that 5:00 bill to look forward to. Maybe if they go to school it’s earlier. But there is the end of the day. And when that end comes, also comes the end of responsibility. You’re going to toss it. You’re going to let it go. The essence of slavery is the freedom to let it go at the end of the day.

T1: I accuse my student of wanting to take it easy at the end of the day. Do I have anyone else agree with my point of view?

S2: I completely agree with you. There’s nothing anybody wants but to relax at the end of the day?

T1: exactly my point. This class is not for amusement. This class is for business.

S1: okay. But here. Look at the stick figures. Let me talk about my end of the day. That’s me on the left and this is my mother on the right. I come home from school before my mother and I only have a brief moment of time where I am not under pressure. Either I’m under pressure from the people at school all day or I am stifled under the pressure of my mother all night. I don’t have any moment to breathe in my house except for that time in between when I come home from school and my mother comes home from work. You tell us you want us to work in the morning. I can’t. I can’t wake up and become active in my mother’s house first thing in the morning because it will wake her up and if I wake her up, I will not be allowed to do my English lesson at all.

There is a moment of silence and even the stick figures are thinking this one through carefully. They have been diligently acting out the pantomime the whole time and now everyone is transfixed with the model.

T2: well old man. How about some wisdom. Is it possible to fix the mother?

T1: is it a job for a man or is it a job for a woman?

T2: darling, is your mother married?

S1: no. She’s single.

T2: that’s you big guy. That’s all you.

S1: no. I cannot allow you to talk to my mother.

T1: I don’t want to talk to her. I want her in this class.

End of scene

Scene 2 A brief moment of darkness and then the lights come back up and nothing particularly has changed except it is now a few minutes later. Therefore it is important for someone to put this in the text in order to be understood.

S1: all right. I have my idea. I think the both of you are in love with the same man.

T1: my friend, what an amazing assertion to bring into a class. I can’t believe to what lengths you will go to get out of the responsibility of speaking about your own life as a genuine item worthy of discussion.

S1: we are talking about privacy, are we not? Are we obliged to bring ourselves into our arguments?

T2: well we do put our bodies into it dear. We physically show up for the lessons. We physically do the right thing. We physically keep the ledger going. We are not devoid of responsibility.

S2: what my friend is trying to say is prid pro quo. She will happily show you anything you need to see but she needs to see you equally as clearly.

T2: she’s got you there big guy. What have you got to say for yourself?

T1: I’m a narcissist She wants me to say. Let me say this in a loud formal voice. Let me be the actor now to put my body and my words into these things that I say so that you will know from now until the end of time My pleasure and my necessity for reasonableness in all things. If you should so judge me as guilty, I must confess there is a point of view. But my point of view says otherwise and I do not believe it is necessary to fight this fight. But I shall do it.

S1: you have just admitted guilt in your very speech.

T1: no. I was showing you how to use the English language to explain a sticky situation.

S1: but you are admitting to something here.

T1: no I’m not. What did I say?

S1: You said that there was a point of view that said you were guilty. It doesn’t even matter what exactly you’re guilty of. You’re guilty.

T1: are you saying that by the very active accusing me, you raised the point that there is potential for negativity. And because the possibility of negativity exists, we should completely cancel the words coming from this person. If it is at all possible to put a minus there, let’s shut them down.

S1: no. You don’t understand anything.

T1: I think I understand communicating with a young person.

S1: Balony!

T1: please don’t use that phrase even ingest.

S1: I don’t believe you. I don’t believe that you don’t get anything out of being an authority to me.

T1: to teacher number two, Oh darling?

T2: Yes dear?

T1: she is trying to accuse me of sexual advances.

T2: is she now? Do your fancy her?

T1: she is attractive enough. She is good at grooming and spends a lot of time doing it. I don’t particularly see a great athlete. I don’t see someone who competes at sports and takes their wins and their losses well. I don’t see a great artist grinding away at a stone of craziness in the hope of bringing some sense of truth and peace to the endeavor. I don’t see her swimming in the thoughts of colors interacting with each other or the play of light and shadow.

T2: Do you want me to ask her if she is on her period right now?

T1: just have a look and you let me know. We don’t need to broach the subject with her.

T2: it’s really hard to tell. I think she’s just a spoiled brat.

T1: two student number one okay then, I agree.

S1: to what?

T1: to sex. With you. I agree to have sex with you. What is the maximum amount of time you have actually spent in the middle of the sexual act in your life?

S1: are you out of your mind? I didn’t ask you to have sex with me?

T1: to teacher number to she says that that was not what she had in mind. I am flumaxed myself.

Yes, I can see your point of view. She was making that little power play with you. You asked her to put herself into the situation and to give her genuine thoughts. In response, she decided to question your character. She implied that you were specifically leaning on her because she was a female and therefore sexual.

T1: that’s basically correct. I remember exactly that was the road we took to get here. But how did I mistake the signals that she wanted to have sex with me?

T2: well perhaps we never got that far in the conversation.

T1: was there a conversation that said the student had the right to have sex with us? Or was giving us the right to have sex with them? Or was basically begging us to have sex with them.

S1: hey!

S2: I’m with them. I think you should just get naked right now.

T1: calm your jets young trigger man. This is a court trial not an orgy.

S1: Do you see? That’s what they do. When you’re a woman and you cause problems you are immediately judged as incompetent. Immediately they try to drag you down for the things that you believe.

T2: she has definitely got a point there.

S2: yeah honestly though, I would be really more on your side in the popular vote if you were to get naked right now.

S1: shut up! Listen, we’re just talking about it genuine democracy, am I right or am I right?

And then there was one of those miraculous moments when everybody became humble at exactly the same time.

End of scene

Scene 3

T1: there is only one way out of this mess.

T2: I completely agree.

S2: Wait. What is this one thing that needs to happen?

T1: I think you better tell them. I get accused of sexual violence every time I even talk to a woman. Is that true by the way? Am I sexually violent with you?

T2: yes. Almost exactly enough.

T1: thank you my dear. I know you when you are at your most beautiful.

S1: am I allowed to throw up?

S2: seriously, what is this miraculous way?

T1: you do it.

S1: I am not fully cognizant of…

T2: darling, please use the syllabus and finish the class for us. We are giving up the responsibility of getting through the material. We cannot do it. You have set before us land mines and pits and we are offering our complete surrender. You are too smart for us today. This being said however, the necessity of having the class taught goes on. We cannot accept moments or hours of anarchy just because the kids would rather be at a party than in class. But you and your friend here are now the teacher and the other teacher, as it were.

S1: I am the teacher or I am the second teacher?

T2: is that what you want. Would you like your friend to make the decisions and you can be the supporter?

S1: Wait. You guys are doing this really fast. I think we should vote on it.

S2: I will be the teacher. I’m happy about it. Give me the book Tell me what needs to be done and we will get to the end of the page or else.

T1: or else what?

S2: or she gets naked?

T1: all right. Be that as it may. It’s your job to take us wherever it is we have to go my dear. Just remember we are talking about context and dealing with our subject matter. Either we understand what we’re looking at or we don’t. And I don’t just mean in its most simple form. I’m talking about recognizing the individual nature of each individual character. All of the characters, no matter whether they are human or anything else have their lives and by appearing in our literature, they become a part of our lives. If you can get that in your head and be a sensitive reader, please lead the class.

S1: but what if I disagree? What if I see something I don’t like in the text. Can I say something about it?

T1: to teacher number two I can’t give a direct answer here because that would infer power.

T2: I understand. This is quite the sticky wicket. You want me to do it?

T1: well, if you physically say right now that I should answer, everyone will agree socially that I should answer. And then this power thing between me and the student disappears and we are back on equal ground. I’m not asking you to make the decision, I’m just asking you to facilitate the next step that will allow a social resolution of this problem quickly and elegantly.

Do you believe you have an elegant solution, my dear?

T1: I might if I ever get the chance to finish what I’m trying to say.

T2: two student one my dear, I’m afraid that was the entire idea. If you are leaving the class, you are free to tell us about how the text affects you personally. If you see something in there that’s valid and interesting and worthy of note, you should say it. If you wish to be scandalous just for fun, you can do it. We actually think the best thing you could possibly do would be to try and understand the situation in terms of functionality. Is this a sustainable effort or are these people in trouble? That is usually our favorite point of view. Unfortunately in the times we live in, this is pretty much everyone and everything being in danger.

S1: I didn’t think it was possible but I’m already tired of listening to you talk to.

And without saying another word, the teachers pushed the students out of where they were and sent them over to where the teachers were and the teachers are the students and the students are the teacher. The stick figures are still the same and they have been pantomining the whole thing.

Scene 4

S1: All right everybody. Let’s pay attention. We have this book. What can we say about this book?

S2: and everyone remember that it’s about a boy and a tree.

S1: yes, it is very important that we all remember that this story is about a boy and a tree.

T1: raising his hand I have a comment. Am I free to make a comment?

S2: of course. Everyone is free to talk.

S1: I’m very interested in what you have to say.

T1: thank you. I am honored. But my comment was that the boy is not always a boy in the story. As we read each vignette between the boy and the tree, he gets progressively older. He is quite old by the end of the book.

S1: we know that. We weren’t talking about that.

T1:. I am sorry I’m guilty of getting in your way. I forgot that you had a point to make. Do you have a point to make?

S1: Yes. It’s about rights to privacy. If we know that we have a boy and a tree, it is not our business what happens unless it happens to be our orchard. There. There’s nothing more to say about the situation. We read the book. Thank you for the experience and now let’s move on to other things.

T2: Oh I must really object dear. It’s kind of important to say your peace about something.

S1: I think this is how we got here in the first place. I don’t know what you guys want from me.

S2: well first of all I think I personally am ready for your part of the drama to end. I kind of came here more for a language class then for a you class. I mean, maybe I would feel different if you had taken off your clothes but…

T1: What our friend is trying to say is that we need to speak about the subject whether you think it is foolish or a breach of privacy or not. We’re just talking about a children’s book.

S1: Maybe I just don’t want to lose this book. Maybe if we read it with you guys and how sinister and cynical you are about everything. You always say the bad side of things. You never say the good side of things.

T2: is that exactly the idea you wish to pursue? You want to say how wonderful this relationship was and that it was pure all the way through?

S1: You see, that’s what I’m talking about. You’ve done it already. You’ve ruined it. You’ve ruined the whole thing just by talking about it.

T1: to be honest we haven’t actually talked about it yet. We have only talked about your outrage.

S2: can I say something? I think that the tree represents a female. It’s very important in the book that we are talking about a boy and not a girl. I don’t want to get crazy but maybe my friend here doesn’t feel represented in this book because there is no little girl there.

T1: And how would the book be different if it was a little girl?

S1: well I think if it was a woman she would have just continued having apples to eat and a place to come and stay when you need to be alone. I think if it was a woman, we would not have cut down the entire orchard by the end of the book.

T2: I like it. How about you?

T1: You bet. Give us more.

S1: What more can I give you?

T1: I like the idea we had before. Why don’t you be you and we jump into the play at some level. Are you okay with the apples for this? I think you guys are about the right age for the apples, am I correct?

S2: oh my God. If we are of the age of the apples that means you to teacher number two are a businessman and you to teacher number one are a boat.

T1: thank you for not telling me I’m a stumper.

S1: who do you want me to be?

T1: you are exactly you. Maybe you’re the girl under the tree. In fact, for the last half hour, you have been the girl under the tree.

S1: sex again. You always want me to pay attention to the sex.

T2: you are a female student dear and we are teachers. We are worried to death.

T1: she is more worried to death than I am. I am way too long into my career to worry about it anymore.

S1: you want me to say what I see?

S2: I can do this if you want me to?

S1: go ahead.

S2: he’s a boy so he’s all in his own head all the time. And you’re a girl and you see him lost in his own head. So you walk over there and put yourself in the picture. What do you want from him?

S1: attention. I just want his attention.

S2: not really. The boy has an orchard.

Best one calling all village people have fruit orchards.

S2: not where you have the privacy of hanging out with a single tree. That’s more like a big jungle. That’s a big plantation if you’re talking about getting lost in a forest with an apple tree.

S1: maybe it was just a forgotten orchard and the trees still provides apples now and again.

S2: you never think about that he might be rich?

S1: all right. I see your point. You think the girl made him fall in love with her and got pregnant and now he needs money. This is the reason he starts butchering the orchard. Instead of allowing everything to be, everything has to be monetized because of the woman. Is that what you’re saying?

T2: actually you’ve done a fine job that all by yourself. You didn’t really need our help.

S2: and for sure if you had agreed to get naked for the part…

S1: is this what you old people call cathartic?

T1: not really. I can’t speak for everybody but for me, I just like listening to the arguments. If you’re not good at making an argument, even about a banality, my mind just doesn’t want to pay attention.

S1: but that’s what I’m saying. I say you’re using me as a stimulus.

T1: because you’re a young female? Or because you are number one student?

S1: Wait a minute. This is not fair. You’re running away from your responsibility again. Every time I catch you sexually harassing me you keep telling me that it’s a natural part of teaching the class.

T2: it is a natural part of teaching the class. You are a teenage girl.

S1: All right then let’s everybody switch. I’m not going to be number one student. Let’s let you focus on my young friend here. He’s perfectly capable. Are you ready to do the job?

S2: I don’t really care. If it helps us go any faster through the material, I would vote for that.

S1: there you have it. Quickly take off your clothes.

S2: would you say that again really slowly but maybe touching me somehow with your hand?

S1: Yes my friend. You’re now a girl and I am now a boy. You are female student number one.

S2: couldn’t I just lead the class as myself?

T1: to student number two If anybody is ever going to lead this class, it might just be you.

S1: but the same thing applies to you guys as well. Teacher number two is now teacher number one. And what was once a female is now a male.

T1: can a teacher plead sexual misconduct on the part of a student?

T2: okay big guy, no use crying over spilled status. I will have use of that penis please. Thank you very much. Please enjoy the added sensitivity.

T1: teaching is a dubious business at best.

Blackout and End of scene

Act 2 Scene 1

When the lights come back up, we see that there has been some basic changes to our lineup. Student number one is now wearing at least a few outer garments and such that she looks a little bit more like teacher number one. Teacher one has now taken over the role of student number one. However, teacher number two and student number two have now adopted to wear the stick figure costumes and are now within the frame while stick figure 1 is now teacher number two and stick figure number two is now student number two. When the lights come up we take a moment to stare at each other.

Editor’s note, we are going to write this text as if the teacher is always the teacher, the students always the students and the stick figure dancers always dancers. That the roles change and this is obvious to the audience is fine. The main teacher is always the main teacher and the dancers are always dancers.

T1: dressed rather absurdly as a teenage girl honestly, are you sure we need to go to all of this length just to work out a dialogue about a children’s book?

S1: no. I am absolutely sure we need this more than anything.

D2: excuse me. We don’t mind helping out but what exactly do you need me to do.

At this moment student number two who is in the picture frame as a dancer begins to pantomime to the effect that he should listen to the girl, keep things calm and pay attention to what the teachers are saying even if you don’t care so much. This dance is clearly understood by dancer number two who smiles and agrees that the class can continue.

S1: all right then. Let’s all be disciplined and listen closely to what I have to say. We have read this book. And now we must talk about it. Tell me, which is your favorite character in the book and why?

T1: are you asking me if I like the boy better than the tree?

S1: Do you like the boy better than the tree?

T1: after this class it’s not such an easy guess.

D2: I think what she’s asking is what level of development do you like best from the boy?

D1: no, I don’t think so at all. I think she

Best one: he

D1:  he was genuinely asking If she liked the tree better than the boy.

T1: Yes, I definitely think we need to clarification on this one. Can you please clarify your point?

S1: okay. Fair is fair. Which age do you most identify with?

T1: I think we covered this already. Do you want to ask a different question?

S1: okay. Do you like the boy?

T1: Do I like the boy? In what way should I like him?

S1: are you doing this because I do this or are you doing this because you really don’t understand my questions?

T1: I don’t understand anything you’re asking me including that last question.

D2: let’s be fair. We’ve got to move forward with this class. If you were complaining that the class was too slow because nobody had a vested interest in finishing, you should have a vested interest in finishing.

T1: okay I’ll talk. I like the boy fine. But I have a problem with people in general. Eventually, he’s going to need something and when he does he’s going to strip the life out of that tree the way we strip the life out of all resources. The boy never thinks anything about how wonderful the tree was when she was everything she was when she was alive. But bit by bit he monetizes her and strips her down to nothing. It’s a metaphor for how all men treat people. Even if they are beautiful little boys, they still think of nothing but their own pleasure. And they believe the trees give to us happily.

S1: you think the trees hate us?

T1: I think every living thing on the planet hates us. We are cancer basically. If you look at us from space and you actually understand that there are people here, our cities much too closely resemble groups of cancer cells getting ready to wipe out someone’s body. The effect of human movement and human effort on the planet is exactly equal to cancer acting against the body.

S1: and you believe that with all your heart? You really believe that the world is hopeless?

D2: I do too.

Both S2 and T2 immediately start dancing in such a way that we can see that they completely agree as well.

S1: So I suppose you think that I think differently.

D2: I don’t think you think very much about anything.

S1: that’s not fair. I think a lot about a lot of things.

T1: I understand that you are the teacher and I am the student and you are running the class. But do you see anything in the boy that may be raises some red flags?

S1: do you mean like how he’s always alone?

T1: Yes exactly. What does it mean to you that the boy is always alone?

S1: that he only cares about himself.

T1: so if you see this, do you really believe the tree loves him?

S1: I don’t know.

D1: I think it’s different for plants because they want inherently to give away their children. Their children grow on their branches, the seeds for new trees, but then they drop on the ground or they get eaten and carried some distance. I do think there is symbiosis.

D2: but don’t you think it means something different to a tree? Do you think plants think of life and death differently than animals or people?

S1: maybe the point is thinking. Maybe living things think differently than plants.

D1: I think plants definitely feel the world. I think they’re only minding their own business though. Animals always need to move to eat. Plants just get what they get exactly where they are. They don’t have to move. They don’t have to do anything but live.

S1: maybe the boy is clever.

T1: all boys are clever for a while.

S1: all right. I understand. There was something to see over there and I didn’t look. I’m sorry for being difficult.

There is general forgiveness. End of scene and the lights come down.

Scene 2

Everybody is back in their own clothing.

S1: okay. We can both play this game. And it’s an interesting game I think. So let’s play.

T1: all right, everybody gets a chance to contribute. What would you like to show us.

She walks over in front of the frame with the stick figures and begins talking. And she takes her cues when to say more from the dancers who do their best to follow her instructions as she says them.

S1: to the left we have the boy and to the right there is me. I know the boy. I’ve seen him go play many times. The boy is always thinking in his head. But he always goes to the tree and he never comes to see me. I say I’m jealous. I want him to come and play with me.

S2: that says something when your friends would rather be with trees than with you.

T2: this is a natural thing. All people are jealous. It’s all a part of life and learning to deal with these things is a part of living well.

S1: yes but today is different. Today I go and I stop him. I say to him hello boy. And he just looks at me but he cannot speak. Why can’t the boys speak?

T1: he is shy. All boys are shy.

S2: he doesn’t know you. You’re a new person.

T2: Maybe you haven’t given him a chance yet.

S1: all right. I’ll let him do the talking. Hello boy. Are you going to play with the tree? And he says what?

S2: yes. The tree makes me happy.

T1: and what do you say? Are you curious about his happiness?

S1: all right I will go play with you if you want.

S2: okay. All boys would just say okay. We don’t care.

T1: I care.

T2: maybe you can tell us how this develops. Let’s not drive the dancers crazy if we don’t have to.

S1: So we go to the tree together. And we play hide and seek. And we swing from the branches. And we eat apples. And then later we sleep together in the sweet shade. And then what?

S2: well he’s pretty much in love with you forever.

T2: just a second. How old are these children? I think he looks to be maybe 5 or 6? You can’t really expect a lot of logic from a five or six-year-old boy.

S2: but maybe it’s the older version. Maybe it’s you. Maybe hide and seek is a metaphor for what he does with his tallywacker under the apple tree.

S1: but my point is whether or not she wishes this relationship to be the center of her world. What I find is that boys fall deeply in love with this relationship much more than women do. Women are more pragmatic in this. We are not so filled with shame. Women just watch in amusement. I think it is important to talk about this because there is no fairness in this relationship right here.

T1: no, I don’t suppose there is. They say men and women cannot be friends but this is not true. But the reason they say it is logical enough. It’s never fair.

S1: then who am I? I understand there are billions of people in the world and pretty much half of them are women. I can’t see myself as being one of four billion people and somehow be particularly special. And if my psychology has been so completely ripped apart and studied and I have been pressed and molded and forced into roles for the whole history of history. This is what I’m asking you now. Who am I in the world? How much power do I actually have?

T1: in a Utopian world, theoretically you have all the power you need. Within reason of course.

T2: well you have this class here today. For whatever reason we’ve gone through this, here we are. You were being difficult and we asked you why and it was a big answer. Maybe we are trying to make a utopian society and so you do have exactly as much power as you need.

S1: But what about in real life?

S2: maybe don’t ruin every class in real life and you will have more friends.

T2: no, I don’t agree with you. I think she did wonderfully. I think we all did wonderfully. I think this is a wonderful class. I think everything we are doing here is good.

S1: can I show you something with the dancers? I see myself as basically alone for the rest of my life. Perhaps around me as I dance my dance of life there will be someone who is interested in me. Perhaps it is a man and perhaps we will make love and perhaps I will be a mother and I will wait for my baby to come from me. And then I will be like my mother was to me and I will be there for my child. 

T1: can we see you with your mother? 

S1: you want to see what my life is like when I’m with my mother? 

T1: if it’s possible? 

S1: Oh that’s very simple. She does what I do. She comes in and takes over the situation and does whatever it is she needed to do. And then she’s gone and I get left with the mess. But it’s the only way to talk with her. So I create catastrophes so I have a reason to go to her. But she never really cares. She just says something, anything that works, and then watches television. 

S2: I think this is the first time I’ve ever felt sorry for you. You’re not really someone anyone needs to feel sorry for. You’re pretty self-reliant. 

S1: I don’t know. You seem pretty calm most of the time. 

S2: I had responsibility. Everybody has to do their chores. It’s not a big deal but after a while, we are like you said and we all live in our own heads. Maybe my parents are not as dramatic as your mom. 

S1: I’d like to stop this now if that’s okay. I think I’d like to go home. 

T1: Yes. I think we’ve done quite a bit here today. Let’s all make sure we are in agreement as to our next meeting and I will make sure that everyone gets a copy of our new book. 

The dancers wordlessly ask if their services will be needed. With a smile, the first teacher waves them off and the gratefully relax and casually walk off stage. The lights come down. End of scene and end of act 2

Act 3 Scene 1

Enter T1. He is stressed as usual. He is the only one in the room but with the dancers. He walks forward and stands before the stage. The two dancers wait for what he wants to say.

T1: this is the idea of the young ones with whom we wait for a future that we hope will be better than the one we have to work with. This is new. This is everything new. I kind of feel this is like California. Everything now is like California. I don’t even know that I like California to be honest. I’m not from California.

The dancers regard him without understanding. They are waiting for their cue.

All right, all right. I’m ready. You guys can come in. 

Here he calls the others into the room. They all take up places near the frame to watch the dancers.

T1: This is me on the left. And on the right is someone I loved very much. No, this was not my wife however there was no conflict. The woman was beautiful. So beautiful that my eyes hurt just to see her. It’s hard to describe the quality. It’s someone who has a great fire. And you can tell just by looking at them but this fire is going to burn and burn and burn.

The dancers react to his words.

If this story was a success story I was not detailing it now because this woman would be in my wife. But I’m married someone else. I did. Did I marry someone I did not love? No. I married someone I love. It’s just that in my life she was not the only woman that I loved.

At this moment the dancer representing the teacher comes to the front of the stage and crosses his arms across his chest and stares down at the man outwardly making him smaller. It is a full show of dominance.

No no. Not like that. Not at all like that. It was something else. It had a conflict.

The dancer understands and draws himself into a ball with his hand on his chin showing that he is thinking deeply.

No it wasn’t even without movement. You can get up. Just dance with her. Try. Try to be in sync with her. That’s right. That’s the opposite. That’s the opposite of the way we usually think of these things. We usually think of the woman pulling in sync with a man. We always believe that it’s the woman that is obligated to bring the energy and the help.

The dancer tries to stay in sync with his female partner but can’t do it. He’s too muscular. She is too fine. He can’t really find the pocket and she makes no effort to Make anything easier.

There. Now we see what it is. All that effort. All that work that must be done. Everyday I’ve got to carry the role and play my part to perfection. Acting during work and acting at home. Being an actor all day long requires so much energy.

The male dancer just lays down on the ground. The female pauses to look at him curiously and then slowly winds back into her own dance.

But here’s the question. Is this my choice or was it hers? Did I do this purposely? And exactly why did I never give her the job of taking care of me? Why did I never make it important that she was to help take care of me?

And here the male dancer simply refuses help. He is capable of taking care of himself thank you very much.

And so what happened in the end was quite simple. I didn’t need it after a while and there was nothing referred to do but look after herself. That was natural for her and it was natural for me. You can say what you want about me. I landed on my feet. I have a wife who supports me and it seems to make a difference. I’m a teacher and I come home to a nice calm house and I’m with someone who knows that sometimes I prefer not to have to pay attention to other people for a while.

And hear the male dancer finds a position of authority and the woman comes behind him, kisses him asks him something quietly and he smiles and shakes his head. He gets the kiss and she allows him his peace.

All right my dear. It’s all you. Show us whatever you want to show.

The second teacher takes a deep breath. Rolls her head and stretches her shoulders and smiles.

T2: okay. Fine. This is me on the left and my husband is on the right. We’ve been married about 25 years. We have two kids and they are grown and they are out the house. He builds things and I teach children. Please. Show me what this looks like physically.

The dancers take a moment to gather themselves and then do some basic pound to mimes of daily chores. After a few minutes they stop and shrug and let everyone know that that’s about the size of it.

Did you want me to dream? That’s a different question. If you’re looking for skeletons in my closet, I’m no good at them. I don’t like big fights and I don’t like big emotions. I am just practical and nuts all there is. I am practical because my mother was practical. She was in a library her whole life and taught me to love books. We were just quiet and enjoy the aesthetic light and my childhood was spent at the library lost in the corner reading some stories right next to where they belonged on the shelves.

Here the dancers show both the strict librarian mother and the young girl hiding away in the stocks with her pile of books to keep her company.

But what was in those books? If you really want to know, I was not only interested in historical fiction. I must admit I had a tooth for what they call popular literature of the previous century. That’s right, I liked the romance folks.

The two dancers show the effect of reading different types of literature and then one of them begins to masturbate furiously until the other one stops them with a finger.

Okay. Some move that too. But it was more than that. I got to see so many people in so many difficult situations. Yes, I was reading about these handsome men who did not exist for any reason but to be at the pleasure of these women. All the women want it was the security of their arms.

The dancers show a dominant male and a sexy loving vampireish female.

Here I want to moralize just a little bit. You see this is all well and good about my fantasy life but it was really more about my philosophy. I began to understand what I liked and what I didn’t and I also understood what the writers believed I liked. It wasn’t always the same thing. There’s a big difference between how men see things and how women see things. To a man, we are lost in these romantic businesses and our juices flow endlessly from the pure brute magnetism of the words. But to a woman, we just base it all on our ability to believe it’s true. As long as we believe it’s true, it is true.

The dancers go through various periods of starting to be interested in someone and then stopping and finally they come to a position where one is pretending to hold the strings of the other who is their marionette. The second teacher laughs at this.

And what I got from my education was that my home would be in academia forever. I am a natural teacher and I come and teachers. I am built for this profession and I want nothing more than to do my job. And as far as romance as concerned, my husband is pretty thick piece of meat to look at. He fills up the room pretty well when he’s around and he still likes me when I’m around. I try not to overstay my welcome but it’s nice to know that my presence makes him happy. And no, he’s not acting. I know this for a fact. I am not fixed because I am happy married.

The dancers conclude with a happy couple and a bowel and the teachers and the students all applaud.

S2: okay. I guess this is my turn then. Who am I? I’m no one. I’m no one and I have nothing. I am here at this school in theory to get an education but I have no idea what I want this education to before. I am not a natural academic like our friend here. I am also not really so egotistical to believe that I know things more deeply than others. To tell you the truth, I’m kind of a bum. Maybe that’s saying it too strongly but it’s true. If you give me something that feels better than what I’m doing, there’s a good chance I leave and go there.

The dancers show him running after girls and catching a few of them.

Yeah, kind of. I’m a dog. That’s all I am. I’m an animal. That’s it. God made me lucky made all of the other animals and regardless how weird and psychotic human civilization has demanded itself to be, I know where I come from. I am original man somewhere deep inside of me.

The dancers turn primitive. It’s a million years ago and these are our ancestors.

You see I’ve also read a few books. I read the subversive books. I read all the books they said we shouldn’t read. I looked at all of the things they told me I should not look at. I did everything backwards than the way they told me. If they said I should be diligent, I was lazy. If they said I need to keep an accurate record, I didn’t care what happened. And if they said they needed me, I just asked what for?

The dancers show someone being a complete opposite to any and all propositions. The quintessential bad boy is being illustrated.

But listen to me. I’m not a criminal. I’m just a man. I’m just a man who has his own plan. I like to listen to my own voice. I understand I am obligated to so many years of education and that I should be respectful of all of you. And I am to this moment your humble servant and I show up everyday, yes it’s true. And even here, I play your game. I do the things you ask me to. And I’m not against learning. I can see through the eyes of my teachers and the way they look forward to the relationships of their lives and I understand. I have learned some things about life listening to you.

The dancers try to follow this speech but they can’t find a thread and eventually come to a stop puzzled at the front of the stage.

There. You’ve done it. You have found me. This is the best dance of the class. You just stood there and did not know what to do. This my friends, is me. I simply am. I have no idea where I’m going and I mostly fly by the seat of my pants. It’s not that I don’t know what I’m doing it’s just that I trust my instincts.

The dancers slowly get it and start dancing independently, letting their limbs fly free and their bodies go with the movement of their chi mixed with whatever gravity has to say about it.

Yeah. So that’s it. I don’t know what else I can tell you. If you ask me to do homework, I will do it. But as far as taking emotional involvement in these things or thinking that this education I’m getting is anything to me but for the casual wisdom I pick up from hanging around smart people, I’m sorry. I’m just not your boy. I mean, I’m here but I’m not. I’m somewhere where I’m happy. I’m somewhere where I’m not stuck in these clothes. And somewhere where I’m not stuck in these classrooms or theater or whatever. I’m somewhere where I’m outside. I just prefer to be outside.

The dancers never stop their individual movements all through the speech. And when he finishes, they bow and everyone blondes.

T1: I understand that there are those of us in the profession to believe that all of these new ideas are ridiculous. If someone would have told me that this would be the teaching situation of the future, I wouldn’t have laughed in their face. Dancers pretending to be stick figures. Students running the classrooms. Teacher being forced to open their private lives as elements of teaching. People fundamentally building relationships with each other as if on equal ground. The great University of knowledge. There are no age limits and everyone is welcome. Crazy stuff. Really this is crazy stuff.

End of scene, end of act 2 and a brief intermission.

Act 4 scene 1

You now have a slightly different look. Now the two teachers and the two students are inside the frame wearing stick figure costumes. The two dancers are wearing normal clothes. Well, the kind of dress like very casual hippie types. It’s their world now.

D1: well well well. And what how we hear my little lovelies.

D2: I think we have four naughty people who all think it’s within their rights to make other people dance for their pleasure.

Several of the players stamp their feet and cross their arms. They are screaming for justice but they cannot speak and can only dance.

Yeah, look at that. I would say that they are full of indignation. Have you ever seen such indignation in a nation like ours?

We are the nation of indignation. No imagination but still a nation nonetheless.

What’s say you about the national hymn? Do we favor war or peace?

Peace, my brother. We only vote for peace.

But what about war? Don’t you believe that humanity needs to fight now and again? Don’t you believe it’s in our destiny to fulfill this prophecy again and again and again?

No. That’s just not good enough anymore.

It’s a fact. We are now utopians. Well, my little kittens. You show dance for me now. For my brother and I and our happiness you shall dance. We shall make you move to show us the truth. The truth of ourselves or the truth of you. Maybe we tell the truth of the people who watch us now. Maybe we tell truth let’s people would rather not listen to. The most important thing is that the things we say we mean. Sure, we are just lowly dancers. But some of us have a covenant.

Up up up my little children of Israel. Thou shalt move about. Move in a circle. Run run run in a circle. You want to run somewhere but you can’t. Your card in a circle and you just keep going around and around and around and around.

But then one of you stops on the other is all bumped into you. You fall to the ground in a big mess amongst yourselves laughing. How funny and how wonderful it is to all be together.

But then the weather changes and with it comes a storm that no one expected. The soldiers are here. They are inspecting everyone. They are looking at everyone. No one is safe. There is no privacy. There are no possessions. And at any moment there could be the roar of gunfire and that is it. The end of life itself.

The dancers have been dealing with this. Two of them now soldiers and the other two people being molested by the war. And of course the firing of a gun, the wound and the end of life.

You sir, Mr President sir. Stand forward. Tell us. Tell us who we are to you and tell us about what you need us to do.

Here now here now. Don’t be so smart. It seems your eyes have gone dim. Look again. There is no he in the presidency. The president herself is a she.

A she?

Yes, the little girl there. She came like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She was just a number one student but all of a sudden she took power.

There was a revolution?

Of course. And the weight of her righteousness caused the entire teaching culture to fall down. And now look at them. Marionettes each and every one of them. No longer any free will and all because they had to break the social convention of the teacher student relationship. Sad to say that the day they decided not to let the teachers teach was the day that all life on planet Earth died.

Oh, it’s not so bad. At least they’re getting some exercise.

True that. If nothing else we are shaking up the establishment by making the desk people work for a change. That’s something that should have been implemented a long time ago.

I have a thought. Why don’t we send the bureaucrats to fight. The soldiers are all very helpful people. They are healthy and unafraid and they are ready to do any job necessary. Why don’t we keep the soldiers and give guns to the bureaucrats and send them to the front?

Too much power to the young people. The moment they realize that people are dying for them, without enough information telling them about the truth, they will go down that road until the quicksand is over their head and they simply can’t breathe anymore from the weight of their mistake.

My friend you do not have a high view of humanity.

As high as the tops of the trees they cut down for useless profit. All of the destruction and all of the misuse of resources all for profit. The greatest mistake in the history of mankind and we saw it coming thousands of years ago.

And they never really go away and we never really figure out how to get rid of them.

End of scene. Blackout.

Scene 2

The lights come up with the entire set blacked out. There are now six figures on the stage all wearing the stick figure costumes. They are moving around and bumping into each other like concertgoers in the mosh pit. And then they slowly devolve and stop and form a line in the front of the stage. The dialogue travels left to right.

I wanted to see.

It was simple curiosity.

It was something I needed for myself.

I needed to prove something.

I needed to prove who I was.

Who I believed I was.

But the truth is I didn’t know.

None of us know .

No one can tell you the future .

No one is really going to help you.

They will help you if it’s worth it.

If it’s worth it to them.

Why should I put myself out for you?

Who are you to me?

Who are you telling me what to do?

With my body.

With my time.

With the foods I choose to eat.

With the lifestyle I choose to lead.

With the books I choose to read.

Or the music I prefer.

Who are you to tell me anything?

Who are you to make decisions for me?

Are you better than me?

Are you faster than me?

Are you really stronger than me?

Or is it just about power?

I am a man.

I am expected to behave in a certain way.

I am a woman.

They expect me to behave a certain way.

But I am an adult.

I am no longer a child.

I no longer believe in foolishness.

And I understand responsibility now.

Again, who are you to be telling me right from wrong?

They all fall silent. Then they each start moving in different directions. Eventually they fall back into a circle and they start running after each other. They run faster and faster and faster until it becomes too difficult to keep running and they fall and tumble and they still where they land.

End of scene. End of act 4.

Act 5 Scene 1

All of the characters are back to their original places and their original clothing. Obviously they have been through something and there is a familiarity amongst all of them.

T1: well, this has certainly been a unique class for me. I hope it’s been interesting for everyone else.

There are general mumbles of agreement.

T1: it’s not the most important thing that every class be you need and interesting. We don’t need catharsis everyday. But I think there are times when it’s worth the extra effort. I certainly feel as if I have learned a lot here today. I certainly feel the catharsis.

T2: I feel as though I have been a part of something. I don’t know that I have changed so much. I feel that I participated well. I felt I noticed and paid attention to all of the changes everyone was going through. I believe I empathized with everyone and I believe I have a clearer understanding of how everyone lives and what sort of people we all are. But I don’t think for myself that just changes anything.

S1: I see what you mean but I also see what the first teacher says. I feel really honored and blessed today. I didn’t believe I would be so well supported if I were to stand up and say that I needed some attention. It’s not a good thing to do. I understand that everyone has their jobs and everyone has their syllabus. I know we have to do what we have to do because there is a road and it’s our obligation as students to learn it. But I think it really did mean something that you all were willing to listen to me today even if the eventual information was not that special at all.

S2: I don’t really think we did this for you. I think we just did this. You just happened. You decided to make this big feminist argument and put the teacher in jeopardy. You thought you’d exercise your power. Well, I like how you said what you said but you didn’t say the truth. You really were just being a bitch. You didn’t have to stop this class. It was nothing really here worthy of all this drama. You just wanted the attention.

S1: now I feel bad. I thought I was amongst friends and that I was thanking my friends for being good to me. I didn’t know that you guys didn’t like me.

S2: I’d like to talk about this for a minute. I don’t even understand what this friend thing is. From what I see, everything is about money. So, if you doing this for money, it’s one thing but they expect us amateurs to behave in a particular way. I think we talk to each other a lot and we spend time with each other but I think this is more about that we have free time and we have no economic responsibility. I know that I like my friends but if I was balancing them out against time spent making money, I don’t understand why I would be with them at all. And I’m pretty sure everyone comes to think like this eventually. Maybe if you’re starving for attention it comes from this. This business of being friends is purely for high school students. Nobody else at any other age even thinks about this.

T1: that’s an interesting world view. It makes my job kind of depressing. Perhaps you’re missing out on the point of view we are expressing generally. It is completely in agreement that a standard human being has a pair of eyes in the front of his head, a pair of ears on either side and two nostrils and one mouth with which to take in information. We have our hands and we can touch things and we have our skin and I suppose we feel things without standard physical stimulus. But what happens to some of us is we begin to think not only in moments but it was blocks of years. There are some of us who have already been around the Sun a few times and we get how the basics work out. What we want is for a better percentage of people to be successful and to become better people. We want successful people who at least are conscious of the need to be reasonable to the planet ecologically. But sure, it is an artificial format. Of course. We’ve just done this already and you’re just doing it for the first time.

S1: you mean that corruption and abuse of power is not important. I’m not supposed to be worried about it because sometime later in life I will realize that none of it really meant anything? And what about the girls who disappear or get trafficked or really spiral out of control because they just didn’t get what they were going through?

T2: absolutely not. Nobody is in favor of more casualties. The only thing he said is that for you, as a human being, you only have the time and energy to go to extremes over these subjects now. We believe now is the best time for you to do it and protest for what you believe in and say what you need to say so people hear you. If you have the energy and you believe you see a problem, we very much want you to express yourself. All we are saying is that a lot of what you see as being very sensitive and explosive in this moment has been apart of humanity for as long as we have kept track of humanity. This is not today’s problem. This is what our world is like.

S1: then I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I agree that no one in this room raped me.

S2: it wouldn’t take too much to convince me to try.

S1: I will agree that this is true and that my basic assumption that men were bad is also not true. I understand that all men and all women and all people can be good or bad depending on the choices they make. And I don’t care if you think I’m foolish or if I wasted time. I’m still grateful that I got to be a part of this. I don’t know what I’m going to do. But I know more than I did yesterday and I think I’m just going to try and be a good person everyday. Maybe I’ll try to be more helpful.

T1: helpful is good. I don’t remember the time I got some genuine help that I really needed when I needed it. Teaching is kind of a lone wolf deal. Hey, listen to me. I am pedantic.

T2: Don’t go there. You have skills. Passing the information from one side of the table to another is an art form. Getting people to listen to you even when you know they are not going to hear what you have to say for days or even weeks. Knowing what you know is much more than whether you followed the syllabus or what percentage your students got in testing.

T1: flattering. Honestly, I’m jealous of you. I am a pedagogue. I just want to go through the material and have the kids get it. You are the nurturer. I do not have your skills.

T2: you nurture. All teachers are nurturers.

S1: I think you guys are great teachers and really good people. I think when I get old like you guys, I hope I can be just as woke and ready to be incredibly cool during difficult classes.

S2: she’s right. You guys are great. This has been an amazing session.

T2: well children you are very gracious to say this. It has been a truly meaningful experience for all of us.

T1: So what are you going to do when you leave? The first thing.

S1: I am going to write about this. I’m going to take as much time as I need to get this straight.

S2: why don’t you write it up as a theater play. Instead of just whining on with all of your opinions, why don’t you just show us what it looked like and tell us what we said. Then we could actually enjoy it.

S1: what are you going to do?

S2: Play video games. What did you think I was going to do? Did you want me to come visit you and help you write in your diary?

S1: let me think about that for a couple of days.

T1: well not that anybody cares, but I’m going to imbibe. I’m not an alcoholic. I’m a teacher. I think I’m going to get high and listen to some nice music for a while.

T2: I’m in.

S1 and S2 protest loudly that they should be invited as well?

T1: sorry children. The last time we invited you to read a children’s book, we got accused of sexual misconduct. It’s probably easier and safer for you to go home and ride in your journal and for us to go on to that place where teachers go without students. But, warmth and appreciation is well noted. But as you said, I think we better think about this for a few days before we start making plans.

T2: questions? Commentary?

S2: no questions, no commentary. It was a great class and you guys are great teachers. I’m out. Peace.

S1: no, I’m good. We will see you guys on Monday.

T1: looking forward to it with all my heart.

With the children gone, the teachers pick up their clothes and their things and make sure they are not forgetting anything. They make a wave towards the dancers in the frame who have been performing to the best of their abilities to the dialogue the whole time. And when they leave, they turn off the lights which leave our dancers in black light. And now, free from having to listen to other people’s problems, they are free to dance as they like. And they start slowly and build and build to wild abandon coinciding with some music that someone thinks appropriate.

Curtain. End of act 5 and end of play.