Record: The Clock Tower, The Bone Cave, The Flying Machine

“Dévastation”
A Lyric Play

The Clock Tower, The Bone Cave, The Flying Machine
(La Tour d'Horloge, La Caverne d'Os, La Machine Volante)

Synopsis: In the City a momentous achievement---a Clock Tower, with
an ever changing façade of figures celebrating the ironies of Life.
Beyond, the clock workings reveal a parallel world, where
The humor from the front of the clock tower has the exact opposite effect
On the Characters in the back…

Opening: Music fade-up to Prelude

Setting: A farm in Oklahoma. The sky is purple green. The few trees
Which are growing are tossed about. A storm is coming.


SCENE 1 The Disturbance at the Farm

CHORUS

Crows! They ride the Western Front!
There goes…the corn and pumpkin!
Damn crows!

FARMER

…wind ‘gonna blow…I hope I’m ready

CHORUS

Crows!

WIFE

…John, come inside the shelter!

FARMER

…just another minute…wind ‘gonna blow
There goes the dream

CHORUS

Wind Blows!
Bring Crows!
Devastation!

WIFE

Get inside, you fool.

FARMER

No, This time I’m ready.





SCENE 2 the Flying Machine

The entire proscenium becomes an airship, as we meet our heroine, Captiva.
She is surrounded by uniformed soldiers. Occasionally, the vehicle is rocked
by weather.

OFFICER
We’ve got to find a place to land. This front is too large to go above, or outrun.

CAPTIVA
Must be some place…

SOLDIER
Velocity increasing...

OFFICER
Some place close. We’re losing time to be picky.

SOLDIER
Wind speed has risen 5 knots

CAPTIVA
We’ll be over land soon. There’ll be a place.

OFFICER
If we don’t get pushed into the deep first!

CAPTIVA
Button your lip and fly this damn thing.

OFFICER
Yes Ma’am. (to soldiers) I want full reports!

CAPTIVA
(Looking confident, then privately worried)
Wait for me. Wait for me storm…
Let me get out of your way
And on to mine
That’s what I’ll do
Just slip on by
And watch you go flow above me
On the clouds I just gave back to you
Wait for me to reach the land
And tell my grandkids
How I escaped you
This storm of the century
Not an air current occurrence
Like I’ve ever seen before…
And I’ve been flying a while
I should know

SOLDIER
Speed continues to increase

OFFICER
Madame, I’m taking us lower

CAPTIVA
Land is just ahead
I can feel it
Yet the smell isn’t to us yet
We’ll hear the waves crashing
The daylight is ‘gonna wait on us, too.
This ship has flown the skies
Before, and knows how
To find a safe berthing
We’ve landed in the dark before
So that’s not an issue
It’s just a freak current occurrence
Like we’ve never seen before
You’ve been flying awhile
You should know.
Wait for me. Wait for me storm…
Let me get out of your way
And on to mine
That’s what I’ll do
Just slip on by
And watch you go flow above me
On the clouds I just gave back to you
Wait for me to reach the land
And tell my grandkids
How I escaped you
Damn wind!

OFFICER
There…land!
That’s Reef Crater beyond it.
(to soldiers) Take us down into that
Bowl

SOLDIER
Many trees below…It won’t be easy
CAPTIVA
Make it so.
Protect my ship from weather
Wait for me. Wait for me storm…
Let me get out of your way
And on to mine
That’s what I’ll do
Just slip on by
And watch you go flow above me
On clouds I just gave away
Temporarily give away
And don’t leave much damage in your wake.

OFFICER
That’s a wish! It can’t be so.
(to soldiers) Take us DOWN I say!

Scene 3 the Bone Cave

The scene opens with MANNING, a runner, building a fire
in a cave made of tree roots. The beams stretch high to the ceiling, resembling the ribs of a huge, forgotten fish. However, they are real in that they live and breathe like ghost lungs,

offering an omniscent and dogmatic chorus.

MANNING
Damn the rain, no dry wood.
Hardly enough to last the night.
But maybe if I can block the
Sideways rain! (he laughs)
But this whole escape hasn’t been easy
So what’s a little water
And what is that approaching sound?
Maybe an engine
Yes a very LOUD engine
And the screech of equipment
But this is the deep end
Of no where
So what could it be?
And what does it want
Does it want me?
Did it come to find me?
Damn the rain, just small dry wood
What’s with that sound?
And whose engine?

FRENCH CHORUS (repeat of same)
Condamner la pluie, ne non sécher de bois. A peine assez durer la nuit. Mais peut-être si je peux bloquer la pluie de travers ! Que
est-ce mais cette évasion entière n'a pas été facile Si quel est une petite eau Et qui approche le son ? Que est-ce peut-être un moteur
Oui un moteur très BRUYANT Et le cri aigu d'équipement Mais ceci est la fin profonde De non où Si ce pourrait être ? Et que veut-il le
Fait me veut ? Est-il venu me trouver ? Condamner la pluie, le juste petit bois sec Quel Est avec que solide ? Et dont le moteur ?

MANNING
Damn the rain, no dry wood

CHORUS
Condamner la pluie, ne non sécher de bois.

MANNING
And what is that approaching sound?

CHORUS
Et qui approche le son ?

MANNING\
Damn the rain, Damn that sound!

CHORUS
Que ce pourrait-il être ?

MANNING
Yes, what could it be?

CHORUS
C'est le son de danger
It is the sign of danger

MANNING
…of danger? I am ready!

CHORUS
C'est le son de tinter de cuivre
It is the sound of tinkling brass
That hollow sound of loss and life laid waste!

MANNING
Damn the rain, no dry wood
Damn that sound, those sounds above!

CHORUS
Le Sort dangereux, je suis prêt à faire face à.

MANNING
Dangerous Fate, I’m ready to face.

CHORUS

Le Sort dangereux, je suis prêt à faire face à.

MANNING

Dangerous Fate, I’m ready to face!