by Ping Chong
And here is couple number one, Biff and Suzette. Suzy wants to open her own bar and grill when she grows up. Biff, he’s the captain of the football team.
(They come forward and solo as the Narrator describes their dance for the folks out there in radioland. They finish and exit downstage left.)
Coming up. We have couple number two: Ed and Edwina. Edwina wants to be a teacher and Ed, well he just wants to be a farmer. But that’s very American of him, don’t you think?
(They come forward and solo. Their solo is described for all the listeners by the Narrator. They finish and Ed exits downstage right as Edwina exits downstage left.)
And here comes our championship couple Fred and Wilma. Wilma wants to be a housewife and a pharmacist when she grows up. And Fred, well, he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a dentist. They got style. They got grace. They got everything that matters in this competition.
(They come forward and solo as the Narrator describes their championship form with wild enthusiasm.)
And here comes the big finale. The audience is going wild. You don’t know what you’re missing out there. You have to come down to the Top of the World to see this—Fred and Wilma, the champs again!
(They fall down, then exit upstage left. “Caledonia” ends and we hear the sound of applause.)
The audience is going wild. What a display of American exuberism. Applause, applause. The technicians are crying, that’s how fantastic this night has been. So there you have it, folks. Live from the Top of the World! Smack in the middle of God’s own country. YEAH. Tonight’s show has been sponsored by Chock Full O’ Nuts. Java without the jive! And remember to buy those warbonds. It’s the American way. This was Cherry on the Top signing off for WKKK, in Little Rock, Arkansas. We love you, America. Wherever you are. Lights out!
PROJECTION: IN THE NAME OF PROFIT
IN THE NAME OF PROFIT AND OF GOD
Within ten years of their
arrival to the East Indies,
now known as Indonesia,
the Dutch sank all the ships of rival traders
with impunity.
They played one local ruler against another observing
the time-honored tradition of “Divide and Rule.”
It was not long before the East Indies bowed to the
crown of the Netherlands and its people
became the indentured servants of the Dutch.
Scene 4
Javanese Court Dance
Narrator enters downstage left and dances across the stage, exiting downstage right.
The Male Dancer walks on from downstage left to center.
He wears the ornate costume of a Javanese court dancer. He does a traditional Javanese court solo dance center stage, then sits. Court music plays throughout this sequence.
While he dances, two stagehands set two tall white columns upstage center. On one is the Japanese character for “East,” and on the other is the Japanese character for “West.” At the top of each column is a lit square of a shoji screen. The back wall is lit blue, then yellow.
Two Female Dancers enter, one from upstage left and the other from upstage right. They also wear the ornate court dancer costumes.
PROJECTION: A large map of Indonesia
(We hear an interview by David Frost with the Sony chairman and founder, Akio Morita, via voice-over:)
MORITA: This is Japan’s and Sony’s first tape recorder—1950. We call it Type G. But at that time, as you see, tape was paper-based.
FROST: This is a paper tape?
MORITA: Yes, paper tape, because when we wanted to make a tape recorder, naturally we didn’t have any tape, so even tape we had to create. So we work really hard on tape and machine, but biggest problem is to get plastic base for tape because in Japan, we didn’t have any good plastic industry at that time. So finally I went to the paper mill and asked them to make a special paper for this tape. That’s why the past few years we used paper base for the tape.
This is the first transistor radio we made. This is 1955. You know actually at this time, from this machine, we started to use the Sony name, Sony name.
FROST: Why did you choose the name Sony?
MORITA: You know I went to London in ’53 and I found nobody could pronounce our company name correctly. That’s Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, and no British can pronounce, so I found such a difficult name we cannot make business, international business, so we decide to change. Sony came from “sonous”—Latin. The sunny boys. We thought we were a group of sunny boys and had a sound business so we created Sony.
FROST: A simple name . . .
MORITA: A simple name and a short name. And then this is really world’s first transistor TV set. Simple . . .
FROST: It’s black and white.
MORITA: Black and white, black and white. 1969. December ’69. And—uh sorry—’59. 1959. And this is portable, and also you can touch the button here, battery drive, portable, all transistorized, so AC/DC. This is also unique product. Actually Montreal World Fair, British pavilion showed a new style of British living, British living style, and you have a British type of room and people, maybe husband and wife, sitting before fireplace and they are watching small TV set and British pavilion say this is a new type of life in Britain and I saw that TV set, TV set is a box and some tape on, underneath actually, I sneak up to that stage, I peel out that wrap tape, I found Sony.
Actually with Betamax we have created new—new demand—new field and a new concept of TV I don’t think this is a mistake.
FROST: But isn’t it true that Betamax has been taking a declining share of the market?
MORITA: Of course at the time as a format but still we are one of the biggest manufacture of video recorder and now we are going to next generation.
(The interview ends.
The Dancers continue the stately movements of the Javanese court dance. They circle. They cross to upstage left; the two Female Dancers circle each other.
As they dance, the Narrator enters upstage left from behind the columns, making the movements of van Gogh’s “sower.” He then exits upstage right.
The music stops. Two stagehands set two white cubes, downstage left and right. They sit on them. Lights on the back wall turn red, then fade to blue as the Dancers complete their dance. As the last Dancer leaves from upstage right, the Regent enters from downstage left and the Dutchman from downstage right, carrying green teacups with lids.
The projection goes out, the back wall remains blue.)
Scene 5
Nuit Blanche
A tropical night. The Regent and the Dutchman are drinking tea.
The Narrator, as a Servant, enters from upstage right carrying a tray. Pause. Narrator crosses to Regent and offers the tray. The Regent places his cup on the tray.
REGENT: Too often all we Javanese see in the Dutch officials is the arrogance of power. As you know, in Java, kissing the foot is the highest token of respect we can give to our rulers and blood relatives. At yesterday’s meeting when the Javanese kissed the feet of the Dutch officials, I caught your eye and could see you were embarrassed by this. I know you recognize true nobility in our people, you always have, but I fear you are a rare example.
(Narrator offers tray to Dutchman, who places his cup on it.)
DUTCHMAN: The Dutch that you speak of will never acknowledge nobility in poor people, not even in their own country. They feel a sense of fear when they look into the eyes of the humble Javanese and see such a strong noble spirit. I realize how much we could learn from you, but will we ever allow ourselves to?
REGENT: Will a man ever learn from only looking? Unless he allows himself to see into the soul of people he will never know who they really are. When I look at you I see a Dutchman who could teach his people so much more about the Javanese. Come with me to our campong and desa; let us visit the small huts and the people. Let us listen to their speech, seek out their thoughts. I can show you much of our gentle people; there are so many poets am
ong them—where people have a feeling for poetry, they cannot be lacking in the instinct of civilization.
(Narrator exits upstage right with tray and returns without it to dance upstage.)
DUTCHMAN: I will never get a chance to get to know you. I will always be a visitor in your world. But what can we do.
(He looks up at the evening sky.)
As long as there are nights like this, it doesn’t matter.
REGENT: Une nuit blanche au coeur de l’histoire.
(They stand. Stagehands remove the cubes. Regent and Dutchman exit. Narrator walks downstage center and addresses the audience. He is now van Gogh. The sound of wind is heard.)
NARRATOR: Hi, I’m Vincent van Gogh. In 1853 I was born. I had a rather normal Dutch childhood. My father was a minister. So I wanted to be a minister. But . . . time passed. Things changed . . . I began painting. Or rather painting began me. You know, people say if you are a painter, you’re either a fool or a rich man. So, I went looking for a little pocket of utopia. A place where the grand spectacles of nature could be viewed and cherished. A place both complex in its simplicity and simple in its spectacular. A place not unlike Japan. OH JAPAN! I invited Gauguin, Bernard and those other assholes down to Arles to see my Japan but only Paul came. I mean, Paul’s a nice guy, but lately he’s become a little too . . . I don’t know, Tahitian. I had a nice time there, though. Arles will be the Japan of the future—MARK MY WORDS! An occidental Paris. Paradise. Cornfields. Crows. Cypress trees. A train moving across the horizon.
(Stagehands enter and remove the white columns. Narrator becomes contemplative.)
I fear the future. I keep having this recurring nightmare. Will my soul turn black and externalize? Well . . . as long as there are nights like this . . . who cares? Music please.
PROJECTION: Meanwhile
1853
Commodore Perry of the
U.S. Navy arrives in Nagasaki,
thereby reopening Japan to the West.
1854
“It was God’s will that America
should have a foothold in Asia.”
1870
The Dutch give an official
ball in the Dutch East Indies
in honor of their king.
PROJECTION: Japanese prints accompany the above
Scene 6
Indonesia: A Waltz into the New Century
Evening. A ballroom in the Dutch East Indies. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The Dancers perform a waltz with variations. Three couples enter from upstage right: the women in nineteenth century gowns, the men in military uniforms.
The Narrator, downstage right, pulls cards from his breast pocket and announces the arrival of couples:
NARRATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present His Honor, the Commissar General of the Dutch East Indies Company, Mr. C.T. Elout and his wife Ethel.
His Honor Baron Piet Van Veldhoorn and his wife Madge.
Secretary General to the Chief Consul, Mr. C. B. D. Van der Berg and Jane, his wife.
The Portuguese ambassador to Sumatra, Jose da Silva Melo, and his wife Betty Lou.
The Minister of Defense, General Noud Weemoed Smit, accompanied by his charming wife Hilary.
Seven single women.
Chief Under Secretary to the Dutch Ambassador in Sumatra, J. J. K. Uitdenhaag and his lovely wife Sara Lee.
Governor General D. J. Erens and his two lovely unwed daughters, Tiffany and Prunella.
Admiral James William Stillwell of Her Majesty’s fleet in Asia accompanied by the Lady Gertrude Daisy Whitebread.
His Honor Jan Pieterszoon Coen and his wife Hazel have arrived.
(The Narrator greets the audience as though they too were guests, improvising small talk.)
I totally agreed with you at the meeting. We shouldn’t divide Africa along the lines of the Asian model. We should use a new concept. Yes. More concept neutral. The bathroom? Outside and to your left. The door with the big M on it. Yes.
(As he adlibs small talk he should walk from right to left, finally exiting downstage left. The waltzing couples circle then walk into positions and stand still.)
LADY 1: I didn’t see your carriage outside. Did you came on foot?
LADY 2: No, I never have tea in the morning. In this climate it would positively make me faint.
LADY 3: Can you believe it, they’ve invited a native, a native. What is this world coming to?
OFFICER 1: Of course, he has an excellent post, a conspicuous post, after all his father is the Governor General.
OFFICER 2: Quelle surprise! I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d gone down in that shipwreck last week.
OFFICER 3: I beg your pardon, this is not my daughter. May I introduce you to my wife, Stella.
(A huge black triangle with “Tempus Fugit” etched in light glides from right to left and disappears offstage left while everyone on stage freezes into a tableau.)
LADY 1: Today I was supposed to be in Indonesia, where my grandmother would have had her hundredth birthday. She died four weeks ago.
LADY 2: The costume designer wanted me to wear pink in this scene. Can you imagine? A pink dress. On my brown skin and black hair. I never wear pink.
LADY 3: I am a quarter Indonesian. They say I look Japanese. That’s why I am in this performance.
NARRATOR: A handbag?
LADY 3: Lord Benjamin, how nice to see you. (Crosses downstage left) Après moi le déluge.
OFFICER 1: Goeie Avond ik bel u later. (I’ll call you later)
LADY 1 (Center stage, to audience): It ’s so good to see you. It really is!
LADY 3: Stella.
LADY 1: Madge. (They kiss in the air) Did you hear about that shipwreck last week?
LADY 3: My dear I have something very special to tell you. (They whisper and laugh) Do you believe it!
(Simultaneously with the ladies:)
OFFICER 3: General Smit.
OFFICER 1: Admiral Stillwell.
OFFICER 3: How splendid to see you!
OFFICER 1: It’s been ages. Supper on Thursday?
OFFICER 3: Yachting Thursday. Lunch on Friday?
OFFICER 1: Polo Friday.
OFFICER 3: I’ll have my boy call your boy.
OFFICER 1: And mine yours.
OFFICER 3: Stella.
LADY 1: Pineapple.
LADY 3: Admiral Stillwell—so nice to see you.
LADY 1 (Takes him by the arm and walks him upstage right): I was just telling Madge about our new chateau . . .
OFFICER 1 (To Lady 3): Baroness van Veldhorn.
LADY 3: General Smit.
(They move toward each other.)
LADY 2: Vieux camembert. (Steps between Officer 1 and Lady 3) Je suis la.
ALL: Betty, splendid to see you.
LADY 2: No, splendid to see you.
(Exchange repeats several times. Prince enters upstage left, and then walks down center. The group bows.)
PRINCE (To the audience): Are we having fun yet?
(The dancing continues. Lady 2 is about to leave her partner. The Narrator enters from downstage left, puts out his hand to stop her. She returns to her partner. They continue dancing. Narrator turns to audience. He walks backward upstage.)
NARRATOR:I love you more than all the gold in Siam
more than a ship’s belly filled with rum
more than all the precious jade and jewels in Japan
but will you still love me when I’m old
more than the sight of a fleet of ships rounding Cape Horn
more than a captain’s treasure or a king’s ransom . . .
. . . but will you still love me when I am old?
I love you more than the Daimyo loves his sword or
the slave his freedom . . .
. . . but will you still love me when I am old
when the wind has left my sails?
ALL BUT NARRATOR: Lieve de Kooning! Leive de Kooning. Long live the king!
NARRATOR:. . . but will you still
love me when I am old?
when my riches have been exhausted
when I have only flesh and hands to give you treaty.
ALL BUT NARRATOR: Long live the king!
NARRATOR:When the sun has set over the empire
settled far under the sea
when you are free to choose my love
will you still love me when I am old?
will you still love me when I am old?
when...
(The waltz ends. They applaud. Lady 1 and 3 and Officer 1 and 3 exit upstage right.)
Scene 7
Dutch Surrender
Noon. One couple and the Narrator remain from the previous scene. The couple applauds, then the man slowly unlaces the back of the woman’s bodice and peels it from her shoulders, kissing the nape of her neck. She recoils from his touch. Under the bodice she wears the Javanese court dance costume. He steps back and exits. Slowly, she pulls the colonial wig from her head to reveal her own black hair. She then walks a very slow diagonal across the stage, which will take almost the entire scene to complete, from downstage left to upstage right before she exits—the exiting of one moment of history replaced by another.