Revere The Police, Disdain the Citizens
A Bondage Drama Set to Poetry

Scene
The stage is bare, save for two televisions on either side. The stage lights are down and the house lights are up. The TVs have the same video loop on each of them–– a montage of computer-enhanced color pop images on a split screen with a spinning yellow bar sweeping across them in a circle. The video has three distinct audio layers, which are constantly repeated:

A machine gun, sex groans, and a car commercial.

The video never stops. House lights out.

VOICE: Ladies and Gentlemen of the audience, please direct your attention to the stage. The power is now being gathered for retribution, the tools are being placed, and my will will be done. The Resistor will soon arrive, and Victoria will open the wounds, and Resistor will receive my words.

Stage lights up slowly. Helper moves to and from stage left as Voice speaks. She places candles, a white rope whip, matches, and sticks in the center, one at a time. Helper is serious, with lips together and no expression. She has the rote mannerisms of a clerk at the unemployment office or DMV. Finally she emerges from stage left holding the end of a long chain. Resistor’s nipples are attached to the end of it by the clips of a slacks hangar. He is on his haunches with his feet flat on the stage, dressed in uncomfortable black leather shorts. He tries to keep up so that there is slack in the chain but the chain is straight and Helper pulls it. His eyes are dilated wide.

VOICE: Yes. Yes. Now our creep is dragged to the center. He balks at the directives, so we jag and pull him like a fish.

Victoria now steps in from stage right. She drags a red rope whip with hundreds of strands behind her. She feels good, as if she’s had some coffee. She puts her balled-up knuckles on her hips a while. Stares at Resistor like he’s sick. Takes her time, pacing around Resistor, lolling near the TVs, gliding her fingers over the top of one, placing the whip over her shoulder and back down. Resistor is on his knees now. Helper takes her position at stage left, waiting at ease. When Victoria is good and ready, she lifts her eyes up above and past the audience and says:

Victoria: The inquest is set, dear Voice. Now command me.

VOICE: State the charges against this base ruffian, this thing Resistor.

Victoria: I accuse and convict this Resistor of many grave violations. Yet he crouches before us now on one heinous offense: Failing to Faithfully Watch the Cop Shows on TV After Dinner Each Night!

Audience Plants: (Whispering and repeating with worried gasps)
“Failing to Faithfully Watch the Cop Shows on TV After Dinner Each Night!”
“Failing to Faithfully Watch the Cop Shows on TV After Dinner Each Night!”

VOICE: (In disgust) You sicken me. Your kind has no right. I am shaking with rage, yet we begin as we must with the offer of reconstitution—– and see if you might accept one of the greatest dictates of our day: “Revere the Police, Disdain the Citizens!”

At the call of this phrase, Helper snaps from a deep stare and rushes to Resistor. Victoria cracks the rope whip once and the first beating sequence begins: The stage lights are flicked off and the strobe lights pulse and keep measure to the video, with its heaving of sex and the tump tump tump tump of a gun and the drone of a sales pitch. The volume is turned up. Helper presses her thumb and middle finger against the cheeks of Resistor so that his mouth is open in a mute bleat. Victoria lights each of the candles and pours wax on his tongue and down his bare chest. Once all the candles are lit and placed at the foot of the stage the two of them take the matching rope whips and make a lumberjack chore of it all. They beat him and he glares at them. This goes on as Voice continues the attempt at reconstitution:

VOICE: (Continuing,sweetly) The police are the Heroes. The citizens must inform on each other. They must watch
these cop shows with wide eyes and in wide numbers. They must watch to remain one by one and not one plus one. Keep a cold fear inside. When we turn one against one I am the only one. So will you see my light? Will you see children ripped from misdemeanor mothers, will you see the brusque treatment of minorities, will you see the cops kiss their wives before work all neat, will you see them stroke and pat the hair of faithful dogs and see them sigh at their tough jobs? Will you let us put you into paranoid invisible cages? Will you cease your dumb resistance and turn your attention to the myriad cop shows, Resistor?

(Sharply)
Accept this dictate:
“Revere the Police, Disdain the Citizens!” “Revere the Police, Disdain the Citizens!”

(Panting)
“Revere the Police, Disdain the Citizens!”

The strobe light is cut off. The volume is turned back to normal level. One spotlight is beamed at Resistor. The Audience Plants are silent. Victoria and Helper are hunched with bulging shoulder muscles, panting. They drop their rope whips and each grab an arm of Resistor, lifting him slightly toward Voice. All is silent but for dripping sweat and the sound of dried wax breaking. All await the answer.

Resistor: No. I will not.

Audience Plants suck in a fractured breath. Victoria is appalled. Helper raises an eyebrow. No one has ever seen or heard this before.

Resistor: (continuing) I will not watch the cop shows on TV after dinner each night.
I will not watch them any night. The citizens are good, and should band together and
bust your sick rule. You are evil, and basically not very nice.

Spotlight off. Stage lights up.

VOICE: (Enraged) Victoria, you let this measly citizen address me this way? Have you prepared this Resistor? Have you followed the Pre-Inquest Procedures? Oh, Oh, Ohhhr Victoria you yourself are in danger now for this embarrassment. Now in jeopardy of losing this prime dominant position you crave. Apply the Measures, Victoria, now you must Apply the Measures in response or you may find yourself demoted or terminated.

Victoria drops her Resistor arm and rushes to the foot of the stage. Helper drops Resistor altogether and darts her eyes, confused, from the audience to stage left and back. Victoria’s face crinkles.

Victoria: (Scared)You know my devotion, Voice. Please do not doubt my devotion to you and the Measures!

Voice snarls.

Victoria:(continuing) Helper—Bring the Cop Show Tool!

Helper is stunned halfway to stage left. Her hands clench on instinct. She goes off stage left.

Audience Plants: (Repeating in fear, spreading the phrase)
The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool.

They have strange, expressive faces. Victoria flies to beat Resistor again with the
rope whip. The stage lights go off, strobe light goes on, and the volume is turned up. Victoria dishes a less vigorous beating, and she cranes her neck, looking for Voice in response to the command:

VOICE: Apply the Measures, Apply the Measures.

Audience Plants: (Staring straight at Helper)
The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool.

VOICE: Apply the Measures, Apply the Measures.
Audience Plants: The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool.

The video heaves and heaves.

Victoria: Come Helper, bring the Cop Show Tool. We haven’t much time to Apply the Measures. Make Haste, Helper—– you know what is in store if we fail. Each and every time we attempt to perform the ritual and execute the order to Apply the Measures we stand the chance of being demoted or terminated! Oooh Helper do come!

Helper appears at stage left with a 9-inch television set over her head. Her brow has a deep furrow. She turns among the audience, Resistor, and Victoria with confusion. Victoria now seems helpless and no menace with the rope whip. She is breathy and vulnerable. She beckons Helper with fast hands. Helper brings the TV to her midriff, blinking sheepishly like a kid. She cranes her neck in search of Voice.

VOICE: Apply the Measures, Apply the Measures.

Audience Plants: The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool.

Victoria: Bring the Cop Show Tool!

Resistor tries to squirm away as Victoria centers on Helper. She smacks him hard and desperate.

Victoria: For your failures, Resistor, the penalty is clear: You must consume this 9-inch television set piece by piece,
cathode ray tube by cathode ray tube, switch by switch you demon will eat! It will be you and not me on Voice’s carpet—
(Turning) Helper! Bring the Cop Show Tool! Hurry now! Helper!

(Back to Resistor) Piece by piece you will swallow the tool, my Helper to bring!
Helper moves toward the center slowly. Victoria turns maniacal with waiting.

VOICE: Apply the Measures, Apply the Measures.

Audience Plants: The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool, The Cop Show Tool.

Helper again raises the TV up high, and with a guttural wail smashes it down with all force onto the stage. The video stops. Spotlight on Victoria and Resistor at the center, with Helper just outside of it. Resistor breathes hard with his forehead on his forearm on the stage. Victoria screams one pierced scream at Helper.

Victoria: You Fool! What Have You Done?

Lights out.


© 1989-2002 Daniel X. O'Neil