Propaganda is a machine which enables thought control by forcing people to believe in a certain truth. This particular truth might be bad, but it might be good as well. Something might be useful for some, but harmful for others. It all depends on your point of view.
PERSONS REPRESENTED
TEIA
TADAS
LEIA
MRS. PRO (a woman dressed in black)
GIRL 1
GIRL 2
PROLOGUE
Enter Mrs. Pro. Subsequently enter Tadas, Teia, Leia, Girl 1 and Girl 2. She draws three lines what divides the space into three sections – three rooms. Mrs. Pro ushers both girls to the right room.
MRS. PRO
Girls, play and be happy here.
You aren't allowed
To leave secretly, though,
As misery lurks behind these walls.
GIRLS
But how about mom? How about dad?
MRS. PRO
There ain't no dad, there ain't no mom –
That's why it's quiet in this home.
Because behind these very walls –
Yes, indeed.
There's misery behind these walls.
GIRL 1
And we're only children.
MRS. PRO
At last, you grasped it.
Mrs. Pro ushers Teia and Leia to the left room.
MRS. PRO
Please sit down, dear ladies – I assume you have things to discuss.
LEIA
I think so, too.
TEIA
Where are my children? Where's my husband? Bring them back, please... Or else I'll report...
LEIA
Don't worry, I'll adjust her – I mean, I'll supervise her.
Mrs. Pro approaches Tadas.
TADAS
Yes, I know, I'm assigned the middle room. Thanks, dear madam, I'll go by myself. You don't need to accompany me.
MRS. PRO
I just want to help you.
Darkness. Music.
SCENE 1
Light. The left room.
GIRLS
One plus three equals five.
MRS. PRO
Four, four it is.
GIRL 2
So many days have passed here.
GIRL 1
Well, since everything started.
GIRL 2
We're very small.
GIRL 1
We don't think, but is it good?
GIRL 2
We don't understand, what happened...
MRS. PRO
Girls, what happened to you?
GIRL 1
We had mom and dad.
GIRL 2
What else may one wish for?
GIRL 1
We had home.
MRS. PRO
High expectations? Plans?
GIRL 1
Until one beautiful day.
GIRL 2
We went outdoors.
GIRL 1
There was a car.
GIRL 2
Mom should have been there.
GIRL 1
Or at least dad.
GIRL 2
Please keep quiet, sis!
MRS. PRO
Well, they weren't there.
GIRL 1
We don't know it, but what if they perished?
GIRLS
There was a woman waiting for us
Beautiful like a beast -
Her voice like honey...
Dear madam, what's going on?
MRS. PRO
Who allowed you to speak like that?
None of us will mention
Their surname anymore.
TADAS' VOICE
Teia?
MRS. PRO
It's time to go home, cookies.
When the sun goes down
Nobody will let you in,
And with the darkness the dew will arive,
And death will creep in
GIRL 1
Mrs. Pro, please, let us go.
GIRL 2
We want to go home already.
Girls leave.
Music.
SCENE 2
The left room.
TEIA
Very delicious coffee, have a sip.
Leia paces to and fro.
LEIA
I believe, I believe, I believe.
TEIA
Black currant, moss, forest, countryside, serenity.
Leia pulls out a flask. She opens it and takes a smell.
LEIA
Vanilla, cinnamon, maple leaves, barn scent – made by my father.
Leia pours some liquid from the flask into cups.
LEIA
Tadas...
TEIA
Tadas?
LEIA
Tell me what happened, darling.
TEIA
I don't know anymore.
LEIA
Maybe you did IT wrong?
TEIA
Excuse me?
LEIA
My ex, one of my past lads...
TEIA
Guys.
LEIA
Okay, guys. Well, he was constantly angry at me... Because I didn't do IT. But I couldn't do IT. I couldn't. It was too big. It didn't fit.
TEIA
Oh, Leia...
LEIA
Did I make you laugh? That's my job. But seriously, what happened?
TEIA
I don't know. To be more precise, I don't get it. I don't understand, why.
LEIA
If he's unfaithful to you, it means you didn't do IT or did IT wrong... I can teach you if you want to.
TEIA
We've met, and everything happened very quickly. There was no time to think. It seemed as if I've met the one who belongs to me. I thought that I had found my soulmate, a person that I could trust and bear him children...
LEIA
Oh, my dear...
TEIA
What's wrong?
LEIA
Have you lost touch with reality? Do you think your life's a romantic comedy?
TEIA
You don't understand. You don't have a husband.
LEIA
(quietly) Because you've stolen my husband, my life, my dreams.
TEIA
Speak more loudly, I can't hear a thing because of this noise.
LEIA
YOU WERE BROUGHT UP IN THE LAST CENTURY. THERE IS NO GENUINE AND ETERNAL LOVE. HE'S UNFAITHFUL TO YOU, JUST FACE IT. LEAVE HIM AND LIVE.
TEIA
I'm a woman, it's my duty...
LEIA
That's just too much. OPEN YOUR EYES. It's over. He belongs to her. They belong to her. We belong to her. The end.
TEIA
There's no end until everything's fine. Everything must be all right in the end.
MRS. PRO
Teia, you're deaf,
Take a walk by night.
Cut your own hair,
Shoot the moon,
Make a bet.
TEIA
Get lost, you enchanted witch.
SCENE 3
The middle room.
TADAS
One more day has passed. The fifth day is dawning. Where did the fourth one disappear? Where did the fourth day go?
MRS. PRO
We had a deal.
TADAS
You won't defeat me. Leave me alone. I won't do this anymore.
Darkness.
TADAS
Excuse me, I'm not ready yet. See you later.
SCENE 4
The right room.
GIRL 1
Long time ago.
GIRL 2
Well, not so long.
GIRL 1
Three devils had lived there -
GIRL 2
And the devils didn't like
GIRL 1
What they saw out there:
GIRL 2
That everyone's too joyful,
GIRL 1
Everyone's sort of prosperous,
GIRL 2
Loving, kind, and happy.
GIRL 1
That everyone has one's cake baked
GIRL 2
That they've forgotten an age-old truth -
GIRLS
Nobody can be happy,
Because there's always a powerful
God, devil or human above us.
GIRL 2
Dear sister, what's going on here?
GIRL 1
And he unleashed a murky mist,
GIRL 2
No, an actual tiger.
GIRL 1
A tiger or a crocodile?
GIRLS
Let him dive into the Nile!
So he lives in peace and quiet,
Well, and those old devils...
GIRL 1
They disseminated propaganda
GIRL 2
And made people terribly scared.
GIRL 1
They didn't know what to do...
GIRL 2
Or how to get rid of bad juju.
GIRL 1
And the magic was truly powerful.
GIRL 2
Whoever had come into contact with it, perished.
GIRLS
Just like mom and dad.
MRS. PRO
Girls, please keep quiet.
GIRL 1
And they couldn't win.
GIRL 2
Actually, they didn't want to.
GIRL 2
It was convenient to live,
GIRL 1
And everyone perished all too easily.
Music.
SCENE 5
The middle room.
TADAS
Let me out! Save me! I've hit rock bottom. I 've got everything, I've got nothing. I can't turn into a worm. They must turn into worms or grubs. She has put a spell on them. Let me out! I won't create anymore, I promise. I'll forget the music. I'll forget my powers. I'll take responsibility for what I've done.
MRS. PRO
Wait. I need you. That's still not enough. I still don't have enough followers. They must obey me. I am the one and only. I am, and I'll endure. I can be both good and bad. I entangle everybody. And you, you are my tool. My slave.
TADAS
I was. But I'm not anymore. You can't affect me.
MRS. PRO
Teia will come and go. She's gonna leave you, and you'll belong to me. You'll be able to create forever, you'll be able to travel through time and space hereafter. Until you disappear, until you perish. For in this country, long ago...
Music.
SCENE 6
The left room.
LEIA
Fine, don't believe me.
TEIA
I won't.
LEIA
I'm not trying to convince you.
TEIA
I don't have a slightest doubt.
LEIA
Really?
TEIA
Well, I'm just curious. I can't wait to see what he's up to. He has said that his work help people forget.
LEIA
Get ready, we'll go.
TEIA
Only for a little while. Out of the tail of one's eye and back. We can't be seen.
LEIA
Why?
TEIA
We have an agreement...
LEIA
What kind of agreement?
TEIA
I can't tell you, but something is gonna happen if I violate it. It's somehow related to her and the things he's been doing...
LEIA
Oh, yeah. You'll see what he's doing, and learn where do things at our home come from. Just stay calm, and don't make a scene when you arrive. I know you. The princess on the pea. You knew his occupation when you were getting married. You knew that he's one of the most important handymen of hers, so what have changed?
Teia leaves.
LEIA
She'll come.
MRS. PRO
He'll be yours. He'll remain with us forever.
LEIA
Just don't let THEM go. They might make things awkward.
MRS. PRO
They've gone astray in the kingdom of rhyme and rhythm. Stay calm – it's tricky to escape it.
LEIA
Because it's easy to make a mistake while rhyming.
Mrs. Pro and Leia leave. Teia comes back.
TEIA
Why did I surrender so easily? Why it's so easy to play with my feelings? I myself have chosen to run away. I don't remember where I'm running, who am I trying to escape. But I'm running, and I can't stop. I can't give up. I must rescue him, and we'll be happy again. I'll go there today, and it's gonna be okay. Do you hear me, girls? It's gonna be okay. We'll leave. We'll flee to a place where one doesn't need to close one's eyes in order to witness the sea.
Music.
SCENE 7
The right room.
GIRL 1
We wanted to help.
GIRL 2
Nobody wanted to hear us.
GIRL 1
Because we're only children,
GIRL 2
And it's no use being a kid!
GIRL 1
Because nobody listens to children anymore...
GIRL 2
We open our hearts -
GIRL 1
We reach out our hands,
GIRLS
And all we get is verse.
GIRL 2
And stupid children's games -
GIRL 1
New prohibitions, every day:
GIRL 2
How should one live, who should one praise;
GIRL 1
What should one eat, what should one experience;
GIRL 1
Who should one play with;
GIRL 2
Who should one love;
GIRL 1
I...
TADAS' VOICE
Please, keep silent.
Music.
SCENE 8
The middle room.
TADAS
Let's talk.
Silence.
TADAS
Let's talk. Because I can't understand a thing. They can't understand a thing.
Darkness.
TADAS
Excuse me?
MRS. PRO
I'm listening.
TADAS
I decided to change today. I decided that I've had enough of that business. Especially if one keeps in mind that I've built quite a life thanks to it.
Enter Leia.
TADAS
I've got a wife, I had had two daughters and a home. I told her 'if you want to be happy, mind your own business'. And she minds. And today's the last time I'm doing it.
LEIA
How do you know if she minds?
TADAS
She thinks that the world is a magical place. That our girls were imprisoned by an evil witch. That she keeps them in her room, where they play happily. They are long lost, though. It could be said that they actually haven’t been born. They are figments of imagination...
LEIA
Who are you?
TADAS
Me? A tool. I wanted to create all my life. Creativity was my type of rebellion. Music was my language. And thus I spoke. And they were listening to me. Every show of mine had made history, was my story. Is my history. They were consuming my history, they were obeying her, they were becoming my instruments. You could do whatever you want with that hypnotized crowd. Oh, I remembered a good one: we needed to plant hyacinths in the park, thousands of them. Just try to imagine an entire crowd of people planting a field with hyacinths. You can't? I believe so, because you've got to understand how SHE works. What about you, Leia? Do you understand how she works?
LEIA
Yes.
Enter Teia.
TADAS
Then there was another one, too. Once we were craving for some amusement, we were really bored. So we made an entire crowd hump dead chicken. You should've seen the eyes of the salesmen who work in a 24/7 shopping centre when a crowd of people in black were buying chilled chicken. When they've run out of these, they started taking everything that looked similarly – ducks, geese, turkeys – one guy has even managed to find a dead pigeon. It was funny, overwhelmingly funny. But it's past. We can start now. I'm ready.
Lengthy silence.
Music.
SCENE 9
The right room.
TEIA
It's over now. I must leave.
LEIA
Wait.
TEIA
It couldn't have been him...
LEIA
It was.
TEIA
I'll leave him.
LEIA
Very well.
TEIA
Is this the end, Leia?
LEIA
Yes, Teia, this is the end. Finite equation – the x has been found. Your prince is the devil and you are his poor princess. Just wait, don't hurry. Wait till the end. Everything's gonna be fine in the end.
TEIA
I must leave, I broke my word. I want to. I want to.
LEIA
Leave right now. When he returns and finds out you were there – well, you know what happens. Do you remember what has happened to them?
TEIA
Yes, but...
LEIA
There are no buts about it.
TEIA
But why?
LEIA
Don't you remember what have you promised him?
Music.
SCENE 10
The left room.
GIRL 1
We're out of energy.
GIRL 2
One, two, let's remember.
GIRL 1
Once upon a time this land.
GIRL 2
Was inhabited by two devils.
GIRL 1
The third one was a woman,
GIRL 2
As fierce as a beast.
GIRL 1
And as beautiful as death.
Darkness.
SCENE 12
The right room.
TEIA
A little more, please.
MRS. PRO
Time's up,
Don't be that silly child.
Be a strong
Woman –
I'm mighty
Like a beast.
I'll take you –
And we'll travel together
To a beautiful and secret land
A land nobody can leave –
Where you will be safe
Where we're gonna live
Together.
TEIA
A sentence. A verdict. The end. A finite equation is solved. The x has been found. The task is completed. I'm not thinking anymore. I'm forgetting. I don't love and I'm not hoping for anything. Momentary decisions. When I shut my brain off, I start listening. Listening to silence. Listening to myself. And leaving the past behind. And leaving the past, excuse me, my dear, would you please help me to descend? I want to leave.
Music.
Darkness.
SCENE 13
The middle room.
TEIA
Are you happy?
TADAS
I'm not, woman. Would you please leave and be useful? Go make some sandwiches.
TEIA
Fine.
TADAS
This is what happens, when you sell your soul to the devil himself.
TEIA
You had those dreams again?
TADAS
Yeah, this medicine is gonna kill me. I had a dream that I lived in a room. A woman comes to me, and she takes me out. I play a gig, and she brings me back.
TEIA
And was I in your dream as well?
TADAS
You were in the other room. We were being controlled by Mrs. Pro, and then you died. It was a very strange dream. Incomprehensibly strange. And I remained in the room with your friend Leia.
TEIA
You're talking nonsense. Take a pill, it will make it easier. There's a long night ahead.
TADAS
Give it to me. I'll doze off a little bit, and I'll go. I'll be playing for a long time today.
TEIA
I know, Leia will swing by. We'll chatter and drink some wine.
TADAS
It's fine, just don't go there today. It'll be wicked.
TEIA
I won't go, I promise. There's nothing to do there for me.
TADAS
Have you ever wondered how propaganda would look like if she was a woman?
TEIA
Just like my mom. She throws a sort of mist. No, not a mist – a tiger, perhaps.
SCENE 13
The middle room.
MRS. PRO
No, not a tiger – a crocodile.
TEIA'S VOICE
Let him dive into the Nile.
GIRL 1'S VOICE
Long ago or not so long
Three devils had lived there.
Enter Leia and Tadas.
TADAS
My power started showing through already in my childhood. No, I didn't take classes at the wizard school, but I've discovered the power to control people, and make them behave the way I want to. At first, I didn't understand how it was happening. But in the course of time everything became more and more clear, and a particularly unpleasant event occurred. A terribly painful event. I was very young when I met her. The woman of my dreams, my other half. We were very happy, but she had a flaw – she was addicted to... Eventually, I got tired of this addiction. You can't imagine what it means to live with someone who needs some powder in order to be happy, excuse me – I'll call it nicely – fairy dust. Without it, my beloved would become a sinister witch. She'd shout on me, she'd threaten to leave me without coming back. Once, in anger, I myself told her – just leave and never come back anymore. And then she left me. I can't remember what happened over the next few days. I only remember that I woke up one morning. I had a headache, my hands and legs were covered in blood. Yes, I was soaked with her blood from head to toe. I wanted to run away, but then I realized I couldn't. My hands and feet were chained to bed. There was a woman of an indeterminate age sitting on a chair and facing me.
Enter Mrs. Pro.
MRS. PRO
Tadas, if you want to be safe, you need to help me. No, you don't need to. You have to. I need you, Tadas. You've got the power that I'm lacking.
TADAS
What kind of power? What happened? Why am I here?
MRS. PRO
You don't remember anything, do you? Fine, I'll make sure nobody remembers anything. But you'll have to work for me. Or else you'll be accused of murdering her, because that's what you did.
TADAS
I can't remember.
MRS. PRO
You had a fight again. She told you she never really loved you. She just wanted, well, who knows what those women want... But she got tired because you didn't allow her to be free. And she decided to free herself. And you couldn't do anything. Then you grabbed this knife, and started stabbing her. You were stabbing her as long as you managed to. And then you proceeded like a professional killer by cutting her body into small pieces – hell knows where you've scattered them. And if you wish that nobody else hears this story, you must help me.
TADAS
How?
MRS. PRO
You've got a power – your music controls people, you rule them. And it's very useful to me. You see, I'm in charge of certain business... You'll make them do things they'd like to forget.
TADAS
No.
MRS. PRO
You have no choice. Otherwise, you'll be gone at this time tomorrow.
TADAS
Yes.
MRS. PRO
I can make sure nobody else hears this story.
TADAS
Teia, where's Teia? Teia, you still can save me...
SCENE 14
GIRL 2'S VOICE
We had mom and dad.
TADAS
Can you hear this?
TEIA
No.
TADAS
She's here. She's in this room. She needs me. She needs you. She needs us.
Darkness.
SCENE 14
TADAS.
Where you're running, where you're going.
TEIA
What you're doing, what's your company.
GIRL 1
What you're doing and what you aren't.
GIRL 2
Searching for happiness?
GIRL 1
Haven't found it yet?
TADAS
Her fight is already lost.
TEIA
The end's been obvious for a while.
TADAS
We see you, we observe you.
TEIA
To walk or to run,
GIRL 1
Yeah, right.
GIRL 2
You can't hide from us,
TADAS
You won't run away afterwards.
TEIA
We'll find you soon.
TADAS
Propaganda?
TEIA
Certainly not.
GIRLS
We don't propagate a thing.
We just come on out and fight.
MRS. PRO
We love the man and the homeland.
And a heavy purse.
EVERYBODY
We teach very diligently.
Your friends are fake.
Sounds, images and aromas, too.
What else can't you see?
Why would you dream
If yard dogs
Won't ever bark at you.
Nobody will notice you.
You won't find a star.
So let's reach out and travel
To a place that we dominate already.
Darkness.
Music.
MRS. PRO
The end.
THE END
