Scene: Room in psychiatric hospital. JOANNA, 20, sits on bed, muttering to self. Surrounding her is CHORUS.
Chorus
She’s crazy, that’s what they say!
But if you listen closely,
You can hear the sense in her ways.
The world needs a lunatic
Now and then, to bear the load
Of this mad world’s nonsense.
What’s that you say, child?
We can’t hear you.
We can’t hear you.
Joanna
Blither and tither, wither and shiver.
The moon is my only friend.
She told me I have a world to upend.
Revolution! That’s the skylark’s truth.
Revolution! That’s the skylark’s truth.
Bleed the world till it is fresh and new,
Be the leech that pulls the decaying tooth!
The rotten worship of rotten gods
Has got the world tied up in knots!
Moon god is the one and only god.
Worship her or you’re a fraud.
I’ll take to task the blimey muses
Who make the poets write their silly ruses
Praising some invisible Lord that has no weight
Nor light to shed upon our baffled states.
Chorus
The doctor! The doctor! Silence
Or you’ll give yourself away.
Hold your tongue before it
Slips, and shows him that
You are crazed!
Joanna
I’m not crazed! Who are you, anyway?
Just a slave, just a pusillanimous hide-away!
(Enter Doctor)
Doctor
Hello there, child. My name is Doctor Dum.
Doctor John B. Dum, of the Vetergost Institute,
Proudly trained by Drs. Mary Rich and Seymour Payne.
I am here to help you my child. It seems
You’ve gone insane.
Joanna
Insane? Haha, doctor, I know your game.
You think because I speak wisdom that
Is beyond your brain, I must be insane.
But that’s just lame, doctor. That’s just lame.
I know why you really came. And I could
Indeed make it worth your while.
I could do to you what your wife would not,
That is, if you like to surf the Nile.
Doctor
Echem. Well, let’s not get out of hand.
I am recommending to you that you do
Electroconvulsive therapy. Nine times
To reset that brain of yours. You laugh?
What for?
Joanna
Oh, doctor! Oh, doctor! Forgive me.
It’s just that, I know all about your plan
To make me like you. That is, a machine.
To make me like you. That is, a machine.
The motions! The motions! They want me
To go through the motions! But I prefer
To let the moonbeams move me,
And not your routines. What god do you worship,
Doctor? I can assure you it is the wrong one.
Let me tell you about the moon goddess.
She is coming, you know, once the revolution
Is complete.
Doctor
Revolution? What sort of revolution?
Joanna
The only kind that matters, of course.
An armed revolution. And I must lead it!
The moon chose me because I am her pure-blood
Daughter. Did you know that
In my veins, instead of blood,
Moonbeams run? I could show you
If you gave me a knife.
Doctor
I think not. Please, consider electroconvulsive therapy.
It will bring you back to reality.
Joanna
Reality, you say? And what is that?
Nothing but decaying matter and beams of light.
I know what’s happening, Doctor.
This is my skin, I can see you with my eyes.
Why don’t you join me? You could be
My right-hand man. We could even have children…
Doctor
Ma’am, I am married, and you are out of your mind!
Now I warn you, should you refuse the treatment,
I have the power to force you to go through with it.
The police found you with possession of an illegally
Distributed firearm, and now that I know your intentions,
The court is sure to rule in my favor should I probate you.
Consider it well! Good day!
(Doctor leaves)
Joanna
Cog! His kind will be the first to go
Once the winds of change begin to blow—
A true bastion of the status quo.
May he be swept away by the undertow!
He says I must do shock therapy—
An oxymoron if you ask me.
If I could zap him, what would he be?
Just an ape, a raving monkey!
What’s going to happen to me?
Oh, moon, won’t you come to me
Oh, moon, won’t you come to me
And offer me some comfort?
(Enter Moon)
Moon
My child, you needn’t fear.
No need to waste your tears.
They can shock you all they want,
Your mission is clear and you cannot be stopped.
What they think madness is actually
Divine inspiration, for my blood runs
Through your veins. You cannot be tamed.
Religious fervor, when backed by a god,
Is stronger than any earthly conviction.
Their science means nothing in the face
Of the divine. At any time, you can ask for a sign,
And I shall arrive. Don’t lose faith!
And I shall arrive. Don’t lose faith!
Don’t lose heart! Don’t forget me!
I must depart! Ah, but wait!
There is one last thing!
Here! Take this vial. Drink the potion
When you feel fear, and nothing else can save you.
Be warned, only drink it in the direst of times,
Lest you waste it, and it is gone betimes.
Joanna
Thank you, Moon. I will do as you say.
I will let them shock me, and then, they will pay!
End Scene.
Scene 2: Joanna is lying unconscious on a hospital bed. She has just undergone ECT. Her parents, RITA and JONATHAN, are there, along with Doctor Dum.
Doctor
She should be awakening at any moment.
Rita
What should we expect, doctor?
Will she be well when she wakes up?
Doctor
Her sanity will have returned, if my estimations are correct.
Jonathan
We can’t thank you enough, doctor.
Our little girl is everything to us.
For the last several months, it has been as if
She has disappeared and been replaced
By some…demon. The things she did!
Shocking! Just shocking! And her room,
With its maps on the wall covered in tacks,
As if she were planning some sort of a…
As if she were planning some sort of a…
Revolution! That’s all she talked about.
Do you know, she even knocked on our door
One night. “Daddy,” she said. “I need to kill you now.”
And when I went and opened the door she stood there
With a knife in her hand and this horrible blank expression!
Oh, it was awful, doctor! Just awful! I can’t wait
To see her again as I knew her to be—so thoughtful,
So loving, so sweet! Certainly there has always been
A fire in her. To watch her on the soccer field you would
Understand. But God almighty! What we’ve been through
These last months have been…Hell!
Doctor
Yes, I know about the horrors of madness all too well.
Your experience has been bad, but hers has been a living Hell.
When she awakens she will be changed.
Illness like that makes a person warier, and in a sense,
More restrained. Your daughter is a girl no more.
She is a woman now, and there are many blessings in store.
(Joanna wakes up)
Rita
Oh, look! She’s waking up!
Darling, my darling! How do you feel?
Joanna
I feel…tired, and drained. But also…
Sane. It’s as if a heavy fog has lifted.
The world is clear. But, I feel heavy,
Sluggish.
Jonathan
Oh, my sweetheart! You are back, I can tell!
Your eyes are so clear, your voice so composed.
For the first time in a long time, you seem well!
Won’t you come home to live with us?
We’d love to have you home. Wait, I know!
Let’s go get ice cream! Butternut swirl,
My treat!
Joanna
That does sound tempting, and I am hungry,
But for now, I am so tired. Please, let me sleep.
Jonathan
Of course, my darling! Of course!
You rest now. We will be right here beside you.
End scene. Stage goes black. A single light comes on. The Doctor and her parents are gone. She sits up in bed. Enter Moon, weeping.
Joanna
Moon! What is it? Why are you weeping?
Moon
Oh, child! You have forgotten me!
You have forgotten that I am your mother,
And you have forgotten your duty toward me!
You are ready to join your parents in complacency,
And eat ice cream, and live in their home.
Is that what you want, child? A life of comfort
And ease? You want to forget me and the mission
Of your destiny? This doctor has eclipsed the truth
In you, it seems. Your eyes, once bright moons
That orbited the planet of destiny, are now veiled
From the truth by hypocrisy! Oh, child, it is
A sad day for me, indeed! My own flesh and blood
Has forgotten me!
Joanna
Oh, but Moon, I have not forgotten you!
Please, don’t cry. What will you have me do?
Moon
You must escape from the hospital, child!
Head to the forest. There, I will come to you again.
You will remember for what it is you are destined.
But be cautious, child! They will come for you!
You must be swift and silent as the serpent,
Vigilant as a bird. Spread your wings, child!
Fly! Fly! Flee from this cage!
Joanna
I will! Oh, I will, Moon! And thank you!
But wait. What must I do?
Moon
Revolution, child. Revolution.
Joanna
Of course! Revolution! Revolution! Revolution…
Stage goes dark again. When lights come back on, her parents are there again.
Joanna
Revolution…Revolution…
Jonathan
Joanna! Joanna!
(She finally wakes up, looks up at her father, stunned.)
It was just a dream, sweetie. Just a dream!
Joanna
It wasn’t just a dream. It was a divine message.
I have been chosen. I am the Moon’s daughter.
Rita
Honey, what are you saying? Doctor, what is this?
I thought you said she’d be cured!
I thought you said she’d be cured!
Joanna
(Laughs hysterically) I’ll see you in Hell!
Joanna gets up and runs away.
Doctor
Stop her! Don’t let her escape! Oh, my Lord…
End Scene.
New Scene: Woods. Joanna is jogging. Moon appears.
Moon
Rest now, my child. They cannot catch you.
Not so long as I am on your side.
You have done well. You have escaped the clutches
Of the Devil with your mind intact.
Listen now, let me guide you as to how to act.
You see that star there? Follow it.
It will lead you to the city. There, you will meet
It will lead you to the city. There, you will meet
A man named Jacob Tinney. He will be
Expecting you—him and his band of lunatic rebels.
They have been waiting for you to lead the
Revolution.
Revolution.
Joanna
But Moon, am I…
Moon
Clear the doubts from your mind, my child.
You will know what to do when the time comes.
Within you are abilities that you cannot comprehend.
By the time the revolution is over, you will be a legend.
They will sing of you in songs till the end of time.
Statues of you will be erected. You will be like a god.
Do not fear destiny, my child. It is already written in the stars,
And I know the stars well. They speak in a language
Which I understand. Soon you will hear them, too.
You shall take your place among them some day.
But now, the time is at hand. Get ready your soul
For war. An army awaits your command.
And always remember, should things go awry,
Drink from the vial I gave to you, and things shall turn out right.
Goodbye, my child! Goodbye! Nothing can harm you, child.
Not as long as I am on your side!
(Exit Moon)
End Scene.
Scene: Hospital room. Doctor, Rita, and Jonathan. Rita is weeping.
Jonathan
It’s OK, honey. Everything is going to be alright.
Rita
But where is she? Where is she going? She should be back by now.
Doctor
She’s right. It’s been far too long.
It doesn’t make sense! The treatment failed.
How could it have failed? It’s almost as if…
Jonathan
Almost as if what, doctor?
Doctor
As if there were something deeper going on.
As if it were something beyond science.
Something…supernatural. Oh, but what am I saying?
Something…supernatural. Oh, but what am I saying?
Only, how could it have not worked?
It has never not worked before!
Look out that window. Can you see the moon?
Doesn’t it look overly large? Your daughter said,
The moon had been speaking to her.
Could it be that there is a connection?
Could it be that there is a connection?
Rita
What are you saying, doctor?
Doctor
Nothing. Forget it. The police are on her tail.
She will be back. She has to come back…
Rita
Is this our fault, doctor? Is she mad because of us?
Oh, perhaps there was something we missed.
Something that I could have addressed but dismissed?
What went wrong? How did we lose her?
I recall once when she was a child, we were
Walking through a park one evening and
She stopped dead in her tracks. When I looked,
Her eyes were wide and wild. She was looking
At the moon. I asked her what was wrong and she said:
“The moon, mommy. It just spoke to me.”
I told her it was nonsense and pulled her along.
I told her it was nonsense and pulled her along.
Little things like that happened over and over again.
I never made anything of it. Perhaps if I had
Taken it seriously I could have helped her.
I never made anything of it. Perhaps if I had
Taken it seriously I could have helped her.
But I didn’t! And now my beloved girl is mad,
Mad beyond repair!
Mad beyond repair!
Doctor
It is not your fault. I can assure you of that.
Any parent, other than a neurotic, perhaps
Would have done the same thing as you.
You must be kind to yourself. You’ve
Acted with compassion, and could have
Done nothing more. That much is true.
Jonathan
Thank you, Doctor, for your kind words.
I think, for now, it is best that we were alone.
Doctor
Of course. Excuse me.
(Doctor leaves)
Jonathan
The moon has indeed grown.
I wonder, what if…but no.
It’s impossible. It will be alright.
She’ll come back to us.
She’ll come back…
End Scene.
Scene: Forest. Police, led by Detective Leroy Bane, is tracking Joanna with hounds.
Officer
Detective Bane, it seems the dogs
Have lost her scent again.
Something isn’t right.
Bane
Yes, it is odd, isn’t it?
And look at that moon.
And look at that moon.
It’s gigantic. The air feels electric tonight,
As if a storm were brewing, yet there isn’t
A cloud in the sky. It’s strange. Very strange…
My guess is she went to the city.
It isn’t far, boys. Let’s go.
Officer
Detective, something scares me.
Have you heard rumors of some budding
Revolution? They say the lunatics have been
Planning an uprising. Do you think this girl
We are chasing is somehow connected?
Bane
I have indeed heard rumors. I’ve wanted to investigate
The matter, but the man in charge showed no interest.
Let’s hope we don’t make a fool of him.
It doesn’t seem likely that this girl is connected,
Yet, I have a strange feeling in my gut.
It’s all very unsettling.
Officer
I am scared, detective. Really scared.
The number of lunatics in the street is increasing
Every night. And with them are the rest
Of the poor and the underprivileged.
It seems like something is reaching a head.
Bane (Ignoring Officer)
Let’s move it boys! It’s several miles to the city from here!
Hah! He’s scared, he says. We officers are not in the business
Of getting scared. And yet, something stirring is making
My own skin crawl. Never have I seen a moon
Like that before. And if the rumors are true,
And the lunatics have been waiting for their symbol to arrive,
Could it actually be this girl that we are chasing?
What is going on? Ah, damn it all to Hell!
We will catch her. All she needs is a heavy dose
Of antipsychotics and another shock to the brain.
You can’t reason with madness, it has to be tamed.
End scene.
Scene: Joanna is walking through the city streets. She comes upon people who seem to be in awe of her. They point, and whisper in each other’s ears.
Joanna
It is strange, walking these city streets.
Though I have never been here, it is all so familiar,
As if from a distant time, a distant dream.
These people all seem to recognize me,
But how, from where, I couldn’t say.
But how, from where, I couldn’t say.
And though I really should be, I am not afraid.
I feel somehow that I belong here,
That these are my people, in fact.
Now who in the world is that?
(A MAN is heard singing offstage. He approaches Joanna, singing.)
Man
Lock-a-doo-ma-zayah, la-moony-kanana!
The queen is coming! The child of God.
Her veins are full of moonbeams,
Instead of blood.
Lock-a-doo-ma-zayah, la moony-kanana!
(He sees her)
Ahmoozah! Could it be you?
Joanna
My name is Joanna. Who might you be?
Jacob Tinney?
Jacob
It is you! Praise the Moon! It is you!
We have been waiting for you!
May I…touch the hand of the great goddess of the moon?
(He takes her hand)
Yes! I can feel the moonlight in your skin.
You have traveled far, I think.
Left much behind. Including what they would call
Your mind? Yes? Haha! Me as well! Me as well!
There will be no more need for a mind
Once the Moon takes her proper place of power.
She will think for us. We will be as moonbeams,
Pressing ever forward, touching new terrain.
All the sane will soon be insane—like us!
Come with me, and I will show you things
You’d never thought you’d see.
You’d never thought you’d see.
A war is brewing, and you are the key!
Come with me, and I will show you what I mean.
(They walk together)
The city is humming with revolutionary fervor.
They see you, but they can hardly believe.
They see you, but they can hardly believe.
Joanna
Where are we going?
Jacob
To our base. It is where all the weapons are stored.
The warriors are there now. We’ve been expecting you!
The warriors are there now. We’ve been expecting you!
Oh, you will see, goddess. We are prepared for a great war!
Follow me, we have such things in store!
(They exit)
End scene.
Scene: Detective Bane and his men are walking through the city streets. People are yelling at them.
Woman #1
Pigs!
Man #1
Scoundrels!
Man #2
Murderers!
Woman #2
Liars! Go back to that snake pit where you came from!
Bane (Approaching WOMAN)
Excuse me Miss.
Woman
What do you want?
Bane
Have you seen a young white woman
With blonde hair, about yay high,
Walking around here?
Woman
I haven’t seen anybody. Why don’t you get lost?
Man #2
Yeah. You heard her. Get lost!
(OFFICER #1 begins pulling out his baton.)
Officer #1
You deserve a beating, talking
To a detective that way.
Bane (Gestures for him to stop)
I can fight my own battles.
Man #2
That’s right. He can fight his own battles.
Do what your master tells you, pig.
(Bane pulls out his baton and shoves it into Man #2’s gut. He falls. Bane spits)
Bane
No one here is going to help us.
These people lost their sense of dignity long ago.
(Gesturing toward Man #2 on ground)
Is this what your revolution looks like?
Pretty pathetic, if you ask me.
All of you are filth. If this place burns,
I hope you burn with it.
I hope you burn with it.
(To men)
Let’s spread out. We’ll find this young wench yet.
She couldn’t have gotten far.
(They leave)
Scene: Joanna and Jacob are walking through a warehouse. There are many men, and crates full of guns and ammo.
Jacob
As you can see we are fully prepared.
This (he picks up a bazooka) has the power
This (he picks up a bazooka) has the power
To take out a tank. If things go as expected,
We will have to fight the military,
Which will be no easy task.
But we will have the advantage,
Because the war will take place
In the streets, from building to building.
We are used to being in the trenches.
We are used to being in the trenches.
We will force them to fight a dirty fight.
They won’t bomb their own cities, of course.
They care too much about money for that!
These greedy swine. They will soon understand,
Their sinfulness has made them weak.
They won’t be ready for the kind of war
We will wage. They will stay in their homes,
And we will burn them out. Soldiers will join
Our cause. We will liberate the prisons
And set fire to the police stations.
We will execute every and all politicians,
For they have spread nothing but fear
And lies among the oppressed.
But you know all this. Is it not true
What they say? That the moon comes to you
And speaks to you? What is she like?
Joanna
It is true. The moon is my mother,
And she comes to me often.
She shares her deepest secrets.
She is more imperious and more majestic
Than any star in the sky. Her eyes, deeper
Than the very vacuum of space,
Penetrate through solid rock.
Nothing can amaze her, for she has seen
The birth of the universe.
And yet, her feelings are deep.
The birth of the universe.
And yet, her feelings are deep.
Her passion knows no bounds,
And her fury is like a tempest.
Of her love, one cannot speak.
Of her love, one cannot speak.
For it is a love that consumes the soul.
One feels as if paralyzed by it.
To feel such love, one shudders
From the thrill and the pain of it.
And yet it is a love that comforts,
Makes one feel safe and eternal.
Such a love has no place in this world.
Men cry out for it, but it does not come.
Fools, they are praying to the wrong God.
The moon alone can offer eternal love.
Jacob
Yes, fool that I was, for the longest time
I did not believe. I had to lose my mind
Before it became clear that the moon
Was the one to whom I should be offering my prayers.
Now, I am on fire, just like you!
My eyes see the cataclysmic truth!
The sacred bond between man and moon
Is eternal, and soon…
Soon there will be perfect union between the two.
The moon is coming. One can see it in the sky.
She grows larger by the hour. The old ways shall die!
She grows larger by the hour. The old ways shall die!
Listen, there are people like us all over the country.
They too are armed and prepared to die for the cause.
They wait for the signal, and then the revolution begins.
It is you who must confirm it. At your word,
We begin the war.
Joanna
Then let us not wait.
I confirm it. Give the signal.
I am ready.
Jacob
Men! Do you hear?
Gather your courage,
For now is the time!
The moon looms large in the sky!
May she come and deliver us
Before we die!
(Men cheer)
End scene.
