Doomsday

Spawning from a deleted scene of a comic book, Doomsday Think Tank has definitely been a passion project. It continued to grow even up until it was time to publish it. I love plays and had always wanted to write some and I finally got to do my first one. Now all I need to do is find 4 people to put it on. Setting - one table, four chairs. Characters - four, two male, two female. It's not your average play, a little experimental and a conversation piece comprised of all dialogue and no set changes.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1980468885/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B7CMN3M/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Just to get a taste of what this is, here is the first five pages:

ACT 1

A table stands center stage, holding four to eight bottles of water, with four chairs around it.

NARRATOR:     The Pentagon has just held a conference for the return of a disc containing important, vital information. Of course, no details could be given at this time as to what it actually contains or what this means to the safety of the public; however, rumors are abound from countless news rooms to online forums filled with posts and comments. Here today are four renowned conspiracy theorists invited to share their thoughts… (Beat) And you, the audience, will also be able to take down your own notes and submit them when our esteemed theorists have finished.

The four enter, all holding paperwork of individual notes and pens, and greet each other before sitting down at the table. They scoot their chairs up and assemble their notes.

[Note: Whenever stopped for notes the actors will choose how long the break lasts; some will be longer and some will be shorter. In addition, the actors will dictate the flow of the dialogue: whether it’s snappy or more spaced out with cadences. Actors will also choose facial and body reactions along with whether or not someone speaks with their hands. The “notes” and “paperwork” could very well be the script, the audience wouldn’t know, and it can be used for reference. Characters are nameless and color-coded. Actors may choose names if they choose.]

BLUE (Male): Let the games begin.

GREEN (Male): Alright, let’s jump right in; what do you guys think is on that disc?

BLACK (Female):    We can rule out a plan for world peace.

RED (Female):     What about a plan for world control?

BLUE:     You mean it hasn’t been implemented yet?

They chuckle.

GREEN:    We know we can’t rule that one out.

RED:      Well, what do we got? Unveiled weaponry or new laws and regulations?

BLUE:     More boxes to stick us in.

BLACK:    The nuclear rule.

GREEN:    Oh?

BLACK:    The one with the nukes makes the rules.

RED:      Boys and toys; forever the playground.

BLACK:    Keep everyone afraid and control them with fear.

BLUE:     Sounds like my old man.

GREEN looks at BLUE nodding.

GREEN:    Yeah, I hear ya.

RED:      Some say that’s what war is anyway. Broadcast the fear. Make sure everyone knows the word “terrorist” and see the pictures being shown.

GREEN:    It’s exactly like teaching children phonics or using flashcards.

BLACK:    Precisely. Showing you pictures or video of situations stating “Good” or “Bad” and you see it every day, some people all day, and we grow up with it. After so long of hearing and seeing that, it’s branded in your head; someone approaches you on the street and asks you to describe a terrorist and you describe exactly what the news shows you.

BLUE scoffs.

BLUE:     And then everyone accuses you of being a racist because you’re taught daily what a terrorist looks like.

RED:      Are you saying the nation is like the ignorant children of racist parents? “That’s just what I was taught.”

BLUE:     No, but it’s not dissimilar; just like he said about the flashcards. They use their lens and stories and show you what a “terrorist” is. Just like they use the same to show you what a starving child looks like.

RED:      And that’s gotten to a point to where you don’t recognize starving children in your own country or even city.

GREEN:    I will note that it’s interesting that the immigration laws and fights have gone up tenfold since the war in Iraq when the news taught the world that “brown people who speak another language are dangerous.”

BLACK:    That is interesting. I had a friend who was almost deported because he was of Afghani descent. No terrorism, no ties to anything, just a descendant of that country of origin. Not too long ago I saw a Hispanic man get harassed because he [in a southern accent] “looked like one of them terrorists on the TV.” Some people aren’t paying attention at all to personal connection or even the right region or anything, they’ll see a brown person they don’t know and BAM their imaginations take off.

BLACK claps her hands. GREEN points.

GREEN:    But, again, just because someone is from that area doesn’t make them a terrorist.

BLACK:    Oh, exactly. That’s like saying everyone in America is racist and war-hungry.

RED:      War’s a great way to really show racism at its highest.

BLUE:     A racist highlighter; and around the time of war it seems it’s allowed as it’s not seen as offensive but patriotic.

BLACK:    It’s really become similar to a sporting event. Like it’s okay to say and yell these things about these people because they’re not on our side and it’s during a game – so it’s in context.

RED:      No peanuts or crackerjacks for the war audience yet.

GREEN:    Give it time; wars will start being advertised like sports. Then soon enough there’ll be merchandise and commentators.

BLUE:     Draft day would get a bit hairy.

They all share another chuckle.

RED:      I wonder what that would change though; meaning, making it more into a national event.

GREEN:    Well, between the aforementioned merchandise and then ticket sales, advertisements, etc. it might actually help chip away at the national deficit.

BLUE:     As entertaining as it may sound, I highly doubt plans to turn wars into sporting events are on that disc. However, if the contents are indeed that…then I might have to be there opening day.

BLACK:    Not me. I’ll just check out the fantasy leagues online.

BLUE:     Well we can scratch War Time Sporting Goods off the list.

GREEN:    Maybe it’s finally the notes and plans for America’s wall. No more melting pot here.

BLUE:     Alcatraz the beautiful.

RED:      It could very well have to do with immigration. It is a hot button issue at the moment. I doubt we get to ‘the wall’ stage but things are definitely getting more hectic. …And I definitely agree that the melting pot is gone.

GREEN:    Well, I guess we can all agree that whatever is on the disc is not going to fix our racial woes.

BLACK:    Agreed.

BLUE:     Aye.

RED:      Unfortunately.

They take notes. GREEN stops.

GREEN:    Unless…what’s on that disc is a plan to eliminate extremist groups like that of the KKK and Neo-Nazis.

RED:      Nah, by doing so would be considered an abuse of power and, by that definition, an act of extremism itself.

BLACK:    True.

BLUE:     Sometimes I think they keep those assholes around just to show that freedom of speech still exists.

GREEN:    Good point.

They all agree and take a break to make notes, take a drink, and to adjust their papers.

BLACK:    Maybe it’s a “population control” plan.

GREEN:    It’s a good point. I don’t think a lot of our problems are necessarily or purely economic as it is there are just far too many people to make it work. So population control isn’t a bad thought.

BLUE:     Like limiting the amount of children per household or hunting the homeless?

RED:      Wow.

BLUE chuckles and shrugs.

BLUE:     I’m just sayin’.

GREEN:    I’m just saying we are becoming far more over populated as time moves on. Perhaps this is a plan to cut back.

RED:      So what’s next in such a plan, mandatory birth control?

BLACK:    Eh, I’m seeing more death penalties than prevented pregnancies.