The time is 2186 more than two hundred years into the future and racism has overtaken the world. The two characters: Doctor and Robot have a relationship that is much like a parent with a child. Doctor is a scientist that has been charged with the assignment of curing racism. Robot is the first step in that cure. Robot has been built and filled with all of the knowledge that is available in the universe and Doctor believes that Robot is the key to finding the cure. Doctor begins to input all things throughout history that have attributed to the fear that has created and fueled racism into Robot: slavery, Underground Railroad, Willie Lynch, Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. As these things are put into Robot something starts to happen to Robot that changes the it. It begins to break down, the hate is too overwhelming even for a computer to handle. Doctor removes the files and Robot asks for those things to not be put back inside of it. Hate is a powerful thing. It creates fear. When people live in fear they act according to their fear and hate is born and taught continuing the cycle. When all things settle Robot is the one who reminds Doctor that love has always been present and love is the answer. (***This piece can be performed by two males, two females, or one of each. This piece requires that one of the performers be African American.)
Duo/ Duet- The Cure
$60.00Price
- (Scene opens with the presence of Robot and Doctor. The specific race or sex of the two characters is not as important as the story that they are telling, though one of the two actors needs to be African American. The Doctor is walking around the Robot, scoping it out, taking notes, observing it.) Doctor: The sun does not rise in this day and time like it use to I am told. The world is not what it was years ago. I heard tale of a time when we, the human race, acted like a collective of beings that shared: love, support, understanding and tolerance for each other. Robot: There was once a time when man had a respect for one another. When men, women and children could live together as one. Doctor: Those times have long since been extinguished. The color lines of black and white were always; to a certain extent, divided since the introduction of the African American slave into the American slave trade as unpaid labor in the 18th century. Robot: The racial divide continued many years later. Doctor: Keep fast-forwarding and it still continues today. Robot: In 2081 with the creation of Race Pods the ultimate separation of races led to the government implementing specific areas of living for specific races. Doctor: Separate but equal, Brown vs. Board of Education, Civil Rights Act of 1964 all removed from legislation some even newly deemed as Unconstitutional. Robot: Racism became the norm. Doctor: Racists acts grew to unspeakable numbers. Robot: Racism became the new way of life. Doctor: (Beat) It took many years for the world to realize that the racism that we allowed to overtake our world had slowly changed us into animals. Animals do whatever is necessary to survive, which became the human race. I decided to investigate racism. At some point in history we were able to coexist with other races, could we get back to this place of normalcy? Harmony? And if we could what would it take?