Blessed Are All the "Little" Fishes

Abstract

(A vast black stage-a platform in back with instruments on it: a viola, a tuba, a cello. Bubbles spewforth from bubble machine. The members of the orchestra, dressed informal attire, come walking across the stage, talking, and then they exit. A few seconds later, they enter again talking. They discover a pedestal with champagne bottle and glasses. They toast themselves, the audience, drink, and then smash theirglasses against the rear wall. They go to their instruments and tune up. They begin to play a Grand Overture, conveying the passion-the mood-the mystery of our infinite universe. It's as if the music is a ritual to bring forth the rains . . .tres passionato. It also coincides with the beginning of a man's binge-the beginning of a drunken man's deluded & dysfinctional journey through his life. Bubbles spew forth from the tuba-champagne pours freely. A drum beats madly a thunderous melee. The rain has begun. The VIOLA PLAYER comes downstage and is wearing flippers-a worm dangles form her bow-tense strains of music. VIOLA PLAYER begins to play-a MERMAID/MAN appears fiom offstage-floating, swimming in, seated on a toilet on wheels. The epitome of innocence, thumb in his/her mouth, sucking away. Sees worm on the bow & goes after it. VIOLA PLAYER lures him toward her. Instead of the worm, the fish ends up with a bottle of mescal with a worm at the bottom-still sucking away on the bottle. The MERMAID/MAN is up on his feet now, feelin' good. He falls into the audience sucking and kissing away at everyone-a cigarette appears in his hands; he alternates sucking on cig & bottle-suck, suck, suck and then the sound of changing TV channels. A dramatic soap snatch, an anti-drug & booze commercial, the voice ofJimmy Swaggart condemning man to hell 'cause of his wicked ways. The band plays along, creating a surreal, nightmarish environment. As the channels are changing away, the MERMAID/MAN begins to change. What were kissing & sucking are now gasping for air/choking sounds. He falls to the ground and begins to shed his fishskin. As Swaggart continues to condemn, the man can barely crawl-almost like a man stranded in the desert dying of thirst-he crawls towards the toilet that he foated out on. It becomes his oasis as he starts lapping up the water from the bowl. Swaggart continues on tape: But man's problem is this: to be saved, first of all you got to admit: I'm a sinner. I'm no good. I cannot save myself. I was born to go to hell. I deserve to go to hell. I have sinned. I am dirty. I am degrading. I am sin benighted. I am filthy. I am rotten. Swaggart is interrupted by Sinatra singing Drinking Again on tape: