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A Satire of the Year 2000 Presidential Recount in Florida by Nora Dickinson Petrucci
CHARACTERS:
SETTING:
NARRATOR storyteller and uses her wand to accentuate her words.) Once upon a time…there were three bears. Papa Gore Bear… PAPA GORE BEAR dream.) Count all the votes…count all the votes…count all the votes… (He reaches for his lock box and begins counting the ballots while speaking with a slow and monotone voice) If we just count all the ballots here in my lockbox, I’ll surely be the winner. I invented the lockbox. (He holds up each ballot with very large chads as he counts each one getting out of bed and starts to walk downstairs.) One…a hanging chad…two…a swinging door chad…three…a triangle chad…four…a pregnant chad…and 5…a dimple chad… (Lights fade as Papa Gore Bear walks down the steps to the kitchen waving the ballots n his hand) Count all the votes…count all the votes…count all the votes… NARRATOR MAMA HARRIS BEAR awakens from her bed.) I will be the next U. S. Ambassador to Chad in North Africa. Governor George W. Bush gave his solemn bond. (Reaching for her mirror, she looks in it and puts on more lipstick.) That should do it…there…certifiably beautiful! (Lights fade as Mama Gore Bear walks down the steps to the kitchen.) NARRATOR BABY BUSH BEAR bed holding an American flag in one hand and waving with the other.) I won the first count… (Holds up one finger) I won the second count… (Holds up two fingers) And I won the third count… (Holds up five fingers - then lowers his hand in front of face, looking confused, shaking his head. I should have paid more attention in Mathamedics. (He then turns his hand around and waves. The lights follow him as he walks down the stairs and joins the others at the kitchen table, waving his hand and flag.) NARRATOR One morning as the bears came down for breakfast, Mama Harris Bear handed the boys their box of CHEATIES. MAMA HARRIS BEAR Baby Bush’s box and Jeb Bush on Mama Harris’s box. Each box has a stylus attached to the top to punch out the chad that the cereal will come out of.) Here’s your CHEATIES, boys. First follow the instructions and punch through the chad with your stylus so you can pour your cereal properly. (The three bears punch their chads at the topside of the boxes so they can pour their cereal in their bowls.) Very good…now let’s see who can fill up their cereal bowls with the most votes…ready…set…go…November 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th - stop! All votes are in. Let’s see who the winner is. BABY BUSH BEAR (Puts his hand in the bowl and counts.) One…two…three…five… (Looking confused.) My brother Jeb was better at mathamedics. MAMA BUSH BEAR PAPA GORE BEAR (He looks at the opening of his CHEATIES box and notices that it has a hanging chad.) My chad didn’t punch out completely. I need a new box. MAMA HARRIS BEAR “Sorry Papa Gore, but Baby Bush has already been certified the winner. And you know, your Mama doesn’t like to recount. Plus, Papa Gore…it’s not the fault of the CHEATIES box…it’s your responsibility to punch the chad completely through. (She scolds him condescendingly as she pours milk in all three bowls.) PAPA GORE BEAR I’ve been disenfranchised! BABY BUSH BEAR (Holds up one finger) I won the second count… (Holds up two fingers) And I won the third count… (Holds up five fingers, then lowers his hand in front of face, looking confused, shaking his head.) PAPA GORE BEAR BABY BUSH BEAR MAMA HARRIS BEAR (She checks her mirror again and puts on more lipstick.) NARRATOR JUDGE SANDERS SAULS door and the door opens.) Why…this door was opened already. (He questions as he puts his hand on his chin then steps inside.) There seems to be no evidence of anyone home. He looks around, walks towards the livingroom and sits down on Papa Gore Bear’s rocking chair, rocking back and forth while whistling) This chair is too high. (He walks over to try out Mama Harris Bear’s rocking chair.) This chair is too low. (Next, he tries out Baby Bush Bear’s rocking chair.) This chair is just right. (He hammers on the arm of Baby Bush Bear’s chair with his gavel and the chair breaks in half. He falls to the floor.) Oh my! (He gets up and shakes off his robe and walks over to the kitchen table.) Boy, am I hungry! These CHEATIES are two hard. (He says as he takes a spoonful of Papa Gore Bear’s cereal.) These CHEATIES are too soggy. (He says as he takes a spoonful of Mama Harris Bear’s cereal.) These CHEATIES are just right. (He says as he takes a spoonful of Baby Bush Bear’s cereal and finishes the rest of the bowl.) Order in the court. It’s time to recess. I shall retire to my chambers. (He rubs his stomach as if full, hammers his gavel on the table as he speaks and then heads upstairs.) NARRATOR Judge Sanders Sauls became very tired after eating Baby Bush Bear’s CHEATIES and went upstairs for a nap. JUDGE SANDERS SAULS his hand on his glasses as if to check closer and tests the firmness of the mattress with his gavel.) This bed is too hard. (The Judge goes over to Mama Harris Bear’s bed and also tests it out with his gavel.) This bed is too soft. (The Judge goes over to Baby Bush Bear’s bed, tests it out with his gavel, seems satisfied and smiles.) This bed is just right. (He lies down and falls fast asleep.) NARRATOR (The three bears walk home through the woods and see that the door is ajar.) PAPA GORE BEAR Somebody has been sitting in my chair. MAMA HARRIS BEAR Somebody has been sitting in my chair. BABY BUSH BEAR Somebody has been sitting in my chair and it’s broken all over the floor. PAPA GORE BEAR (The three bears walk over to the kitchen table.) PAPA GORE BEAR (He says holding up his bowl to see.) MAMA HARRIS BEAR (She says holding up her bowl to see.) BABY BUSH BEAR (Says Baby Bush Bear, sadly with his head down. He then looks up with a smil as if discovering something new.) NARRATOR PAPA GORE BEAR Somebody has been sleeping on my bed. MAMA BUSH BEAR Somebody has been sleeping on my bed. BABY BUSH BEAR is in his bed he pulls off the covers.) Somebody has been sleeping on my bed and they’re still here. (The three bears gather around Judge Sanders Sauls and start yelling.) PAPA GORE BEAR MAMA HARRIS BEAR (She looks in her mirror.) Certifiably beautiful. BABY BUSH BEAR (Holds up one finger.) I won the second count… (Holds up two fingers.) And I won the third count… (Holds up five fingers - then lowers his hand in front of face, looking confused.) JUDGE SANDERS SAULS Order in the court. I order this mess to end. (Characters freeze,
lights dim slightly, and the characters walk slowly down the steps,
NARRATOR narrate the end of the story.) Judge Sanders Sauls and the three bears went down to the Tallahassee courthouse to see who the real winner was. Papa Gore Bear was represented by Legal Beaver David Boies. Baby Bush Bear was represented by Legal Beaver Barry Richard. The case was thrown out of court and sent to the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Supreme Court threw it out and sent it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mama Harris Bear flew to North Africa to be sworn in as the new U. S. Ambassador of Chad. Judge Sanders Sauls was made an offer by a major television network to star in his very own TV courtroom drama show, “Sanders Live!”. Legal Beavers David Boies and Barry Richard announced their opposing candidacy for the U. S. President in 2004. President Bill Clinton remained in office for another 4 years debating what the meaning of the word “is” is, while the U. S. Supreme Court spent their days with Papa Gore Bear and Baby Bush Bear debating who really won. (Lights fade
on the stage. All Characters walk back on stage, joining the Narrator
in
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