copyright © 2003 Adam Hahn

The Long Couch

Adam Hahn

DAVID, MARK, STACEY, and JOHN sit together on a couch (bench, row of chairs, whatever you have handy) in no particular order. NARRATOR is seated in the audience, as is CHANTER, who may be played by one or several voices.

NARRATOR: A downtown apartment, where four slightly intoxicated friends pass a winter afternoon watching Animal Planet and listening to the protest outside.

CHANTER: Not My President, Not My War!

Enron's President, Exxon's War!

NARRATOR: Stacey is one semester away from becoming a high school social studies teacher.

STACEY: They should just send in the army to fix whatever is wrong over there.

(beat)

What is wrong over there?

NARRATOR: Stacey cannot find Australia on an unlabeled globe.

CHANTER: 1-2-3-4, We Don't Want This Racist War!

JOHN: Saddam Hussein is an evil dictator who has used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He needs to be eliminated

NARRATOR: John writes fan e-mail to FOX News.

CHANTER: Drop Bush, Not Bombs!

NARRATOR: Mark considers himself to be the intellectual of the group. He believes that he has a unique and well-rounded political perspective.

MARK: We should assassinate Saddam, and anyone else who opposes us.

(beat)

Anyone who opposes us over there.

NARRATOR: At the age of twenty-six, Mark has never voted.

CHANTER: What Does Democracy Look Like?

NARRATOR: With an IQ of 136, David is the most intelligent individual on the couch and the group's unofficial leader.

DAVID: Fuck.

Bomb 'em.

Just finish it quick-- gas prices are too fucking high.

NARRATOR: David’s Grand Cherokee bears the bumper sticker, "Don't Mess With the US!" This vehicle is designed to carry four passengers and several hundred pounds of internal cargo while towing three tons.

Off road.

In a blizzard.

David has never driven with more than three passengers or any cargo heavier than his computer, and he has never lived in a non-urban area.

CHANTER: Tell Me What Democracy Looks Like!

NARRATOR: This is what democracy looks like.

BLACKOUT

"The Long Couch" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR

"The Long Couch" debuted at No Shame Goes To War (Austin), on March 22, 2003, performed by Jordan Maxwell, Jeff Amos, Jillian Johnston, Kate Caldwell, and Keely Williams.

[Adam Hahn's website]

[Back to: Library] Home