STOP_ANDROIDS 16pages

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ANDROIDS PLAY, The Day the Androids were Stopped.

A STAGE PLAY

Cast of Characters

Sissy age 4, wears glasses, has pigtails, short dress with white socks, white and black oxfords

Sally age 6, shoulder length hair, white shirt and green slacks, dirty tennis shoes, carries shoulder strap purse

Bobby age 7, short hair, white shirt, blue jeans, tennis shoes

George. age 7, short hair, yellow shirt, blue jeans, dirty tennis shoes

Julie age 9, jeans and blue blouse, has ponytail, blue tennis shoes

Greg age 9, dark blue shirt, blue jeans, black shoes

June Henry's wife, hair teased, white tennis outfit, house shoes, age 26-28

Henry father to Sissy, Sally, Julie, nice light green dress shirt, dark green dress slacks, puffed hair, age 28-30

Charlie black butler uniform, black shoes, short dark hair, age 40-45

Marie white maid uniform, hospital shoes, short hair and hair sprayed, age 50-56

ACT 1

Scene I

Three young girls sitting in a sand box.

Sally "Bobby told me just last week that the machines do the WORK everywhere."

Sissy "Really, you mean the real hard WORK, don't you?"

Sally "No, Bobby said all the WORK. Even typing and selling cloths and for sure all the house WORK."

Sissy "Then if Bobby is right all those house servants, Charlie and Marie, are, are really machines too."

Julie "Yes you doe doe Sissy, everything in our picture books from school under the words WORK, are the things that machines do."

Sally "Bobby also said the machines like their jobs and that's why they smile so much."

Sissy "Hey Julie?"

Julie "What now you question kid?"

Sissy "Julie, I, I, I would like to clean the dust off my bedroom window sometimes, cause Charlie misses some spots."

Julie "No. No you can't do that, remember only machines can do WORK. Tell Marie and she'll have Charlie fixed. Oh well, you'll probably forget. I'll go do it for you right now."

Exit Julie

Sissy "Sally, why has Julie become so good buddies with Marie? Bobby says servants are machines so why would Julie be friends with a machine? She is our sister and not a machine, right?"

Sally "No I don't think she is a machine. Maybe she is just like all the other people that like machines doing everything for us."

Sissy "Well I like wiping the dirt off the windows sometimes, but you know what happens when they catch me. Straight to the corner chair and no TV. Sometimes I let them catch me just so I could miss that dumb Bob Dillion show."

Sally "Sissy you're a devil's card for sure."

Enter Julie

Julie "Marie sent Charlie right to the doctor to get fixed."

Sissy "But Julie, I..."

Julie "What is it now?"

Sally "Sissy was going to tell Marie herself, but you didn't give her a chance..."

Julie "Well Marie told me that telling her those kinds of things was a new task for me to do."

Sally "Oh okay, if I see Charlie goof up I'll let you tell Marie."

Julie "Good. You promise too Sissy, cause Marie will give me extra cookies every time I tell her something."

Sissy "Oh. Okay Julie."

Enter Bobby

Sissy "Bobby, guess who gets extra cookies for helping Marie."

Julie "You little tattle-tale."

Julie swings a haymaker at Sissy, but misses completely.

Bobby "Calm yourself Julie. I won't ask for your extra cookies."

Sally "Bobby tell Sissy about them machines doing all the WORK."

Bobby "There's nothing else to say. We humans get to have all the fun now that the machines do the WORK for us. Say Julie how old are you next month? I want to send you the right birthday card."

Julie "Eight."

Sissy "I thought you were going to be nine."

Sally "Me too."

Bobby "Are you going to have a party?"

Julie "Oh of course. That reminds me of something. Marie is supposed to get a special cake as a surprise for me. I better go tell her not to forget."

Exit Julie

Sally "Bobby I'm starting to wonder about her. She's getting awful close to Marie lately."

Bobby "You think she might be a machine huh? We think George's older brother is one too, but don't say that to anyone, get it. He did a dance step routine right after we turned the new modified mag-toy on yesterday. I think we're on to something with that mag-toy. Bring Julie over tomorrow and we will see what she does."

Enter Julie

Bobby "Yea that new engine has got a beautiful whistle, you girls should come over and see it. It is really nice."

Julie "Well everything is all set for my party. Bobby you are invited, are you coming?"

Bobby "Sure I like parties. I've got a new train engine. Why don't all you girls come over tomorrow and see it."

Sally &

Sissy "Yea, yea, that will be fun."

Exit Bobby. Enter Marie.

Marie "Girls, come in for supper."

End scene.

Scene II

Sally, Sissy, Julie, Henry, June at supper table.

Marie serving dishes.

Julie "Mom. Marie got Charlie fixed today cause he kept missing some spots on the windows."

June "That's nice, honey. Did you girls have fun today? I did. I played tennis all morning and bridge at the club this afternoon and I won the door prize."

Sissy "Me too mom. Bobby came over and taught us some more about what machines do for us."

Sally "Yea and he got a new train engine and invited us over to see it."

Henry "Trains are fun, that Bobby is a smart boy. I have an old train set upstairs, maybe Bobby can help you girls set it up down in the basement some raining day."

Marie "Sorry sir. Setting train sets up is hard WORK. Charlie will do that for the girls. Bobby and the girls will have the fun of running the train and blowing the whistle."

Sissy "But daddy, putting a train together sounds like lots of fun."

Sally "Yea dad, it does sound like fun."

Henry "Sorry girls, Marie knows best at these matters of fun and WORK. She was programmed to know the difference. And I can't have my little girls doing any WORK. No sir, not when we have good machines like Marie and Charlie over there."

Marie and Charlie bow and smile.

Henry "WORK is machines' job. You girls are to learn at school and enjoy yourselves with all those fun activities they teach you."

June "Yes, your dad is very right in this matter. Charlie will set up the train for you girls. The fun will be in running it."

Sissy "Dad, are there very many machines?"

Henry "Yes, there is an awful lot of WORK in the world."

Sissy "Well who makes the machines?"

Henry "Remember your lessons Sissy. Makings things is WORK. So of course machines make machines."

Sissy "Forever and ever? How about when Grandma was a girl?"

June "Grandma is dead."

Sissy "But were there machines back then?"

Henry "Yes there were some in Grandma's day, people had to do most of the WORK until some real smart men learned how to make machines that could make machines so we wouldn't have to do any WORK today. See how lucky we are."

Sissy "Dad, Marie looks like a person, how come she is a machine?"

Henry "Remember your lessons. Only machines do the WORK, people get to relax and learn and have fun. We like the machines to look nice so they are built to look like people. We adults like the machines and you kids do to, right?"

Julie "I don't think Sissy does."

June "Well Sissy might just need to go to Like-a-Machine School on Saturdays."

Sissy "No mom, I like Marie and Charlie, but some things they call WORK seem like fun to me."

June "Henry she sounds like a young rebel."

Henry "June you've been reading too many spy novels. She's only four and doesn't understand yet, she will. Don't you remember Julie was the same way for awhile until we sent her to that school on Saturdays last year. We'll keep an eye on Sissy and see. She is only four remember, not seven."

June "She may be only four, but I'll not have her disgracing me at the bridge club. I'll send her straight to Like-a-Machine School if she doesn't get those notions out of her head real soon. Sissy you understand me, don't you."

Sissy "Yes mommy, I kinda do."

June "Well that's a start anyway and pay more attention to your lessons in school. Remember WORK is for machines, fun is for people."

Marie "Well put madame."

End Scene.

Scene III

Bedroom light on with Sally and Sissy sitting up in their separate beds.

Sally "Sissy mom's right, you have got to remember your lessons about WORK."

Sissy "I try to, but I have lots of questions and the teacher says, 'Wait until you are in the 3rd grade for those questions little girl'."

Sally "Well Julie is in the 3rd grade, maybe you should read her books. That might keep you out of that Saturday School."

Sissy "Will Julie let me?"

Sally "She is watching TV. She won't care if it helps you. But read out loud cause sometimes I have questions for the 3rd grade too."

Sissy takes a book off the table and begins to read out loud.

Sissy "Basic Androids and the WORK Revolution. Charles P. Canistor's first successful android operated by a 24 volt automobile battery. The android machine squeaked and clanked as it performed only three WORK tasks: sweeping the floor, washing a car, emptying the trash. The mannequin body shell used resembled a human so closely that Canistor's peers honored his creation by terming Canistor as the 'Father of Androids'.

Canistor was hired by General Eletrix and sold them his Internal Circuitry patterns. General Eletrix research scientists within three years began to produce fifty androids a day. The androids were so sophisticated that adults could not distinguish human from android.

Within the next six years the cost per android was reduced sufficiently, allowing most middle class Americans the luxury of owning their own android servant.

The real WORK revolution began the following year when miniaturized programming circuitry was developed. This allowed the android enough intellect to be able to assemble another complete android. Within months androids were building all androids at such low costs that every American family could purchase an android. Two years later the NON-WORK laws were established and every American family had at least two androids. Within the next three years every family throughout the world had at least one android.

Soon there after the World Peace Pact was established and the NON-WORK laws were extended worldwide. It now was unnecessary for humans to do any work so the law ensured that no human would hurt himself working.

It was now legal for only machines to do WORK."

Sally "Sissy, here comes Julie, put her book away."

Sissy puts the book away and both pretend to be asleep.

Enter Julie.

Julie "Look at the two sleepy heads. Huh, they must have been very tired to fall asleep so soon."

Julie climbs in bed with her book to read for awhile.

End scene.

Scene IV

At Bobby's train room. Sally knocks on door, Bobby opens it. Enter Sally and Sissy and Julie. George is over with the train.

Sally "We're not too early, are we?"

Bobby "No, come on in. There's my new engine, listen to this whistle."

Train runs and engine goes woeeeeeee as George hits the switch.

Sissy "Boy oh boy, I sure like that."

George"Okay, Sally you are old enough, come over here and push this switch. You too Julie, come here."

Sally and Julie take turns pushing the train whistle. So Bobby reaches under the table and brings out a box and points the blue end toward Julie. He pushes a black button then pushes a red button and Julie starts to dance. Sissy screams and Bobby puts the box quickly back under the table.

Julie "Sissy, why did you scream?"

Sissy "I, I, it was a spider."

Julie "Where?"

Sissy "It's gone now."

Bobby "Do the whistle again Julie, I like it."

Julie "No, I don't like spiders in the house, I'll go get the maid."

Sally "It's gone, don't bother."

Julie "I'm going to get the maid."

Sally begins pushing the train whistle as Julie exits.

Exit Julie.

Sissy "Bobby, she danced, how come?"

Bobby gets the box out again and points it at Sally, then at George, then at Sissy, then at himself, pushing first the black button then the red button. Nothing happens to any of them.

George "Did Julie dance?'

Bobby "Yes and Sissy saw her and screamed. She almost blew it, but that spider lie fooled

Julie. Good quick thinking Sissy. We have a lot to tell you girls and we need your help. This is very serious and you must keep our secrets quiet."

Sissy "Is Julie a machine? She can't be, she is my sister since as long as I can remember."

Bobby "Sally, did your mom and dad send Julie to that Like-a-Machine School?"

Sally "Yes they spoke of it last night at supper, they might send Sissy too if she doesn't remember her lessons about WORK. But I don't think Julie is a machine, I remember her growing for at least the last two years. They sent her to that school five months ago though."

Bobby "George and I suspect that they switch human kids for android kids at the school."

Sally "Why?"

Bobby "We don't know yet. But we do know that we humans can not do anything that the books consider as WORK. And we found an older book of my mom's and compared the WORK of her book with the WORK of our newer books and we found that there are more things called WORK today than when our mom was a girl."

George "And we figured that since machines don't eat food like we do, that maybe WORK was their food and maybe that's why we humans can't do anything called WORK cause WORK must be like food for the machines."

Sissy "But why did they switch Julie?"

Bobby "Sissy we don't know and we are kinda afraid to guess, but we figured that by the time we are as old as our grand-dads that almost everything we do now, the books will probably call WORK and then we won't have anything to do, not even the things called fun. So George and I figure it's up to us kids to start trying to stop the machines from switching us and from calling everything WORK. We both think that some of the things the books call WORK might be fun to learn and fun to do."

Sally "What can just us kids do? Can't we get our parents to help?"

George "No, our parents like the way things are. Most teenagers do to."

Bobby "That's right, so we kids who want to stop the machines will have to find some way of doing just that and we will have to find more kids to help us and we have to find some way of getting the adults to help."

George "That box Bobby has is called a mag-toy. We made it from two physic magnetic games. We found a way to criss-cross the polarity of electrons flowing through any circuitry. It's like unmagnetizing a magnetic that we make. We turn it on and point the magnetizing rays at a mechanical android, they become magnetized and then we throw the unmagnetizing switch and the android dances as it becomes unmagnetized. That's what happened to Julie and my older brother. We tried it on our servant maids and they all danced a little too. We should start by identifying as many androids as possible, then try to find some way of destroying them without getting caught.

So Sissy, for your safety and ours you have to stop asking your parents questions about WORK and machines. Act like you like TV and have fun all the time at the games. Act like you don't know anything more than a four-year-old is suppose to. So you must remember your lessons from school."

Sissy "I'm kinda scared. I don't know if I can do all that."

Bobby "Sissy, you have to or they might send you to that school where your sister Julie got switched."

Sally "She can do it, I'll help her."

End scene.

ACT II

Scene I

Bedroom. Sally and Sissy sitting in bed.

Sissy "Where's Julie."

Sally "She's in the bathtub still."

Sissy "If she is a machine, how can she be taking a bath?"

Sally "I don't know, I'm as confused as you."

Sissy "Do you think Bobby and George are telling the truth? Maybe this is all a joke they are playing on us."

Sally "I don't know. I don't think they were joking. Julie has been different since she went to that school."

Sissy "But why is she taking a bath if she is a machine."

Sally "Remember, we aren't ever suppose to know that she is a machine. Where's that book of hers? Maybe that will answer some of our questions."

Sally gets Julie's book and begins reading out loud.

Sally "Android ability and job performance have come a long way since Canistor's first crude attempt. Today's android carries-out his tasks three times as fast as the average human can and virtually error free. Today's android is designed with such internal programming efficiency that external injury is nearly impossible. Today's android actually feels pride and satisfaction from performing his assigned tasks.

Today's android has been programmed to direct all humans from doing any WORK and due to today's new compassionate circuitry, no android will intentionally hurt a human even though the human maybe violating the law. Today's android's internal design duplicates every human function so exactly that detection between human and android requires technical hardware."

Sissy "Sally did you say that an android could not get hurt?"

Sally "Let's see, I think I read that. Here it is, 'that external injury is nearly impossible'."

Sissy "Well, what's external mean?"

Sally "All of the body we can see."

Sissy "Could her stomach get hurt?"

Sally "I don't know, it doesn't say, we will have to ask Bobby."

Sissy "Well could Julie, the machine Julie, hurt herself on purpose?"

Sally "Well it doesn't really say, but maybe we could find out some way."

Sissy "Yea, Bobby would want to know that. See my questions can help."

Sally "Yes, but remember to ask me your questions, not Julie or Marie or Charlie or mom or dad."

Sissy "I'll remember. Say let's do a blood pact like the Indians."

Sally "We did that before."

Sissy "But with the old Julie, not this machine Julie."

Sally puts the book down, finds a penknife from the drawer and gets out two candles and lights them on a rug on the floor.

Sally "Come on down here, I think she is coming."

Sally and Sissy sit around the candles and join hands. Sissy begins a soft humming.

Sissy "Ohhhh, oweeeeeeeeeeeee."

Julie enters.

Julie "What are you two doing?"

They ignore her and Sissy keeps on chanting. Julie shakes Sissy. Sissy stops humming and looks up.

Julie "What are you two doing?"

Sissy "An old Indian rite I learned at History School. This is the one that sisters or brothers do."

Julie "Well I'm your sister too, I want to do it too."

Sally and Sissy exchange quick looks and scoot around, making a sitting place for Julie.

Julie "What do we do?"

Sissy "Hold hands and then I hum for a while. Then Sally hums and then you hum when she is done. Then we do the blood pact dance."

Sally and Sissy each take Julie's hand and Sissy starts to hum again.

Sissy "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, oweeeeeeeeeeeee."

Sally "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, oweeeeeeeeeeeee."

Julie "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, oweeeeeeeeeeeee."

Sally and Sissy get up pulling Julie up with them, they circle dance to the left then circle dance to the right, stop and all sit down. Sissy picks up the penknife and sticks her ring finger hard, it bleeds a little. Sissy hands the penknife to Sally. Sally sticks her ring finger hard and it bleeds. She hands the penknife to Julie who has been watching the whole thing with her mouth open. Julie takes the penknife, but just sits there staring at it.

Julie "I think this is silly, I don't want to play anymore. I'm going to bed."

Sally "Okay Julie, it's only a game anyway."

Sally and Sissy touch each others bloody fingers together and both hum.

Sally "Julie do you want to come with us tomorrow and play with Bobby's train?"

Julie "No, I'm going to help Marie get ready for my party."

Sally looks at Sissy, both frown.

End scene.

Scene II

At Bobby's tool room next to his train room. Sally, Sissy, Bobby, George, and Greg.

Bobby "Hi Sally and Sissy, this is George's brother Greg. He is going to help us put this new flashlight set together that George got for Christmas last year."

Greg "Yes, I learned how to do these light toys at school. It is very important that they are put together right or they won't WORK."

Greg begins to put the toy set together. Everyone watches.

Sissy "I want to play with the train Bobby."

Bobby "Oh okay, you two come in the train room with me. I'll show you where the switches are."

Exit Sally, Sissy, Bobby into the train room.

Sally "We found something important about Julie last night. We each pricked our fingers to make them bleed, but Julie wouldn't do it."

Sissy "I don't think she could. I watched her close, she was in a daze. Like when you did that mag-toy before she danced, she looked just like that when she was holding the penknife."

Sally "I don't think that she could hurt herself either, even after she saw us do it as part of our game. It was her turn and she wouldn't do it. And she didn't remember that we did the blood pact before."

Bobby "Well now we have another way to identify these android machines, they won't or can't hurt themselves. Remember girls, we think Greg is one too. So keep on your toes and just play dumb like us."

Enter Greg holding a large flashlight. George follows him. Sissy pushes train whistle. Train goes 'oweeeeee'. Sally jumps up and down. Bobby puts on his train hat.

Greg "I got the light all put together for you."

Bobby "Thanks Greg, set it over there on the table, we are going to play train now. You guys can be next to do the whistle switch."

George "Good. I really like playing train."

Greg "No, not me I'm going to read my school books, bye."

Chorus "Bye Greg."

Exit Greg.

Bobby goes over to the flashlight and begins to take it apart. George goes to the closet and brings out another game toy.

Sally "What are you two doing now?"

George "I think we can make a reverse magnetizing light ray by modifying this flashlight circuitry with this other Magnetic Creation toy of Bobby's."

Sissy "If it works what will it do to the androids?"

George "I'm not to sure. We weren't sure what the modifications of the first Magnetic Creation toy would do, but we got the mag-toy from it. We hope by aiming a magnetized light beam into an androids' eyes then reversing the rays' polarity, we might get some strange effect on the androids' eyes. Like maybe it won't be able to see anymore."

Sally "You can't poison a machine you silly nilly."

Bobby "Cool it Sissy, we haven't thought anything farfetched yet. We tried poison and electrocution, and even acid on Greg, but nothing hurt him. George almost had to go to Like-a-Machine School after he tripped the maid into the swimming pool."

Sally "The School just for that?"

George "Well mainly for throwing a running fan in the pool after her. All that did was blow the house fuses."

Bobby "Here. I think this is adjusted to where it might work."

Bobby holds the flashlight above everyone's head.

End scene.

Scene III

Dining room. Sissy, Sally, George, Greg, Bobby sitting around the table watching Julie open her presents. A cake the shape of a nine at small table being cut by Marie and Charlie pouring drinks in small cups.

Sissy "Open mine Julie, open mine, I know you'll like it."

Julie "No, I want to see what Greg brought me."

Julie opens present and pulls out a book.

Sally "What's the book about Julie?"

Sissy "Do mine next Julie."

Julie "No, I want to see Bobby's next, it is my party remember you doe, doe."

Julie drops the book on the floor. She opens the next box and takes out Bobby's new flashlight. She flips the switch. The light comes on pointed at the ceiling; she points the light at Bobby.

Bobby "See how pretty the light is."

Julie swings the light around the room hitting Greg and Charlie in the eyes. She looks in the light and drops it on the table. Bobby picks up the light and shines it into Marie's eyes.

Julie "I can't seem to see very good, something is wrong with my eyes.

Greg "Mine too."

Marie "Mine too."

Charlie "Mine too."

Everyone else is smiling.

 Sally "It worked, but what do we do now?"

Bobby "Marie go help Charlie. Charlie go help Marie."

Marie and Charlie turn towards each other and walk straight into each other, and wrap their open arms around each with their mouths open they are stuck together like statues.

Bobby "Greg go help Julie, Julie go help Greg."

They too turn toward each other and get stuck with open mouths together and arms wrapped around each other too.

Sally "Yay, yay we beat them."

Sissy "Cover them up and nobody touch them ever."

Sally gets some sheets out of a drawer and gives one to Bobby and one to George. They cover up Marie and Charlie and Julie and Greg.

Enter Henry and June.

Henry "Where is Julie, what's going on here?"

Sissy "Sit down mom and dad, you've got a lot to learn and we've got a lot to do."

Sally, Sissy, George, and Bobby hold hands and dance circle to the left around the flashlight.

### the end. Fall 1980

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