A Man Builds

By: Jordan Giffin

 CHARACTERS

JACK: An average, yet hardworking man. Dressed in a simple

button-down dress shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. Speaks in a
Transatlantic accent.

ENSEMBLE: Any number of non-descript people, there should be no

indication of individual personality among them. They often operate
as stagehands and are never seen by Jack, even when they are right
in front of him.

SETTING

A nearly empty, nondescript office with three plain walls. There

should be no (visible) entrance or exit and no indication that the
outside world does or does not exist.

TIME

Time?
 ACT [1]

SCENE [1]

(Setting: JACK sits at a plain looking desk

with a lot of drawers in a plain,
uncomfortable looking office chair in the
middle of a near black stage wearing a
simple button down dress shirt, slacks,and
dress shoes. There are two large chests
"filled" with gold coins sitting on either
side of the desk, various coins have
spilled out onto the floor, looking not
unlike two overflowing treasure chests.)

(At "rise": JACK hears the chime of a

clock, gets up from the desk, and pulls a
small, modern money box out of one of the
chests and places it on the desk. He pours
gold coins out of the box onto the desk and
begins looking through them individually,
inspecting coins that look exactly the
same for "differences" and sorting them
into piles that are intentional, yet
seemingly random. The room is dim, yet
warm.)

JACK
(counting coins as he places them on piles) One. Two. Three.
Four. (to self) I declare a thumb war. (chuckles) Five. Six.
Seven. Eight. Pray the Lord my soul to take. (confused) Wait.
That's not right. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. (pause, mouths
thirteen) Fourteen. Fifteen. Count the coins.Up, up, up, up. I
am sixteen going on seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty.
Count the coins. One by one by Twenty-one. Twenty-Two.
Twenty-Three. Twenty-four hours a day. Just counting gold.
Sorting gold coins. Twenty-five. Twenty-six. Go get a crucifix.
Ha, don't think I actually need one of those. Twenty-seven.
Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty, flirty, and thriving. Where
would that be from? Hm.
 (JACK finishes sorting through that box and goes
to grab another small box but trips on the corner
of the desk, accidentally knocking all of the
stacked coins onto the floor.)

(CONTINUED)
Shoot! Guess I have to start again.

(JACK gathers the coins off the floor, sweeping

some of the others that had spilled out of the
chest in with the ones from the small box. He
begins to sort them again, faster, and without
counting--this time sitting on the floor.)

(CONTINUED)
Stupid Jack! Stupid clumsy Jack can't even sort coins correctly.
This always happens. Just when I make a little bit of a dent.
Something goes wrong. Three for the big man. One for the small.
One for the middle man--the one who trades it all. Four for smart
man. Two for the dumb. One for the man who sits drinking all the
rum. I want some rum or maybe some whiskey or maybe a bottle of
wine. No, that's a woman's drink like a cider or peach juice.
Finish counting the coins, Jack. And then you can go to the bar.
Maybe meet a girl or two. Wait. Someone might still be sitting
at home waiting for you. It's only been, (checks watch) shoot!
It's been about fifteen (pause, counting) years. Who would be
waiting for you? (pause, thinking) I can't remember.

(JACK looks around like he's looking for a door,

confused.)

(CONTINUED)
(shrugs) I'll leave when the work is done. When the work is done
I'll leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave when the work is done.
Leave. Leave. Leave. Leaf. I wonder if it's Fall. Or Autumn. I
always liked the word Autumn. Think I'll name my daughter that.
(pause) One day.

(JACK looks at one of the coins intently, as if

he's noticing something off about it. It is
important that there is nothing visibly
different about this coin. He considers where to
 put it, comparing it to the coins on each pile
and not finding a match.)

(CONTINUED)
Ah, an imposter!

(JACK stands up and goes to the desk, opens a

drawer, and pulls out a hammer. He puts the coin
on the desk and start to destroy it with the
hammer. When it is thoroughly crushed, he opens
the drawer, pulls out a jar about a quarter of
the way full with similarly crushed coins. He
drops the crushed coin into the jar and puts it
down on the desk. He then walks back over to the
piles on the floor and continues stacking even
faster than before.)

(CONTINUED)
Ha ha ha, we've taken care of the imposter boys. Only the real
ones now. One, two, three. Always on the lookout, looking for
a fake, can't let a fake into circulation. Seven, eight, nine.
That's how you get fired, Jack. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen. Let
one slip, get a pink slip. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two. Can't
afford food. Can't afford rent. Go have a talk with Hoover, boys,
and pick up your tent.(singing) I've been working on the
railroad, all the live long day. (spoken) Well, I've been
working in the room not on the railroad, I'd have to have seen
a railroad for that. I'd love to see a railroad. Or ride on a
train. Train. Train. Train. Train to ride. Train for the job.
(singing) I've been working on the railroad, just to pass the
time away. (spoken) Eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two. What time
might it be? (checks watch) 8:32?! My, my how the time flies.
(singing) Can't you hear the whistle blowing? Rise up so early
in the morn. (spoken) Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven.
(singing) Can't you hear the whistle blowing. Dinah, blow your
horn. Dinah won't you blow, Dinah won't you blow, Dinah, won't
you blow your horn, Dinah, won't you blow, Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn. Someone's in the kitchen with
Dinah. (spoken) One hundred and thirty, one hundred and
thirty-one. I'd hope someone's in the kitchen, making a pie or
a casserole or some of that fancy souffle. (singing) Someone's
in the kitchen I know.
 (JACK finishes sorting the coins on the floor
and stands up, going to get another container
out of the chests.)

(CONTINUED)
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah, strumming on the old banjo.

(JACK grabs a heavy-looking burlap sack out of

the chest and carries it over to the stacks on
the floor. He dumps the coins onto the floor as
lights begin to fade. He starts to sort through
them, still singing:)

Fee fie fiddle eell o, fee fie fiddle eell o, fee fie fiddle eell
o. Strumming on the old banjo. (spoken) One, two, three...

(Lights dim, but do not go out, as JACK continues

singing I've Been Working on the Railroad over
and over, becoming less enthusiastic and more
trance-like, almost robotic, as the transition
progresses. He continues moving about the stage
to sort the coins. He places them in small stacks
around the entire stage. As he is doing this, an
ensemble dressed in maintenance uniforms enter,
bringing large stacks of coins with them and
expanding on the small stacks that he's made
around the room. JACK should not notice them at
all and the act of organizing the stage should
look choreographed for audience consumption but
should move as quickly as a scene change. When
they finish, JACK sits down at the desk and
sleeps. A stagehand brings out a vest and some
decorative pieces like a pocket watch or rings.
The ensemble puts them on JACK, who doesn't wake
up.)
 ACT [1]

SCENE [2]

(JACK is now asleep at the desk. The coins

are still stacked on the floor so it looks
almost like the inside of an old bank
vault, but the stacks are intentionally
separated from one another with paths to
walk in between. The chests have been
closed and moved to the back of the stage.
In front of the desk where the chests used
to be are two pallets of gold and silver
bars that are all mixed up. The room seems
somehow colder, but no brighter.)

JACK
(mumbling, talking in his sleep) I counted them sir, counted 'em
all. Yes sir. All two hundred and thirty-five million and five
of 'em. I'd like a share sir, not a big share. Just a bit. Just
a bit. Not enough to make a mint. Just few coins, sir. Not even
a thousand. Not even one percent. Just a few. Skim the top. Use
the coins to buy a cow, take the milk to market. The market drives
a good price. Fair price. Good price for milk. Milk for the
family. Build strong bones. Strong bones build strong boys.
Strong boys do strong work. Work in the field, not in the room.
Work on the railroad, not in the room. Strong boys do strong
work. Grow the food, build the city, not work in the room. Work
outside, smell the air, see a lass with pretty hair.

(JACK becomes restless in his sleep, twitching

and shaking his head.)

(CONTINUED)
Oh, no sir! No more coins. Bring me something else, I'll count
it. But no more coins! I've sorted enough. All two hundred an-

(The unseen clock chimes again and JACK

startles awake. He notices the added vest
and decorative pieces and the pallets on
the floor for what seems like the first
time. He fiddles with the rings, stands,
 walks over to the pallets, and tries to
pick up one of the bars, but can't. He taps
the ring he was fiddling with on one of the
bars, making a faint, metallic clanking
sound.)

(CONTINUED)
(confused) No more coins.

(JACK keeps trying to pick up the bars, finding

them too heavy.)

(CONTINUED)
Counting coins for far too long. I could use some milk. (pause,
confused) Why milk? Anyhow, be a strong boy Jack. Pick up the
gold. You can do it. Muscles haven't atrophied, you've just been
working in the room. Pick up the gold, use the bars, build a
foundation.
(JACK rolls up his sleeves and stretches,
preparing to try again.)

(CONTINUED)
Alright, you've got this, pick it up.

(JACK taps his ring on the bars again, making a

quiet beat, then goes to pick up the bar again
and this time he succeeds, just barely. He
struggles, but carries the bar to the piles on
the floor and places it next to one of the piles
like he is laying the foundation for a brick
fence around the stacks. He continues to place
bars, alternating between silver and gold, and
having an easier time lifting them with each
one. Each time he places a brick, he taps on it
twice.)

(CONTINUED)
Pick it up. Pick it up. Pick. It. Up. Pick it up to build the
wall. Build the walls, set up the foundation, be a builder, Jack.
You always wanted to be a builder. Just be sure to count the
bricks--bars. Count the bars. Count the bars. The bars are not
on the wall. No bars on the wall. One. Whew, these are heavy.
No bars on the wall. Not a prison. You can leave, Jack. You can
leave when the work is done. Two. Need stronger muscles, not
bones. Three. Buy the cow, eat the meat, not the milk, build the
muscles, leave the bones. Leave the bones alone. Bones for
structure. On the floor, build the bones for him. Build the
foundation for the big man. Yes, Sir. Build the structure for
the days to come.

(JACK looks up at the ceiling like he's looking

at a security camera.)

(CONTINUED)
Yes, sir. Build the structure. How many more are there Sir?

(He continues placing bars to build the first

layer.)

(CONTINUED)
How many more pieces? Pieces. Pieces of the puzzle. Pieces of
the structure. The wall. The building. Build the building. Build
the street. Build the street. Build the street to walk down the
street. Walk down the street to get to market. The market is
booming. Market drives a good price. Good price driven by gold.
Good price for goods. Goods and services. Paid in gold for
services rendered. Building the wall is a service. Request
payment for services. Yes, Sir. I request payment. Payment for
work.

(JACK looks at the camera again, fearful.)

(CONTINUED)
(skittish) Getting stronger now. Stronger muscles for stronger
work. Stronger work for better pay? Better pay for better food.
The virtue of selfishness. Yes Sir. Selfishness leads to better
life. Yes, Sir, we'll all be selfish. Selfishness and
entrepreneurship.

(Nothing bad happens and JACK begins to relax.

JACK checks the time on his pocket watch.)

(CONTINUED)
Selfishness to buy a better watch. Better watch to tell the time.
4:42. Or Monday at noon. Count the minutes to the end of the day.
The end of the day. Close the market. Don't let the market crash.
Bad crash. Black crash. Black smoke at the train crash. Train
crash. Black crash. No work. No work if train crashes. No work
if the market crashes. Run from the crash. Selfish running. Buy
the cow. Drink the milk. Strengthen the bones. Eat the meat.
Build the muscle. Run from the crash. Only the strong survive
the crash. Yes Sir, I have the strength. The strength to survive.
The strength to thrive. The strength to build the wall. The
street. Build the wall and the street. Think with objectivity.
Think with reason. Think. Think. Think. Think about a reality.
Think of a selfish reality. Lay the foundation for the wall. The
wall and the street. The street to walk down for yourself. For
no one but yourself. No gods. Nope. Never any gods. No gods. No
kings. No gods or kings. Nope. Nope. Nope. No gods. No kings.
Only man. Only man to build the wall. Only a man builds. Only
a man. Not a parasite. Parasites only steal. I'm a man. So I
build. Build the foundation for the wall.

(JACK finishes the first layer of bricks around

the coins and looks confused.)

(CONTINUED)
How to build a wall with no mortar? Hmmm.

(JACK looks back up at the "camera" and shouts)

(CONTINUED)
HELLO? HELLOOOO? Sir? Can you bring me something else please?
Something to keep going with? Keep working with? I'd like to do
good work, good Sir, but I need something else to help me. Wait.
I can keep working, sir. I don't need help. I just need suppli--

(JACK falls to the floor as if he's been

knocked out by some sort of electric shock.
The ensemble, now dressed like
construction workers, bring out a pallet
with stacks of paper money of different
currencies. These stacks should be made of
bills rubber banded together and they
should not be organized by what type of
currency it is or how high the bill is. They
move the chest to the back of the stage. One
ensemble member brings out a nice suit
jacket and puts it on JACK, who is still
unconscious.)
 ACT [1]

SCENE [3]

(JACK wakes up on the floor, confused that

he is now wearing a nice suit jacket over
his vest. He is disoriented. He does not
yet notice the pallet of bills. The light
is colder and a bit crisper.)

JACK
Good lord! How much time have I lost? (checks pocket watch) 9
o'clock! Sleeping on the job. The Big Man should have my head
for this.

(JACK rubs at his neck and looks up at the

"camera", nervous. The unseen clock chimes yet
again. He jumps just a little, like he is
expecting a shock.)

(CONTINUED)
(anxious) Have my head for a job not done. If only I had the
mortar, the mortar to build the wall. I've started the bricks.
I laid them out. I did. I laid them. Yes. Laid them. Laid them
to rest. Rest on the floor. Rest on the floor. On the the floor.
If only I had the materials. (trying to center himself) But I
cannot expect help. Only the weak man needs help. Needs the help
of altruism. Altruism holds death as its ultimate goal. And the
goal is never death its progress. Progress for the sake of
progress. A man builds, a parasite takes. A man builds. A man
build. A man builds. And so I- And so I- And so I- And so I-

(JACK shoots up in panic, and sees the pallet of

bills, he is relieved.)

(CONTINUED)
And so I continue to build.

(JACK picks up one rubber band full of bills and

takes it apart, accidentally scattering the
bills on the floor in the process and cutting
open his hand.)
 (CONTINUED)
Shit! Oh, clumsy me. Clumsy, clumsy, clumsy. Clumsy Jack!

(JACK put pressure on the wound and runs over to

the desk, opens a drawer, pulls out a cloth
bandage, and wraps his hand--looking back at the
"camera" in fear the whole time. It is thick
enough that his movements from here on out
should be awkward. He returns to the bills
spilled on the floor and attempts to pick them
up, sorting them by what type of bill it is. But
the bills keep slipping out of his bandaged hand
and when he tries to catch them, he drops the
bills in his other hand.)

(CONTINUED)
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no.

(JACK drops all of the bills on the ground and

takes a deep breath. There is a frustrated
pause. He then goes back to the desk, opens
another drawer, and pulls out a roll of tape.)

(CONTINUED)
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Nonononononononononononono.

(JACK then goes to sit by the pile of bills. He

picks them up individually and begins taping
them together by the ends, creating a long chain
of currency.)

(CONTINUED)
Sort the bills to pay the bills. Keep the lights on. Keep the
roof from leaking. Keep the pipes from freezing. Freezing.
Freezing. Keep the pipes from freezing. Sort the bills to pay
the bills. Use the rest to buy the pills. Buy the pills to treat
the ills. Treat the ills to stay strong. Stay strong to care for
the children. The children, the children. The children cannot
work. Fair Labor Standards Act--the children cannot work. The
children go to school. Learn to do the math. Do the math to count
the bills. Count the bills to pay the bills. Children are not
strong. Save them. Save them. Save the-
 (JACK looks up at the "camera" fearfully, like
he hopes no one heard him say he wants to save
the children.)

(CONTINUED)
Don't save them altruistically. Altruism holds death as its
ultimate goal. Death is not the goal of children. Do not kill
the children. Do not kill the childhood. Do not kill the
innocence. Do not kill the innocent. Help them. Help them. Help
them for the future. Help them to be strong. Help them to be good.
Help them to be good workers. Help them do good work. Help them
to move forward. Teach them to go forward. (sorting faster)
Teach them to help them. Teach them. Help them. Teach. Help.
Teach. Help. Help. Help. Help. Help for work. Work. Work. Work.
Work. The children should work. Why do children not work? The
Fair Labor Standards Act. The children cannot work. The rules.
The rules. Follow the rules to keep open the doors. Keep open
the doors to smell the fresh air. The Sing a song of sixpence
a pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing. Oh wasn't that
a dainty dish to set before the king? The king was in his counting
house counting out his money. The queen was in the parlour eating
bread and honey. The maid was in the garden hanging out the
clothes,when down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!
Rhymes to help the children learn. Rhymes to pass the time.
Rhymes to help the children learn. Rhymes to pass the time.
Rhymes to help the children learn. I hope to have a daughter.
Have a daughter. Name her Autumn. Yes. Name a daughter Autumn.
Gotta meet a pretty girl and make her an honest woman. Have a
daughter and name her Autumn. But not until the work is done.
Work. Is. Done. Done. Done. Done. Done.

(JACK then goes to pick up another pack of bills

and takes off the rubber band and is pleasantly
surprised and confused to find that they are
already taped together. Before laying another
layer of paper currency, he places another line
of bars on top of the taped down bills. He then
tapes down another layer of bills and begins
layering bar over the top yet again as lights
begin to fade. All the while he is humming 'I've
Been Working on the Railroad' over and over,
becoming more and more trance-like yet again.
The ensemble enters yet again, this time dressed
like waiters in a five-star restaurant or
perhaps butlers. In another choreographed
sequence of movements, they "build" waist-high
walls out of the bars and paper currency to
surround the stacks of coins, almost like a
buildings framing a network of streets. JACK
still does not notice them and when the work is
close to finished, they move the pallets to the
back of the stage and bring in two filing
cabinets and a fedora with credit card sticking
out of the side like it’s a feather and exit
smoothly.)
 ACT [1]

SCENE [4]

(JACK is still stacking bars and laying

lines of paper bills as lights gradually
come back up, brighter and even colder.
JACK should seem cold throughout the
scene. The unseen clock chimes again and he
looks exhausted, but finally finishes. He
turns back to the desk to go rest and finds
the filing cabinets sitting on either side
of the desk. JACK picks up the hat,
inspects it, and puts it on without much
consideration. He then goes to the filing
cabinet, opens the top drawer, and reaches
inside--pulling out a handful of credit or
debit cards.)

JACK
Build the street? Lay the bricks. Maybe? (looks up at the
"camera") Lay the bricks to build the street? I thought we were
done. I thought we were done. When are we going to be done? Am
I done? Done. Done. Done. Done.

(The unseen clock chimes again. Despite using

the same chime, this one should seem more
urgent, almost frustrated. JACK'S resolve
weakens and he starts taking handful upon
handful of credit cards out of the drawers of the
filing cabinet and tossing them on the floor
haphazardly. He then begins laying them out side
by side like paving bricks in between the
"walls".)

(CONTINUED)
Fine. A man builds. A man. A man. Not a parasite. Work for bread.
Work for shelter. Don't expect a handout. It'll all trickle
down. What's the point in having something if its free? What's
it worth. What's it worth? Worth. Worth. Worth. Worth. Worth,
work, worth, work. Worth determined by work. Have to keep work.
Let it slip, get a pink slip. No work, no pay, no work no pay.
 (JACK begins to lay cards on the ground faster.)

(CONTINUED)
No work, no pay. No work, no pay. Must pay. Must pay. Must play.
Must pay. Must pay to play. Must pay to play. Must pay to play.
Must play to win. Win. Win. Win. All I do is win. All I want is
win. Win for man. Win for me. Not a win for gods or kings. No
gods. No kings. No gods. No kings.

(JACK works even faster, no longer caring about

being precise.)

(CONTINUED)
Must work. Must work. If you're not with us you're against us.
Every man is free to rise. Every man is free to rise. Rise. Rise.
Rise. Rise. Every man is free to rise as far as he's able. As
far as he's able. Able. Able. Able. As far as he's willing. As
far as he is willing. Willing. As far as he thinks he can. Thinks
he can. Thinks he can. Thinks. Can. Can. Can. Can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. Yes Sir, I think
I can. I think I can. I think I can I think I can. I think I can.

(JACK moves almost frantically now, laying

cards with little to no accuracy.)

(CONTINUED)
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I
think I can. I think I can. I can. I can. I can. I can. Can. Can.
Can. Can. Can can. We can do the cancan. Cancan. But after work.
We can go dancing. After work. After work. We can all go dancing.
Dancing, moving, moving to the music. The music. The music. Who
is making the music. Who has the time to make the music?
(singing) I've been working on the railroad all the live long
day. (spoken) I haven't been working on the railroad. Take me
to the railroad. I want to go to the railroad. Sir, take me to
the railroad. The question isn't...the question isn't...the
question isn't who is going to let me. Are you going to let me
Sir? No. The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is
going to stop. Who is going to stop. Who. Is. Going. To. Stop
me. Stop me. Stop me. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.
Can't stop. Must work. Nothing is going to stop. Nothing is going
to stop. No dancing. No music. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Just
work. All work. All work, no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work,
no play makes Jack a dull boy. Ha, Jack is a dull boy. Dull boys
pay the bills. Pay the bills. Pay the bills. Pay the bills, pay
the rent, use the rest to buy the pills. Buy the pills to cure
the ills. Cure the ills, go back to work. Do it all again. Again.
Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again.
Again. Again. Again. (beat) Again. (beat) Again. (beat) Again.

(There is a long pause, JACK stops placing the

cards for an almost uncomfortable amount of
time. The unseen clock chimes again, at the same
pitch, but this time somehow less frustrated and
more furious.)

(CONTINUED)
(to "camera") FINE!

(JACK starts placing cards again, but this time

it is even faster and more chaotic--almost
manic.)

(CONTINUED)
Keep working. My work. My work. My work, my money. Money is a
tool. Money is a tool. Money is a tool. Tool. Tool. Tool. Tool.
Tool to build a house with. Tool to build a life with. Tool to
build. Tool to build. A man builds. A parasite takes. Are you
a man or a parasite? Are you a man or a parasite? A parasite.
A parasite. A parasite, you say? Stomp it out. Stomp it out.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. STOMP. The end result of altruism is death.
The end result of altruism. The end result of. The end result.
The end. The end. The end. The end.

(JACK breaks and starts breaking the structure,

throwing the bars and coins and cards around the
stage. The destruction should punctuate the
next monologue.)

(CONTINUED)
The end. The end. I'll never see the end. The end of work. The
end of days. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. The only way out is death.
Death or be a parasite. I cannot work. I cannot work. Parasite
or work. The ultimate goal of altruism is death. Altruism is
death. I need death. I need death. I need death. Death. Death.
Death. Death. The end. The end is death. The end. The end. The
end. The end. A man builds. I'm not a man. A man works. A man
works. I. Cannot. Work. Parasite. Parasite. I thought I was. I
thought. I thought. I. I. I. I thought I was a man. A man. A man.
A man builds. Build. Build. Build. Build. Build what? What am
I building? What. Am. I. Building? Build the Wall? Build the
Street? Build the Wall and the Street? (laughs maniacally) Why
would I build a wall. Street. Who is it for? The Big Man? The
little man? The middle man? Why do I build for man? Why do I
build? Build for a future? Build for a daughter? What daughter?
I want to have a daughter. I can’t until the work is done. But
why? Why? Why do I need it? Why do I need to build? Build a wall
or a street? Why do I build? Build in the room. I want to work.
Work on the railroad. Work in the outside. Not in the room. Not
in the room. Not in the room. Get me out of the room. Get out.
Get out. Get me OUT of the room. The end. The end.

(Lights begin to fade as the ensemble enter,

dressed like federal agents and grab JACK. He
fights, but he doesn't see the "agents" or
understand that anyone is actually touching
him.)

(CONTINUED)
Get me out. What is it? What is it? What's happening? What is
happening? What is happening? What. Is. Happening? Help. Help.
Help. Help. I just want to get out. Help. Help. Help. Help. Get
me out. Get me out. Get. Me. Out. Get. Me. OUT.

(The "agents" subdue JACK, who is still unable

to see or recognize them, with some sort of gas
mask. He crumples unceremoniously to the
floor.)

(CONTINUED)
The end. The end. The end. The end. The. End. The. End. End. End.
End. End. End. When? When? When will it? When will it? End, end,
end, end. When. Will. It. When will it end?

(The agents/ensemble rearrange the stage,

barely acknowledging JACK on the floor as
he continues to mumble about "the end."
They almost appear to be laughing at him.
The filing cabinets are moved to the back
of the stage and all of the drawers remain
haphazardly open, the pallets have been
knocked over, and the chests are open as
well. They place rolling carts with
multiple shelves on either side of the desk
with several screens showing different
aspects of the stock market or diagrams
following the price of bitcoin sitting on
them and a tall stack of papers, presumably
bank statements on the center of the desk.)
 ACT [1]

SCENE [5]

(Lights fade up, even brighter and colder

than before. JACK is still in the same spot
as the end of the last scene, but his hat,
jacket, vest, and accessories have been
tossed away and he is curled up in the fetal
position, somewhere between sleeping and
dissociating in the center of the wreckage
from the last scene. The unseen clock
chimes, sounding as it did at the beginning
of the play. JACK either sleeps through it
or ignores it, it is not clear which. There
is a long pause. The chimes ring again,
this time more urgent. JACK doesn't
respond. There is yet another pause. The
chimes ring again, clearly frustrated.
CHRIS twitches, but still doesn't respond.
He begins mumbling in his broken state,
alternating between gibberish and the
occasional money related word. The chimes
ring yet again, this time furious. JACK
begins thrashing.)

JACK
(still out of it) NO! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, NO.

(There is a silence and JACK seems to calm down.

Pause until the silence becomes uncomfortable.
Then the chimes should start again, chaotic and
urgent and repeating incessantly. He finally
gets off the floor.)

(CONTINUED)
FINE! I'M UP! What do you want?!

(JACK looks around the room and sees the pile of

papers and the screens, he looks dejected,
tired, empty even.)
 (CONTINUED)
Fine. (looks at "camera") Is this what you want?

(JACK goes over to the pile of papers and starts

to read through them. There should be no emotion
in his face from here on out.)

(CONTINUED)
Charlotte Hale, two hundred and five dollars, thirty-five
cents. Checking. Elliot Mayfield, three thousand and twelve
dollars. Savings. Jenna Price, twenty thousand five hundred and
sixteen dollars, forty-three cents. Checking. Checking.
Savings. Savings. Checking. Checking. Checking. Checking.
Checking. (looks at "camera") What am I even supposed to do with
these?

(There is no response. No chimes. Nothing. Just

an empty silence.)

(CONTINUED)
Fine.

(JACK goes to look at the screens. Two of the

"agents" come to stand behind the desk, stone
faced. JACK becomes entranced, but his
expression never changes.)

(CONTINUED)
(deadpan) NASDAQ goes up three points. Three points. It's up
three points. Write that down. Write that down. It's up but the
DOW is down. Down. Down. It's still going down. Put that in the
paper. The people need to know! The people. The people. The
people need to know. Need to know. Need to know. Need to know
the DOW is down. Oh! Now it goes up. Goes up. Up. Up. Up. The
NASDAQ stays the same. Same. Same. Same. Same. The price of
bitcoin is $15,524.50.

(JACK moves the rolling carts in front of the

desk, slides the stack of bank statements out of
the way, and sits in the leather chair, still
emotionless. The "agents" move out of his way,
he still does not appear to see them. They watch
 him to make sure he's not going to act out
again.)

(CONTINUED)
The DOW is on the rise. Buy stock. Stock. Stock. Buy low sell
high. Watch the market. Watch the market. Market. Market. Mar-
(pause, speaking more slowly) ket. Markets. Markets rise.
Markets fall. The DOW Jones is up three points. Four points. Up.
Up. Up. Up. The DOW Jones is up four points. Down. Down Down Down.
The NASDAQ is down three hundred points. Hundred points. Hundred
points. Check the S&P. The price of bitcoin is still $15, 524.50.
Check again. Check again. Watch it go. Watch it go. Go and play.
Play the game. Play the game to win. Stock is low, buy. Stock
is high, sell. Watch it go. Watch it go. Watch it go and play.
Play a game. A game can't touch. Can't touch. Just watch. Not
real. Very real. Can't touch. Just watch. Watch. Watch. Watch.
Watch. Watch. Watch. Watch. Watch. Sit. Watch. Sit. Watch. Goes
up. Goes down. Goes up then down. Buy low. Sell high. Buy low.
Sell high. Build a portfolio. Build. Build. Build. Build. Build.
Build. Build. Build. Build. Build. Build. Build. Build. Buil-

(JACK falls silent and freezes, like someone

took out his batteries. The "agents" exit. The
subsequent pause should be long enough to be
uncomfortable. Then the unseen clock chimes
again, normally, and JACK stands, his motions
robotic, and goes over to the mess on the floor.
He begins to silently sort the coins yet again.)

((Blackout.))

END OF PLAY