The Plays
Odysseus 2.0
The Autobiography [sample]
by Charles L. Mee
ODYSSEUS 2.0
I grew up in a little town outside Chicago
where I could walk to the end of the block
and cross the street
and step into the countryside
and keep walking through the fields
past the trees and lakes
crossing the little streams
all the way to Iowa or Nebraska or California
or the south of France or India.
That was my life
when I was growing up.
My formative years.
Anything could happen.
That was my life.
Music.
Odysseus 2.0 turns and sees:
A guy wearing a garbage can upside down
so his head is a yellow glass bowl
in a hole in the bottom of the garbage can
his shins and feet can be seen at bottom
his arms come out the side
and he sings
UHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHN
UHNUHNUHN
EEEEEEEEEEEE
POOH-POOHPOOH-POOHRRRA
slslsl
drrrrroomoom
UHNUHNUHNUHN
aaaaaaaaaatzeen
UEEEE EE EE EE EE
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Rrumpfftilffto?
Bee bee bee bee bee
Zee zee zee zee zee
Pe pe pe pe pe
Pii pii pii pii pii
Poo poo poo poo poooo?
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
[And the poem/song goes on and on.
Here is the whole text of the Kurt Schwitters poem “Ursonate” text:
http://creativegames.org.uk/modules/Art_Technology/Dada/schwitters.htm]
while, a moment later,
as Odysseus 2.0 continues to stand to one side watching—
in fact, he will be on stage for the entire piece,
watching everything that happens—
a decayed rotting beautiful tree stump
from the middle of the woods
is brought in on a little red wagon.
And a guy comes in wearing a crown of flowers
A girl or woman wearing a Viking helmet with two horns
brings in a blue toy car in the shape of a loaf of bread
with six small flashlights in a row,
sticking out the top of the car
that she pulls on a string
Somebody brings in a giant wire insect.
a box of miscellaneous women’s high heeled shoes
with a glass front on the box.
And other such boxes of
tea kettles and house painting brushes
a box of trumpets with a glass front,
a box of monkey wrenches.
A dress mannequin
on a stand with wheels
and hanging from the sides
a pitchfork and a big cane harvesting knife.
A perfect rectangle
made of crushed beer cans.
One big shiny ball
with another one placed on top of it
kind of like a snowman
but pink or orange.
A vast assemblage of
giant red lips
the reins and bit for a horse
blonde hair
a red sweater
etc etc etc.
a kid’s red wagon
with three tv sets attached to poles that stick up from the center of the wagon
a cocktail bar and tv set
on top of a giant, bed-sized pillow
an orange body suit
made of bear’s fur
with a ten foot “tail” coming out the front
and a brightly colored striped tie and white shirt collar at the neck
a pair of black rubber rain boots,
eight feet tall
two stone pedestals
each about three feet tall
one with a rooster on top of it
the other with a chicken on top of it
a baby carriage with wire frames on top of it
holding a boulder
a tower constructed of household furniture—
little chairs and bedsteads and guitars and socks
and women’s high-heeled shoes
a mannequin
with a basketball head
and two little baseball bats for rabbit ears
The garage door opens.
20 people in brightly colored silly swimming suits
with drinks in their hands
sing a raucous song,
joined by the last couple of people who have been
bringing in the mannequins and baby carriage—
and then, after a bit,
one at a time,
and finally everyone,
they put down their drinks
and
dance—
dancing to what might as well be Italian Beach Boys music
it goes on and on and on
happily ecstatically
until they are finally all running around aimlessly
some of them screaming
at the tops of their lungs in joy
and all the others singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
singing and dancing
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground
