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2004 & After
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Characters:FRANK: doctor Victor Frank, thirty plus, formerly a West German
STEIN: Ann Stein, PH.D., his former classmate and former East German
HE: Dr.Stein's male creation
SHE: Dr. Franks's creature
OTTO: the assistant, too old and ugly to have any age or sex
FRANKENSTEIN: baby-monster made from Dr.Stein, Henry, Fritz, and other humans and animals
HENRY: white faced head, well read and skeptical
FRITZ: green faced head, stupid and happy
Other human parts ready to be assembled, sometimes in motion
Easter Weekend of 1991, Research Laboratory/Morgue of St. Lazarus Hospital in Berlin, Germany
ACT I
SCENE 1. Otto brings special blood
SCENE 2. Dr. Frank and Dr. Stein create SHE and HE
SCENE 3. The birth of the monsters
SCENE 4. She and He fall in love again
SCENE 5. SHE and HE fall apart
SCENE 6. Last resurrection and the escapeACT 2
SCENE 1. One day later. Frank loses Dr.Stein and his mind
SCENE 2. The return of She and He
SCENE 3. Otto's confession
SCENE 4. Frankenstein livesONE SET: Bridge in the middle with a stair facing the audience, two wells on each side from which the creatures are lifted. Two screens (first -above) - with diagrams, drawings, like black boards. The display case (DL), at first back facing. Two rolling doctor's chairs, two wheelchairs. The life support system - The Resurrection Machine - under the bridge, monitors, computer like. Lighting instruments are down, visible. Tubes go from The Machine to two crosses - vertical operating table which go up and down through the traps. Other stage equipment as a lab background.
WRITER'S NOTE: "If you have a weak heart and cannot stand intense excitement or even shock, we are advising you NOT to see this production." That was Universal advertisement for the original FRANKENSTEIN in 1931. That was the time when they knew nothing about the cybernetic revolution, the implantation of artificial hearts, the experiments in freezing bodies in preparation for a hypothetical future life. They knew nothing about test-tube babies, genetic engineering, right to die and right to live...
Frankenstein was a science fiction. In 1816 for 19-year-old Mary Shelley it was a "gothic mystery." For my children Frankenstein is a part of modern mythological landscape. Each week we see a new variation of the Frankenstein theme; Frankenstein is the king of the horror genre.
"The Modern Prometheus" was the subtitle of the novel. Prometheus, the great benefactor of the human race, according to the Greeks, turned into a creator of the monster. "Man-made Man"is a paradox as much as "god-made God". Naturally the monster assumes the name of his creator: Frankenstein is me. Frankenstein is us, who came to life unaware of our own nature and full of loneliness. "Who was I? What am I? Whence did I come? What is my destination?" I ask those question every day. I too am created by society, and my persona was put together through constant schooling, year after year, day after day, hour after hour... I am this monster, with the fears of people and myself. I am my own creator as well. Who am I? What is my destination? "It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn... whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me." Yes, we have weak hearts, but we live through intense excitement and the shock of modern life.
Life? Did you say "life", Herr Frankenstein?
WHEN MAN CREATES MAN, MAN AND WOMAN DIESYNOPSIS
After the reunification of the two Germanies, two research institutes have merged; Dr.Frank from West Berlin and Dr. Stein from East Berlin meet a second time since their time together at NYU Medical School. They both have created human life; now Herr Frank's "SHE" and Frau Stein's "HE" met - and fell in love. Doctors undo them to make their creatures depended on them; Frank taught "She" that She is his wife, Stein educated "He" that He is her husband. The scientists redo their perfect partners not once, not twice - but they can't control the creatures' personalities after the reanimation. April the First was the dead line for the Doctors to make their experiment public or lose funding and move out of the research lab.
Otto, the assistant, was send to bring special blood for the last Easter night resurrection.
Scene two; doctors fight, Stein wants to destroy the creatures. Frank confesses that he put his mother's brain in She. ...
Scene three; the resurrection.
Scene four; She and He recall that they were in love before and go into comas. Frank learns that Stein's monster killed her parents and Stein used their bodies for redesigned He.
Scene five; SHE and HE re-animate the heads and learn that the doctors re-working their own bodies many times. Revolt. Doctors promise them future, planning to re-do SHE and HE again.
Scene six: open resurrection - Stein's father comes alive within HE and Frank's mother - in SHE. Otto takes away mad creations and lets them escape.Act 2, scene 1; mad Frank makes a new creature out of left-over parts (heads - Henry and Fritz). Stein, who saw SHE and HE, comes to stop Frank, shoots at him, leaves. Frank's new idea of super-creature "Frankenstein".
Scene 2; SHE and HE, aged and deformed, come back. They remember nothing, asking for a baby. Frank refuses. SHE and HE kill themselves. Otto brings Stein's body, who throw herself from the window. Frank uses all of them for his baby-Frankenstein.
Scene 3; Otto wants to be a part of Frankenstein too.
Scene 4; Frank plugs to Frankenstein. Frankenstein feels pregnant, dies in self-destruction. Otto connects himself to dying Frankenstein.DIRECTOR'S NOTES FOR HIMSELF
STEIN's character - she is a victim, who became a creator, powered and free. HE has two personalities; one is like Dr.Frank, another is the opposite - aggressive and violent (Stein's father). SHE is a daughter, and a mother.
OTTO is very old and therefore like a child, always tarts moving in wrong direction.
FRANK is a story of madness, step by step.
HENRY doesn't want to live, FRITZ does, but both are in one.
Not a science fiction story, no science. Horror melodrama? Maybe - mystery? Realism, even naturalism! Physical and psychological. Like Ibsen or Chekhov. Very serious. Comedy only after Terror, black and white, graphic, gothic, contrast.
The audience is Frankenstein, the future creature, the voices, danger, visions, ghosts. Style - expressionism, dream of dreams. Dreams are presented visually on 3rd "bridge screen", the middle one. Frankenstein is the myth for the future, a true modern myth. Documentary attitude without losing a comedy. Monsters are within all of them; and they take over, making each character and victim and valiant at the same time. Extremes in characterization of those two identities. OH, ENOUGH OF INTRODUCTIONS!
ACT ONE SCENE 1
Stage's dark. Sounds of "Life Machine" - heartbeat and breathing. Otto moves through the public with camera, flash light, stethoscope, carrying a plastic bag with florescent blood, cursing in German.OTTO Ruhe! Ruhig! One day they bring in hundreds, other days - nothing. There is no planning, no thought. There was more order in the war time. True, not much of a variety, mostly men, naturally. But always fresh bodies, in their prime! No diseases, no surprises. Nowadays one gets the body, delivers it to the lab, my doctors open it, what the hell, kidney, or liver, lets say, is missing, or even worse - an artificial heart in it, instead of a real one! Is it my fault? Or, another example - blood, bone, skin cancers - what would you like me to do? How can I provide quality flesh, if everybody is sick one way or another! Should I go back to the graveyard digging like in the old days? Collecting decomposed cadavers? Thank you very much! (To somebody in the 1st row) What is your number, dead fellow? OO6O. Eins, zwe, drei! (Writes. Takes Polaroid picture) And on top of everything else I'm supposed to make sure that the relatives don't notice anything. Ha! So you take the body to the shop, I mean to the lab, take out whatever is reusable, and carry it back to the morgue. I don't have any assistants, I am myself an administrative assistant with no help whatsoever! (To another spectator)Excuse me, do you wear contact lenses? (Checks with light) Good. Number 0061. Eins, zwei, drei! (Takes his picture) You see, first, I have to show them the material, and get an approval. I am not stealing. We are recycling the human waste. Business of the future. (Sound of the beeper) Oh, Mein Gott! The experiment! Bring them, you see, fresh blood, and at a moment's notice! So they will torture kids again and again! So what if they come out a little bit strange? Who isn't strange? Everything depends on education, not on blood! It's good German animal blood, no preservatives! Give me funds for a human blood or take what I got! Otto isn't God! (Cursing in German, exits. Church bells ring before the midnight service on Good Friday)
SCENE 2
FRANK and Stein come in, helping each other to put on their surgical robes. STEIN I didn't ask for reunification with you, Frank. That was not ours but Germany's fate. Our academy of science disappeared and they sent me here, so lets be civilized, remembering that we both hate each other. Do you hate me, Victor? FRANK I hate you. STEIN I hate you too. I hate you from the moment I saw you again after twelve years. FRANK Ten. I am too, I am hating you more and more every day. STEIN Ten years since I saw you last time. Twelve since we met. Good. This will prevent us from any emotional involvement, confessions and questions. Did you think about me, Frank? FRANK No, I didn't want to be hurt. I had enough. More then enough! Just memory of your body drove me crazy for years. STEIN But not anymore, Frank? Not me, Victor. I've blocked out everything, zero past, no recalls; dead. FRANK Good. You have HIM, your perfect beast of the future... STEIN Yes, and you have yours ultimate bitch of the past. FRANK How did I fall in love with you then? How can anybody be in love with you? STEIN How could you know? You have no idea what love is! FRANK And what do you think this made out of? Otto! Up! (SHE is lifted from the underground) FRANK Born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of God, but of man... (Takes off the sheet which covers SHE, her body is open)) STEIN Man? All right! Otto! Raise! Raise the Man! (HE is lifted up from the underground) Not Man, Frank! But Woman! I did it! I, Ann Stein, made him, I made the Man... (Takes the cover from HE. HE's scalp is open) FRANK No, Otto! Get this monster out of here! A vegetable! An animal! A jerk! Man? Man is the brains! He has none! Otto! My heart! STEIN And the Word was made flesh? (Points at SHE) Is that a flesh? It's a joke! FRANK And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth! STEIN Amen. Hallelujah. Otto! My brain! FRANK Do you believe in resurrection, Doctor? STEIN No, doctor. I am a doctor. FRANK I gave her your name - Anna. STEIN Thanks. I am Ann, not Anna. (OTTO brings HE's brain to STEIN) FRANK You don't know what you are, Fraulein Anna. STEIN I know that I am not dead yet to be resurrected. FRANK How do you know? How do you know that you are not dead? I am. (OTTO exits) FRANK (Continued) I was dead many times. I was a boy... It was another life, full of dreams and promises... I was waiting for my life, and the waiting was the life. The best one. My life. Where is this boy, doctor? He died. I killed him... STEIN Victor, we made a deal. I want to be done with this and move on... FRANK What did you say? Move on? Move on to what? What else is left to move on to? STEIN I want them to see the experiment. They will throw us out of here on Monday! We have to show them the results. Today is Friday, Frank! There will be no more funds! I want to stop this madness! I want it out of my hands! I want them to be finished or destroyed! FRANK Oh, to stop!? Stop the time, the light, the thought! There is no logic in your madness, Frau Anna. Finished or destroyed! You are not a scientist, doctor Stein. (About HE) Yes, he is nice looking. Is he in love with you? What does the Demon call you when two of you make love? STEIN What does your girl call you? Victor? Vic? Father? God? Master? FRANK (Looks at HE) Wait. Did you see it? STEIN What? FRANK They move. STEIN No, they don't. FRANK Watch! You see, you see! STEIN You are tired, Victor. They are killing us! FRANK They do! When you don't watch them, he moves. He smiles. STEIN Close your eyes. Do you see them? FRANK Yes. I see her. I hear them singing. STEIN You didn't sleep last night. And the night before! FRANK Did you change his eyes? STEIN What's the matter, Victor? FRANK I feel as if I know him. As if I've seen him before... STEIN No, the body came from a Russian military hospital. FRANK A suicide? STEIN The bullet came in from here. I had to replace... the brain... FRANK What else? STEIN Frank, you saw the documentation. What are you asking? FRANK Did you write everything in? STEIN Did you? FRANK No. STEIN I did. FRANK (Drinks) I made her sterile. STEIN Bastard! Why didn't you kill her? Where is your "be fruitful, and multiply"? Or is it only in your image and likeness? FRANK That's right. God doesn't multiply! STEIN I don't believe you, Frank. Who is she? FRANK You. (STEIN slaps FRANK, he drops his champaign glass) STEIN Why did you do this to her? FRANK Because I am not stupid like our father in Heaven. Where did you get his brains? Who was he before? STEIN What did you do? I need to know before the re-animation! What else didn't you write in? Answer me! FRANK (Hugs SHE) I loved her. She was the only one who ever loved me... STEIN Son of a bitch! FRANK It's only natural. She was the single close soul I ever knew! STEIN Are you happy now? FRANK She doesn't remember anything... STEIN (Examines SHE) When did she die? It was so long ago, Victor... FRANK I saved her. She was young, she was only forty two... STEIN (Drinks) Otto! Take them both down! FRANK No! I hadn't see her since I was twelve. They locked her up... she wasn't insane... Never. I was her only child... STEIN Is that why you dropped out of school? FRANK They kicked me out! Stupid Americans! They are stupid, they are even more stupid than Germans! And you, you betrayed me! We worked together... STEIN You left me, remember? You did... You are a sick man, Victor. How can you sleep with her? FRANK None of your business! You don't understand! She is a different person! She is not her. STEIN All right, it is not my business that you are sleeping with your mother. Or whatever she is! You are not a man, not a human. You know what, Frank, you cannot stand that I could repeat your experiment... FRANK Your electro-shock method is ridiculous. STEIN Your chemo-shock is totally outdated! You are jealous, Frank! You are! Why don't you say so! How don't you understand that anybody could do it now? Anybody! It is a matter of time when they all will do it - Americans, Japanese, Russians! Victor! Open your eyes! Look at me! FRANK I don't want to be remembered as the creator of a monster. She is not a monster. She wasn't! Yes, it's not a discovery. Yes, it is just technology. Yes, wrong century, wrong everything. Baron Victor Fon Frank doesn't belong here. Yes, I don't like life, Ann! I never did! Life is overrated! Life, life! What else would they say? What choice do we have? Of course you would talk yourself into loving life. Yes, I didn't create life, but I ended life! I made it meaningless, I took away its mystery, I won! STEIN (Takes her robe off) Otto! Turn off the power! Take a rest, Frank, we won't do this tonight... You should have told me then about your mother. You could have trusted me then... FRANK You were the East German spy... STEIN Not a spy. I was from the East. FRANK You still are. Now you spy on yourself. (About HE) Did you at least give him a German heart? STEIN He doesn't have a nationality. I made him in our image and likeness. You see, you never liked life, and I never liked myself. (Music comes. Stops. Comes again. FRANK conducts the invisible orchestra) FRANK Listen! Here comes Siegfried! (There is no music. SHE and HE go down) FRANK (In his world) Give back the ring! The ring! STEIN Otto! (Drinks again) Take him away too! FRANK ...And he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made... OTTO He'll be back, doctor Anna. We'll be back... (OTTO takes FRANK away) (STEIN is alone. Wagner's music comes. STEIN conducts this invisible orchestra. Phone rings. Music stops. She stops. On both screens come out stained glass pictures - Mary with the child, Christ, Adam, Eve. Answering machine:"You have reached the Research Laboratory of the St.Lazarus Hospital. Accepting messages for professor Frank and professor Stein. Leave your name and number after the tone". After the tone comes a child's crying)
SCENE
Both screens are down, the shadows of the doctors and OTTO running back and forth. Sounds of the Resurrection Machine, light, smoke, doctors' commands. Lights go off and on, the screens move, the heart beat and the breathing sounds, the sirens. Suddenly - man's and woman's cry. The sirens are off. Silence. Dr. Stein and Dr. Frank come out from behind of the screens, take off their gloves, their plastic robes, give them to OTTO. OTTO They live! Thank you! ( Kisses FRANK's and STEIN's hands) FRANK And flesh was made the Word... Amen. (Exits right) STEIN Watch them! Watch! (Exits left) OTTO (Sings) All my little ducks/ Are swimming on the lake/ Their little heads are in the water/ Their little tails are in the air... (Exit) The clock strikes again. Bells. Lights out. Heart beat and breathing sounds fading away. A jazz melody.
SCENE
HE and SHE are in wheelchairs, which look like electric chairs. They play puzzles. Doctors are behind the screens, shadows, appearing and disappearing. Screen is down. SHE Do you like it? HE Yes, I like it. I like it much. SHE Did you write this music? HE Me? I don't know. I was in a bad accident. SHE Accident? Me too. My husband is a doctor. Are you a doctor? HE Yes, my wife is a doctor too. SHE Yes,her name is Ann. Almost like mine; I am Anna and she is Ann. HE My last name is Stein. Like hers. SHE Mine is Frank. Like my husbands's last name. Anna Frank. I know your name! HE I know my name too. SHE You are Victor Stein! HE Yes. (About the puzzles) I like this game. SHE Do you know why? HE What? SHE Why husband and wife have the same last name? HE Yes. No. Why? SHE You don't know or you do not remember? HE Yes. (About the puzzles) How the picture will look at the end? SHE Like Frankenstein. You know, the monster. Don't you remember? HE I was in a coma. SHE (Helps HE) Red goes to red, black to black. I know everything about you. Ask me anything about you. HE I don't want to. SHE I like your name. HE I don't like names. SHE What is my name? HE I know your name. SHE What is my name, Vic? Say it! HE No. Red likes red, black likes black... SHE Why not? HE I told you! I don't know! You are not her, you should have some other name. You are different. SHE Do you like her? HE She is my wife. She loves me. SHE He loves me too. My husband loves me. HE I like your voice. SHE Thank you. HE Why did you say that? SHE You say "thank you" if somebody says something nice to you. HE Yes, I remember now. Thank you. SHE You're welcome. HE I like talking to you. SHE Thank you. HE Welcome. SHE Do you remember me from before? HE Maybe. I don't remember myself. SHE I remember something, some pictures. I remember when my husband was a little boy and I was holding him in my arms. I think I am very old. How old are you? HE I don't know. What do you think? SHE You are young. Like my husband doctor Frank. His name is Victor Frank. Victor - like you. HE I don't like it. I like it when you call me "you". SHE Do you remember your face, Mr. Stein? I don't remember mine. HE Why did you say "mister"? SHE Because men are "misters" or "gentlemen"... Men are different from women. HE I don't like it. I don't like when Otto calls me "sir". SHE He calls me "Ms." and I like him. HE I like him too. I like everybody. I like you. (Places the puzzles) Red meets red. You look like my wife. SHE She is beautiful... HE Yes, I remember! I remember from before! I remember you and me! SHE Before you died? Before the accident? HE No, it was here, in the hospital. You, we did this, like this... (Kisses SHE. Music stops) SHE I don't remember this... I don't remember kissing you. It's your imagination, Mr. Stein. Understand? When you imagine things. Imagination is not for real... HE It was real. I was here, in this room. We talked, we kissed each other... when something happened, and I died again. I remember him! (Throws the puzzles) I remember Frankenstein!.. SHE My husband loves me... HE No, you said to me - "I love you"- you said it to me many times! SHE Look! There is blood on you. (Points to his face) There was blood on you then... HE What is your name? What is your real name? SHE Anna... Blood is so red. HE No! Your own name! SHE I don't know. I don't remember... HE No! No! Get me out of here! He is here! (OTTO steps out from behind the screen) SHE Who? HE Him! Them! Look! They are there! (Points at the audience) They are watching us. The others! SHE There is no one over there. Just darkness. You imagine things... HE Listen... Do you hear? They breathe. Many of them. I see their eyes. SHE (Notices the audience) Are they alive? Their eyes are open. They are waiting. Are they waiting for life? HE Don't look at me! You! SHE Don't wake them up. Let them sleep. HE They are dead. They are dead who are alive. Like us! Turn off the lights! Turn them off! SHE The lights are off... (FRANK and STEIN come out from behind the screens) HE Lights off! Off! Off! Mother! (HE breaks from his chair. He is bleeding) SHE You broke away from your chair! You broke this chair! There was so much blood everywhere. You did it before! You did it last time! I remember! Help! Help him! (FRANK, STEIN, OTTO rush to HE) STEIN Hold him! Injection! Take her away! HE I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you! Eve? Who is here? SHE Don't kill him! Adam! ( OTTO takes SHE away) FRANK He is bleeding. His eyes are turning yellow. HE She had a tiny scar on her temple... when she smiled I can see it... only when she smiled... FRANK What is he talking about? Ann? STEIN I don't know! (To HE) Victor, do you hear me? This is me, Ann! HE When did you get this? When did you get this scar? FRANK Damn it! Here it comes again! HE I hate your parents, they should take better care of such pretty girl. You should not have it. She went through the windshield, through the glass... She was there in the grass and she had no face. There was no face, no scar on her temple anymore.... STEIN What was her name? HE Who am I? FRANK What do you see in the mirror? HE I see a face. No, not a face, something that was a somebody's face. He is looking at me with eyes full of horror. He doesn't talk, just stares at me, and cries.. STEIN He remembers her. I had cleaned his memory, he cannot remember her, remember this kiss. He should not... FRANK You mean he was in a coma? STEIN I don't operate on live bodies! FRANK You don't have to kill him every time you want to change something... STEIN I kill nobody! I work! You cannot kill something that wasn't born! HE I don't know myself. I am lost. FRANK You don't love him, Ann. STEIN Don't tell me that you love her! You love nobody! HE I am afraid. Mother! Don't leave me! STEIN Here, I am here. Give your hand... HE Thank you. Are you the same? Anna? STEIN Please! You are hurting me. (Tries to free her hand) Victor! Please! FRANK (Helps STEIN) He is strong. He'll crush your bones. (Hits HE) Let her go! Otto! STEIN Otto! Help! My hand! HE Don't go away! I cannot be alone! FRANK Stop it, Victor! Stop it! You, monster! Idiot! (Hits HE) Otto! Help! OTTO (Runs in) Baby! It's me! Otto! Vic! (Holds HE) Here is my hand, take it! HE Otto! I feel as if I were not here. As if I were not myself... FRANK (Holds STEIN) She fainted. He almost broke her hand... HE What is my name? I forgot it again! FRANK Take him away, Otto. Put him to sleep. OTTO (Rolls the chair with HE away ) I will sing you a song, boy. Otto is with you... STEIN (About HE) He gets violent from time to time... (FRANK lifts STEIN's dress, sees the dark marks on her leg, touches the bruises) STEIN It's not him. He is not himself when he remembers the past... FRANK What happened to your parents, Ann? STEIN You know, they died. FRANK How did they die? STEIN I told you, Frank, they died in the fire. Both of them. In our house... FRANK Did you set your house on fire? STEIN What are you saying, Frank? FRANK Did he kill them? STEIN No! Why do you say that? Victor! FRANK He killed them and you burned the house. You worked for the Stasi, Ann. They covered for you. He killed your parents and you are killing him every time he lives enough to get a sense of life. You hate him, Ann. STEIN No. I hate you. FRANK You hate him and me. And you hate yourself. STEIN I killed myself, Victor. First, you killed me, then - he did, and finally, I did it myself. I am dead many times over, Frank. You and I are dead. We are more dead than them. There is no life left in me, not a drop of life. Not even for ending this torture... You can't, there is no finish line, Victor. We are cursed to do it over and over again... FRANK (With SHE. Music) I saw you... in the bloom of health, walking on Fridrichstrasse... STEIN Victor, you need help. FRANK (Continued) ...Delighted and surprised, I embraced her... STEIN Good night, Frank. FRANK ... But as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death... STEIN I cannot help you, Victor. Not anymore. FRANK ... Her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms... STEIN I cannot help myself, Frank. There is no help for you or me. FRANK ...A shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel... STEIN I cannot see this, Victor. I cannot stay! (TV turns on with a video demonstration of the operation. HE is on the screen. Stein's voice-over: "Half as thick as real blood, the artificial stuff is used to supply oxygen to certain tissues during operations to unclog blood vessels...")
SCENE
OTTO, HE, SHE and the box with Human Parts - Heads, Legs, Arms. They sing the German children song "Ducks": "Alle meine Entchen/ Schwimmen auf dem See/ Kopfghen in das Wasser/ Schwanzchen in die Hoh!" SHE Otto, what is his name? (Points at "Henry") OTTO His name? A head. The number is on the back. SHE What about the other head? OTTO Head number two. HE I like them. Do they sleep now? OTTO Yes, they are dead. At this very moment they are off. SHE They are friends - Henry and Fritz. HE I think they are relatives; both of them are without legs. SHE They are brothers and good friends. Otto, why don't we glue them together? You got so many legs and arms... OTTO No, no, only doctors can do it; you are not supposed to see them. Put it back, girl. HE We are doctors, aren't we? OTTO I am talking about real doctors - Herr Frank and Frau Stein. HE I thought that we are real too. SHE Do they talk? OTTO Sometimes. Promise that you won"t tell anything to anybody. SHE I promise. We promise, Otto. OTTO All right, I'll turn them on. (Turns on power) Watch now, kids. They are mine, they are my people! (HENRY and FRITZ scream in pain) SHE Don't hurt them! OTTO They won't remember. It's like a light bulb; when it's on it's on, when it's off, it's off. Hey, guys, how are you doing? Good morning! HE Look! Legs and arms are moving too! OTTO What did I tell you!? On - life, off - no life! In, out! Life, death! (Turns the heads off) HE Let me try! Otto, let me do it? SHE No, don't. HE (Turns the switch) On! Life! (The heads scream) ...Off! No life! On! Off! On!.. SHE Stop it! No! OTTO Enough, enough. FRITZ No, let me be! HENRY Idiot! You all are monsters! Turn me off! FRITZ No, please, let me live! HENRY It's not life, moron! Shut me off, kill me! SHE Otto, what did we do? What have we done? OTTO (To HE) Let me go, boy. Let me fix it... HE (Holding OTTO) No. Let them be. Who are you? Heads? FRITZ Thank you, sir. Thank you so much! HENRY And who the hell are you, smart ass? What do you ask? Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Your words have no meaning! It's over! Give me my body and I'll kill myself, I'll burn myself to ashes! Leave me alone! Let me be dead! Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me Man? Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?.. SHE I know you. I heard this before. You are not Henry. It's him! Victor! This is doctor Frank! This is my husband! OTTO Vic, turn them off! Let me do it! They will destroy her! FRITZ No, let me stay! I will do anything for you! Please!.. SHE Victor, is it you? It's me, Anna! Vic, Otto, tell him! HENRY You are ugly! HE Off! No life! (Turns the heads off) He is no good. He was bad. I don`t know what he was talking about... SHE Did you kill him?.. You killed them both. OTTO They are all right, they are fine. Never worry about the dead. SHE They are like us. HE No, we are different, we are people, not heads. SHE It was him. Only the face was different. I am afraid of him. HE He is gone. SHE He can cut me into pieces like them. He is a doctor, he can do it. If he doesn't like me, he can cut my head like his. Doctor Frank doesn't love me, he is my husband. He did it to me, I remember. HE What did he do to you? SHE Off-on thing. I was here before, I know. I remember you and Otto. I think I remember. I am sure that I said this before. HE What did you say before? SHE Whatever I am saying right now. I was here before now, Otto showed us Henry and Fritz and everything. I know I lived before... OTTO Of course you did. SHE Did we talk with Henry and Fritz before? Why does nobody come to visit me? Why do I remember strange things? I remember you, Otto, in military uniform, Vermacht, Nazi uniform. I remember how Victor was born, Victor Von Frank. I remember how I gave birth to my husband.... HE I want to talk with this head, Henry.I remember too. I remember when my wife was a girl and I called her Annie. And she called me "daddy", and I had another wife, and I remember myself, but it wasn't me! It was somebody else. It was him who killed me and my wife. I remember! Otto, is it the truth? Otto? OTTO (Turns on the siren) Doctor Frank! Doctor Stein! SHE Otto, what's wrong with us? HE I remember no car accident! I remember the war. OTTO Easy, easy, kids. Let me put you in your beds... SHE What is my name? I have another name! I know, Anna, this is not my name! Please! HE I didn't kill them, I was killed... (FRANK and STEIN come in) OTTO Frau Ann, Herr Victor, they know... HE (To STEIN) Ann, what did you do to me? STEIN You are tired. You are still too weak. It's bad dreams. You'll get better tomorrow. We'll take you out tomorrow, we will go for a ride, you'll see Berlin again. SHE Will we live tomorrow? FRANK Of course, you, silly! Do you think you can drive the car? HE I can, doctor Frank. FRANK Good. You'll drive. We'll go to a nice restaurant, to the opera. What would two of you like to eat? HE I would like to have a glass of beer. SHE I want to go to the coast. I remember the sea. STEIN It is still too cold to swim, Anna. SHE Just to see, just to look at the water. FRANK Yes, baby. Over there is life, night, stars, morning light, sun and grass. Otto, they have to get a good rest before tomorrow. OTTO Yes, master. STEIN (To HE) Good night and sleep well. HE Good bye. Bye everybody. (Leaves) FRANK (To SHE) Bye-bye, love. Sweet dreams. (SHE and OTTO exit) STEIN I am leaving, Frank. This is not medicine anymore, not science... I am going to the States, tomorrow. No, tonight... FRANK Do you know that the cause of my mother's death was never established? When I flew to Berlin from California she was already dead. Actually her body was already in the house. There were no relatives to invite for the funeral. She was for over ten years a patient in a mental clinic in Bavaria. I rushed so much because they could bury her right away. I worked on her all night and I couldn't find out why she died? I opened her and I checked every organ in her body. I didn't cry. Since the time they took her away to this hospital I cried only in my nightmares. There was nothing wrong with her. I was so tired, I didn't sleep for two days. She was the only person who could hear me... I don't remember my father, only her stories about him - how they met, how she fell in love with him, how wonderful his hands... It was two or three after midnight. I went out and came back with the prostitute, a girl, a very young girl. I don't know why... I couldn't give up... I saved her brain. I kept it for years before I could make her live again... STEIN You killed the girl. FRANK No, not on that night. She did it herself. It was her or you... (Kisses STEIN) How did your father die? STEIN Of a heart attack. He saw my mother and Adam. I called him Adam - Adam killed my mother and that killed my father. I didn't kill Adam, I open his scalp and replaced his brains with my father's. I did it all by myself... Why didn't you trust me then, Victor? FRANK Because I don't know how. Because you didn't trust me. Because we do not know how to love. Because there is no such thing as love, there is no man and woman, there is no me or you, there is nothing left to understand. I promise this time it will be the last. STEIN What's happened to us, Victor? FRANK What did happen to the Lord after he created man? On the seventh day, on the day of rest, he asked himself a question: If I am a true creator my creature should be better than me, and if I am bigger than my creature I am not a real creator. STEIN What was his answer? FRANK Don't you know? He died. He killed himself for his sins. He couldn't take it any longer. He did to himself what he did not do even to Adam, he let himself be born.That was his last experiment. (Leaves) STEIN I'll pray for him tonight. (TV monitor turns on, video with SHE on the screen and Frank's voice-over: "By tensing various muscles in the upper arm, the wearer can control an arm and hand, which are strong enough to pick up a motorbike...")
SCENE
HE and SHE suspended in the air. Dozens of plastic tubes and wires - life support systems "The Machine" - move with many sounds of heart, breathing, boiling. Lights on, the lab looks like guts, the inside of the body. Sounds of the Resurrection Machine go to the next level. Smoke. FRANK 23 hours 45 minutes Berlin time. Friday, March 29, Good Friday of the year 1991 A.D. Prophecies are fulfilled! Death is defeated! The perfect can be improved! Death is just the beginning! STEIN Otto?.. Ready?.. Power one! OTTO One is on! FRANK Ladies and Gentlemen! The time came to its end! Forget about everything you knew! There is no life after death, my friends. There is no life before death either. There is no death and there is no life. The German mind has answered the ultimate riddle. Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Nobel committee, fellow men! There is no artificial part in those bodies because everything in our world became artificial... History, or whatever it was, is over! You, all of you, over there in the darkness of living, would you like to live forever and ever? Yes, you would live a thousand lives, experience everything, be everywhere! Of course there is something to be traded in! Don't you know? Your soul, silly! Don't you remember? You will live a thousand lives not remembering any of them, not remembering the past, not having your family - there is no family in paradise, no husbands and wives, no children and parents, didn't Jesus tell you that? Listen, there will be no beginning and no end, you will decide when to be born and when to die! You will decide to be man or woman, old or young, of course, we all want to be young, and beautiful, tall and healthy. Of course we can do it, my friends! We can do anything we want!.. The problem is what do we want? And do we want whatever we want? And what is "we", and what is "wanting"? Sorry, children, there will be no answers, only questions from now on. I told you, paradise is one hell of a place! STEIN We are ready, Frank. Otto, power two! (The first strike - darkness, light, smoke. HE and SHE are in agony) STEIN No indications of life. Increase power! Add pressure! FRANK Where is your voice, Lord!? There are your angels, Father!? Music! (Conducts the invisible orchestra. Music on) STEIN No heart, brain, or respiratory activity! Otto! Second! (The second strike - all lights of, on, smoke, noise) FRANK (Screams) Help! Open the sky! Talk to me, Master! (HE and SHE scream) FRANK Thank you, Father! STEIN They live! OTTO They are back! HE Deutschland, Deutschland, uber alles! STEIN No! Father, no! HE The state is God and there is no other God! (Sings Nazi' song) SHE (To FRANK) This is not true, Victor! Your father was a scientist, not nazi! He was a doctor, he was the most brilliant man I ever knew! He wasn't experimenting on prisoners, no! Fon Franks were physicians for centuries, Victor. He had wonderful hands, and eyes, there was light in his eyes... HE (To STEIN) Anna, I want you to remember who you are! You are a German! With Russians or Communism, here or any other place in the world - you are my blood and flesh, we do not leave, we serve! Life without a mission isn't worth living! Never look around, only ahead! Time will come and Germany will rule again! It will be one Germany! There will be nothing else but Germany! FRANK (to STEIN) What was his name? What is your father name? STEIN Adam. HE (To FRANK) You, I know you! Come here, come closer! Closer! SHE Victor, don't! HE Release me! I have work to do, doctor. (To STEIN) Anna! STEIN No! This is 1991, father. Don't you remember that you lost the war? HE I feel young, I feel new. I can do it right this time! FRANK (To HE) What is your name? What is your last name? (To STEIN) Ann, what is your real name? HE My name is "general", my name is German! I don't like names, name mean nothing. How did I die? STEIN You killed yourself. You shot yourself in the heart. You did it because there will not be Germany the way you see it. Because there is no place for you in 1991. I loved you, no, I hated you, but I love you now. Turn him off, Otto. SHE Me too. The light is too bright. Victor, I am sorry. Life is too much for me. It's too strong, son. Send me back. I don't want to be insane again. I don't want them to touch me, I don't want to see sick people. I cannot be with you, I cannot be with myself, understand? Otto, please. HE I never liked him, Ann. We lost because of Germans like him. They are our curse, the intellectuals. We should have gassed them first. FRANK You, monster, shut up! I brought you to life! HE There is no you, boy, only we! The collective will, the technology, the science - not you! You, megalomaniac! Narcissistic Schizophrenic! FRANK Murderer! HE Pathological Paranoid! The paraphrenic! (Screams in pain) OTTO Save him! He is leaving! SHE He is bleeding again! Adam! HE Fire! Fire! FRANK Take him apart! Ann! STEIN I can't! FRANK You'll lose everything! He will die! HE Let me breathe! Air! STEIN Let him be dead, dead forever! SHE Victor, I didn't die, I just stopped living... FRANK Go away! Both of you! Go and never come back! HE Arise! SHE Emeth! OTTO No, don't say it! SHE Emeth! STEIN Meth! (SHE and HE die in agony) OTTO They are dead. FRANK Take their bodies down and store the parts. OTTO You killed them. STEIN Turn off the power, Otto. OTTO They died again. FRANK Did they? Take them away, old man. Let them rest. OTTO They cannot rest, sir. Their souls have no place to go. FRANK Souls? And what is that? STEIN We have no souls, Otto. OTTO They are here, the souls. They will be back. (OTTO takes SHE and HE down and leaves) STEIN Will they? No! How many time do I have to kill my parents? No! Otto! Hide them! Please, Otto! They won't be back, Victor. I'll make sure that they won't come back. (Exits) FRANK If man is more perfect than god, man must be a true creator... ...And as a true creator he must create something more perfect then he himself and this something will create more perfect creature which in its turn will create a more superior creator... But if they are superior to us, we must be ugly. God must be even more ugly then us... (DANCE OF DEATH)
SCENE 6A
(He dances. The first strike - lights blink, sound. FRANK falls on the floor. The second strike. HE and SHE come out from the underground. They are free) HE (To FRANK) How could I make a monster, doctor? SHE Is he dead? HE Death is a process. How do you create a garbage, doctor? SHE I am afraid. HE Oh, this is easy! You mess life! (Throws FRANK on the floor.) You break the natural order! Simple, like one-two-three! (Hits FRANK) The world doesn't need a salvation! Let's construct deconstruction! SHE They are coming! The people! HE We are the people! They won't stop us anymore! (HE and SHE leave. Another strike, lights off. FRANK gets up, turns on the power - OTTO, scratched on the cross, rises from the underground. Stops. STEIN comes out next) STEIN They are gone. OTTO They are not here. STEIN They've escaped. (The sirens. FRANK gets on the bridge) FRANK Music! (There is no music) Light! (Nothing changes) Emeth! (STEIN and OTTO go down under the floor. Music - Shnitke)
ACT 2
SCENE 1
SHE and HE enter, both are old, singing their children song. STEIN in her period dress with a candle and a gun. They pass without noticing her. STEIN blows the candle and leaves. The central screen goes up. The laboratory, Easter Sunday. Clock strikes. Phone rings, many times. Message: "You have reached the Research Laboratory of the St.Lazarus Hospital. Accepting messages for professor Frank and professor Stein. Leave your name and number after the tone." After the tone comes heavy breathing and weak voices: "Help... help... please... " OTTO brings in a display case with heads - Henry and Fritz. Phone rings again. FRANK (Comes in with files and pictures, in his period costume but without pants) Don't touch the phone! (The answering machine repeats the message but after the tone - silence) FRANK (Goes through the files and pictures. To OTTO) No phone calls, I'm busy. Where is the body, Ann? The body! OTTO Frau Ann isn't here, sir. She is looking for them... Doctor Stein is out to get the kids. FRANK What kids? You have no kids, Stein. I need a body. I need it right now. OTTO No bodies, sir. Only heads and parts ... FRANK Get me some kind of a body, any kind! I can do it, I will. It's not a disaster, Ann. It is a trail-and-error process. Process is everything! OTTO Why do we have to undo everything all the time, sir? They were fine quality creatures; they walked, they talked... FRANK The mistake was to consider a gender! Did I plan for them to reproduce themselves? Why should she be she? She must be an "it"! Not a man or a woman but an individual! Stupid! Man, woman! What a cliche! OTTO She shouldn't be chasing them alone... FRANK Forget it, Ann. Forget them! Call the police. Put an ad in the paper! I don't care. I have to keep on going. I won't give up, A perfect being cannot have sex, understand? Independent, totally free from everything individuum, not individual! Does a soul have a gender? Look at me! I am not a human, or animal, or machine - I am everything! Individuum! Like angels! OTTO I should be there with her, with them... Let me go, sir. FRANK No, no! It is time to move beyond humanity! Man, woman, family, children! A child is stupid, not developed, helpless, useless, inferior! We have to spend twenty plus years just to bring this monster to maturity! How many of them arrive at all? What a waste! Otto! OTTO Yes, master. FRANK Turn the power on. Lies, lies! Family? It's evil! Yes, because it is a big lie! The family knows no love, only possession! In family we love not having any choice - is it really love? You are mine and I love you! Ha! Do I love my hand? Why do you call it love? OTTO Everything wants to live. (STEIN enters, unnoticed, with the revolver. She is dressed "1800") FRANK (To OTTO) Ann, who said that my individuum must have two hands? Let it be four, or three! Let's give him two heads, five legs, or no legs at all! Why should I copy such gross mistake as a human being? Why not mix animals, plants, humans, machines? Just give me live material, give me everything -- and I'll make it live! Let them live, give them names,Ann! Power! (Strike - the heads come alive) FRANK (To OTTO) Ann, it lives! OTTO It does, sir. As always. FRANK Otto? You are still here?! The body! Give me something to stick them on! (To the Heads) Wake up, damn you, wake up! Talk! OTTO This is Henry and this is Fritz. FRITZ (Recognizing FRANK) You! I saw you in my dream, man! You are this crazy doctor or something! FRANK It was no dream, fellow. It is all true at last! HENRY Yes, a gigantic naked man. Five of us clung to him, one by the head, two on either side by his arms and legs. We had no knife with which to stab him... FRITZ That is my dream... HENRY There was no time to lose and an oven stood near by whose extraordinary large cast-iron door was red-hot... FRITZ ...We dragged the man to it, held one of his feet close to the oven until the foot began to smoke... HENRY ...Pulled it back again until it stopped smoking, then thrust it close to the door again... (FRANK screams) STEIN Victor! I saw them. Can you hear me?.. I don't want to see you defeated. (Shoots at FRANK) I love you. (Shoots again) FRITZ What was that, man? HENRY Shots. OTTO (Runs to STEIN) Frau Stein! Doctor! STEIN I missed... OTTO Wait! Stay! He needs you... FRANK (To himself) No, it wasn't men, it was twenty resemblances of myself appearing in as many places, in the same room... I felt my whole body breaking up. It broke up with a violent shock... FRITZ An earthquake. HENRY It broke like glass. STEIN (To FRANK) Good bye, Frankenstein. Don't fly in your dreams. I am leaving for America, Otto. See you there. (STEIN leaves) FRANK Did you see it? Did you see her? OTTO Yes, she was here. She left. To America. Are we going over there, Herr Victor? FRANK Four legs. OTTO You should take a nap, sir, you haven't slept for two days... FRANK She had four legs. FRITZ She had arms as well. HENRY The four legs were odd, but not repulsive. FRITZ Those four legs, so much more provocative than two FRANK She had turned away, her hips toward me... HENRY He seemed to find something touching about the fact that her head was more distant than her hips. FRITZ Yes. It was wild, man. OTTO Doctor Frank, you gonna lose your mind, sir! HENRY I am sure that people have more than one brain. FRITZ I like the left brain better. The right one is too primitive. FRANK Body! (To OTTO) Go and get it! Anything, buy some animal, or get a dog! Go! FRITZ Hey, it will be like a birthday! HENRY I hate birthdays! Personally, I wasn't born until I gave birth to myself! OTTO Herr Victor! Please, wait for me! I'll bring her back. They will come back. I'll return right away. (Leaves) FRANK That naked giant, the man we fought, what was his name? HENRY Don't you know? The big one? FRITZ Of course I know his name! God! FRANK I know her name. FRITZ The lady with four legs? Everybody knows her name! FRANK Listen, I give you a name. Do you know your name, you, super-being? HENRY/ FRITZ Frankenstein! FRANK It's your world now. Take it! HENRY/FRITZ Frankenstein! Frankenstein! FRANK/FRITZ/HENRY Frankenstein!
SCENE 2
SHE and HE enter the lab, very old, their bodies and faces deformed. Flash! FRANK takes HENRY/FRITZ's picture. HE Where am I? My eyes... I think I am blind... My eyes, are they open? SHE Yes, I hear some voices. We are in the hospital. HE We never left this damn hospital. Where is he, where is she? FRITZ/HENRY (to SHE and HE) Look! People! Out! This is a restricted area! HE (To SHE) What did you say? SHE Nothing. I don't feel well, I need to rest. For a few minutes, please. There is no air here, no light... HE Don't fall asleep again. We have to get back home... SHE We shouldn't leave, we shouldn't run away. Victor told me... HE I am Victor! I am Victor Von Frank! I am Doctor Frank! FRANK Who are you, old man? HE Who is this? Are you talking to me? Come closer! Do you see him, Ann? Where are you, Ann? SHE I heard some voice, somebody is here. Don't hurt us, mister! We are lost, sir. FRANK Did you say your name is Victor Von Frank? HE What do you want? Stay away from me! Don't touch her! Did he touch you, Ann? SHE Don't send us to the emergency room, please. They are sending us to this room, we will die there, mister... FRANK I know who you are. (To HENRY and FRITZ) Do you recognize them? HENRY Of course we do. It's them! FRITZ I don't want an old body. I don't want to be sick all the time! Those organoids are no good! FRANK Look at them! You wasted your lives! Home? You are going home! Where is your home? SHE We don't remember, mister, they took us from the street. We were in a car accident... HE I remember! I remember everything! I am a doctor! I am a German, a Berliner! Very famous surgeon! I was. What year is it now? I'll sue the hospital! What is your name? FRANK Victor Von Frank. I am your home. I am your father and mother, your birth and your death, Alpha and Omega, the Word and the Light... SHE This man is crazy. Where are we? FRANK (To SHE) What is this THAT thou has done? HE Devil! Satan! (Shoots) FRANK Because thou hast done this, thou art coursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life... HENRY Genesis, chapter 3. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". FRITZ What was that? Enmity? FRANK Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life! HE I know who you are! I know you! FRANK In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. HE The serpent! (Second shot) SHE You forgot me, Lord God! The children! In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children... FRANK What children? SHE And thy desire shall be to thy husband... HENRY Too late. You are too old, and you are not bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh! SHE And he shall rule over me... HENRY You weren't taken out of Man. You are not Woman! FRITZ Get out of here! SHE Please! FRANK I don't make babies. Animals do! HE Monster! SHE Make one baby for us before we die! We are dying. Why do you hate us? HENRY There are no children in the new world order. They die when they become adults. We are against death. FRANK I have headache. I cannot make a baby. Everything but baby. FRITZ Why do they need a baby if they are dying? HENRY They are stupid, they think a child would give them past and future, meaning of life. They don't understand that they are dead. They don't know that the dead can die too. FRITZ Are we dead? Sometimes I am not sure. Sometimes I am both. SHE ( To FRANK) I want my baby. I have nothing... Everybody's got something, I need mine too, so I can hold it... FRANK (To Heads) Tell her, the baby will grow, will learn to walk, but it won't be hers! SHE No, I want a real baby, not a walking baby! HENRY A baby which doesn't grow isn't real, it's a doll! SHE I need such baby that cannot live without me! HE Anna, let me hold your hand. I can't wake up. Wake me up! FRITZ I don't remember myself dying.( To HENRY.) Do you? HENRY I remember, I thought that I was dying before I was born. ( To SHE and HE.) Why don't you kill yourselves and he will make a baby out of two of you. FRITZ Good idea! (OTTO comes in with STEIN's body) FRANK No! No! No! FRITZ The body! HENRY He killed her. OTTO She was outside. On the ground. No, first she saw me and then she stepped out the window. She is dead. Frau Stein, it's me, Otto! FRITZ I knew she was a suicidal type. Did she break her back? OTTO She doesn't say anything. She's hurt, Herr Victor. HENRY Her head is broken, is it? OTTO We'll fix you, Fraulein Stein. Doctor Frank will bring you back. Doctor will fix all of you. ( To FRANK) Doctor? FRANK I am not a doctor! I am God. The second one. The real one. Am I? HE Anna, where are you? SHE Here. HE Pray for me. (Holds her. A Gun shot. SHE dies) FRANK Otto! He killed her. OTTO Otto is here, sir. Otto is with you, my boy. FRANK (to HE ) You killed her. HE No, I killed you. (Shoots himself) HENRY It was an idea only. A thought. FRITZ Where are they now, do you know? FRANK Otto, when all this is over, could you burn my body? To ashes. I don't want to be used for anything. I don't want to have any future. I don't want to be back, Otto. I wish to disappear like everyone before the new world order, before me. Even my name. I don't want my name to be remembered. Promise me, Otto. I am losing my mind. OTTO Anything, Herr Victor. I'll do anything for you. FRANK Turn the power on. I'll give them a baby. The ultimate baby, the eternal one! Baby of babies! Always young, always enquiring! Perfect and complete! Come, golden child! Without sorrow of heart, far from pain and toil! The child of Mother Earth and father Heaven, come alive to the world where there is no life! FRITZ Baby Frankenstein! HENRY Frankensten! FRANK Light! I'll give them another life. Do you hear this, Ann? I, Frankenstein, invite you all to the next world! (To OTTO) Go and spread the news! Go! (OTTO steps down to the audience. Everything goes dark) END OF SCENE 2 ACT 2 SCENE 3_________________________________________________________ OTTO moves within the theater with his flash light, takes Polaroid pictures again. OTTO (To somebody in the audience) I don't remember you. (Take a picture) I have to file my reports every night. If some part of the baby goes bad I have to replace the part. Frankenstein is not like me. Frankenstein is a new generation, the superior one. Frankenstein is big, very big. It's like I don't know what, like everything. You should be proud of being Frankenstein, being such an immortal thing. The day will come and I will be Frankenstein too. (Takes Polaroid pictures of himself) I'll plug myself in, and - eins-zwei-drei! - another life! Everything will be Frankenstein soon, everybody will plug in, everywhere! Because of the science and the progress! Amen. (Watch's alarm) Time to check the central Frankenstein. Time to feed the baby! Let there be light! (Light on stage) And there was light. And Otto saw the light, that it was good: and Otto divided the light from the darkness. And Otto called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. END OF SCENE 3 ACT 2 SCENE 4_________________________________________________________ FRANKENSTEIN: Henry's and Fritz's heads are on Dr.Stein's body, (with several hands and legs), and attached to the case with STEIN's, HE's and SHE's heads. FRANK is in the air, connected to all of them. The second cross (SL) is empty. Nothing moves. Sounds of the Resurrection Machine. OTTO Good morning, baby! Gutten tag! Hello? Time to wake up, child! Sweet dreams? Time to have your breakfast, Frankenstein! What's the matter? You never sleep all together! Power failure? Mein Gott! What's happened? Frankenstein! Baby! Baby! ALL ( move ). Surprise! ( Laugh.) OTTO Do you want to kill me? Do you want me to have a heart attack? What kind of joke is that! Silly! Never do it again! FRITZ That was a birthday party surprise! OTTO Whose birthday? FRITZ/HENRY Ours, Otto. Frankenstein's birthday! OTTO But you had it yesterday and day before yesterday. And every other day... HENRY Socrates asleep, and Socrates awake is not the same person... FRANK (From the well) I die every night... HENRY I am born every morning... OTTO Doctor Frank! HE Who is doctor Frank? SHE I remember him, Victor Von Franken. Or Frankens. OTTO Herr Victor, what did you do? STEIN I am not Victor, not a man. OTTO (to FRANK) Professor, you plugged yourself in with them! FRANK Not me, not them anymore, Otto! Now everything is me! FRITZ Everything is us! HE I feel strange, I feel different. SHE Me too. HENRY We feel different, we! FRANK That was the answer, Otto! To eliminate the idea of "you"! FRITZ Join us, old man. Be Frankenstein! STEIN I want to drink. HENRY A glass of water, please. SHE (Drinks) I am so thirsty. FRANK (to HENRY) And you don't have to say "please", or "thank you". HENRY You shouldn't say "you". Me is you. No need to say anything. HE I didn't want to drink. FRANK How do you know that you didn't want? FRITZ You didn't know that you wanted it... HENRY Never use "you" again. Forget this word! FRITZ I didn't use it. We did. All of us. We all are responsible for everything. SHE I said nothing. HE Somebody said it, it was said. OTTO What I am going to do now? God! STEIN Go away, Otto. Leave this place. FRANK Why did I say this? Did I think this or did I feel it? HENRY I probably did but I don't know that I indeed had such a thought. Maybe I didn't. FRITZ I won't ever know did I or didn't I? SHE Both. I didn't and I did. HE Why did I say this? HENRY Do not use "say". I don't say, I think. It only looks like I use language, but I don't. SHE I don't understand anything. I have no thoughts. FRITZ I don't know what I have... (All talk at the same time) OTTO Shut up! All of you! This is too much! I'll turn you off! FRITZ I think I am pregnant. OTTO What? HENRY Why do I feel this way? FRANK Nonsense! Frankenstein is not a female! STEIN Frankenstein is not a male either. HE I feel funny. SHE I feel something inside me. OTTO Who is pregnant? Who? HENRY What a ridiculous thought! FRITZ I feel pregnant. HENRY This is my imagination. There is no birth anymore. No death and no birth. I cannot be pregnant. SHE I sense other life in me... FRANK Other life in me is another me, next me, "me-tomorrow"... STEIN Turn me off, Otto. I am tired. I am not well. HENRY This is a suicidal thought. I shouldn't be thinking like this... FRANK I cannot control my thought. I feel bad. FRITZ There is somebody inside me! HENRY Stop it! Stop it right away! Please! OTTO Easy, easy, your temperature is rising. SHE I'll have a baby! FRANK No, this will ruin everything! This is impossible! HENRY Where did this baby come from? HE I don't know! FRITZ Don't ask me! I didn't do anything! OTTO I should call the hospital. Doctor Frank? Doctor Stein? FRANK What a stupid thought! Why do I think about this? What am I thinking about? Wake me up! HENRY I am up. Am I? HE Somebody is here! Who is here? SHE Me. I am here. STEIN Is that me? I don't recognize myself. It's not my face! FRANK How do I know that this is me? How do I know! OTTO Relax, all of you, Frankenstein! The blood pressure is too high! FRITZ I feel sick, really sick. STEIN Help me! HENRY This is a nightmare! Now I know, this is a bad dream! FRANK This is a guilt trip. I had an abortion. STEIN I did. Before the accident. I had an operation... SHE I am sorry. I had to do it. I know that it was a boy. I even had the name for him - Victor. I killed him. HENRY (Bleeding) Blood... FRITZ I am bleeding. Look, I am bleeding! HE I feel weak. Why is there no light here? I cannot see! OTTO I have to turn you off, Frankenstein. I have to save you, understand? FRITZ Don't kill me. I have a baby in me, you must not touch anything! FRANK I didn't know that she had an abortion. I had no idea that she wanted this baby so much. STEIN The child would be a teenager now. I would be a mother. HENRY I am dying. SHE I want to sleep. I cannot get any rest. HENRY Something is dying in me. Am I dying? HE Who is talking? FRITZ I cannot hear anything... STEIN He loved me, I know that he did! SHE I am Anna Frankenstein. FRANK Frankenstein has no name. Frankenstein is the name. I am Frankenstein! OTTO God help me! FRANK There is no God! Frankenstein is God! HENRY Give me the book! HE Open the book! Read it! The book! FRANK What book? There is no book for us! SHE Please! It is there, in the big book! My name is there! STEIN It was an accident. Bad accident... FRITZ Don't hurt the baby! OTTO I am Frankenstein! Me! STEIN Close the book, close it, please! FRANK "My reign is not yet over! You live, and my power is complete..." HENRY Farewell! Farewell, Frankenstein! OTTO Emeth! Meth! Emeth! (Lights go off, they cry) OTTO Frankenstein! Doctor Frank! Frau Stein! Vic, Anna! Guys!.. Frankenstein lives. Frankenstein is everywhere. We are Frankenstein. (Places himself on the second cross) I am Frankenstein. Frankenstein! (Screams) It lives! (Dies) The END OF the PLAY
Prop list: Beeper Polaroid camera with flash Stethoscope Flashlight Two wheelchairs Hand gun Blood TV camera, VCR, monitor Telephone Surgical knives, gloves Files, papers Mike White sheets Champaign glasses Glasses for Dr.Stein Brain, Heart Display case/refrigerator with the heads of Henry, Fritz, other
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