| Excerpted from “The Radio,” a theatrical tableau, by William Leavitt, presented at LACE in Hollywood in 2002. |
| Nestor I was thinking about Leon Theremin's apartment in Moscow. I saw it in a movie about him. He was a friend of Geiger's. Voice Over The scientists are trying to install a defense system here. I don't think it will work. Luann Very convenient, wouldn't you say? Nestor What's convenient? Luann Las Vegas. Nestor A lot of conventions are held here. I don't have any figures on it, but I'd say the majority are. Luann That's not what I meant. I mean in terms of the program you're participating in. A test. Isn't that something they encourage? Nestor Yeah, but I think I'm beyond that now. Luann You're still in it aren't you? Nestor The convention's on surveillance devices. Isn't that clear enough? Luann What's wrong with the phone? Nestor They pulled my card. Luann What’s there anyway? Nestor Nothing good really, I mean there was only so much definitely necessary for work, except for maybe this lawn sensor, which was just a clear plastic triangular section that you put in vegetation. Reacted to anything bio. I didn’t really need it. Luann Are you sure not for your collection of toys? Nestor Why? I don't do lawns. Voice Over Who's he watching? Aren't there lots of people who want to be surveyed? Luann What about surveillance blockers? I thought you said they were going to be it this year? Radio Because of continuing problems with the multiplication of states in the new Western Union, stricter guidelines are being proposed. Nestor They are, but I don't need them. Luann Why are you staying in that seedy hotel? Nestor It's anonymous. Luann Not really. You stand out there. How do you think I found you? Radio And in his guise as dark matter . . . Nestor I was there all the time. Luann Let's try to agree on what we think. Nestor The world. Luann Did you try to call earlier? Nestor Yeah. Luann I was out in the yard. Voice Over Because they respond only to technological cues, they talk in phrases of a language made of pictures of consumer products Luann Nobody can touch you now, because you don't care. |
| Bill is the resident art critic for bflowriter.com. He is a painter, teacher, writer and a few other things. The search for the good neighborhood restaurant is always an issue and in this one also Bill is your man. Lately its been the Brite Spot on Sunset east of Alvarado. Hes written a handful of plays, all of which I have attended and even acted in one—a reading some years ago at the Glaxa Café in Echo Park. I had three small parts: a bartender, a mafia type and one other I don’t recall. After the reading a woman came up and said: youre very good up there. Have you thought about being an actor? I said: never. But some months later Bill said he was doing a re-write of the play and I said: make my part bigger |
| cast: nestor: john linton/ luann: linden waddell/voice over: marlene rijn |