How Act 1

How Act 1
How to Save the World
And the Relationship Between Biology and Computer Programming

Act / Chapter One
At The Mall 

(Narrator stands at podium stage right and reads introduction.)

It was April in Alberta, Canada, west of the Saskatchewan border.  In the area along the North Saskatchewan river, the winter snow had melted quickly, leaving the prairie and aspen parkland dry and barren.  The trees, except for the evergreens, were all sticks.  As a recompense for the starkness, there was the surprise of quiet yet audible new music at dawn; it was the spring songs of birds newly arrived and so alive.  At this time of year, the land appeared to be just waiting and waiting, through the eternal now, for the spring rains.  Potentially all green and flourishing as before, but not yet. 

Upstream along the course of the river, about four hundred kilometers west of the Saskatchewan border, the office towers of the City of Edmonton stood tall, shining in the sun.  And the people there too, busy with their families, education, industry and commerce, looked out on the dry brown boulevards, play fields and leafless trees with anticipation  -  anxious for the dullness outside to be changed into the beauty of spring; hoping for the spring rains to soon accomplish the task at hand. 

Go another four hundred kilometers west of Edmonton and you will arrive at Jasper and the majestic Rocky Mountains.  The Rocky Mountains are only one hundred kilometers west of the other large city in Alberta; Calgary.  Some say Calgary has an advantage over Edmonton because Calgary has closer proximity to mountain recreation opportunities.  Ha! 

What really counts today is the same as what counted in the days of Anne of Green Gables.  It’s what we bring to the world that counts and not what we can get out of it.  For the new millennium, and beyond, Edmonton has the same potential for greatness as any other place in the world.  And that is the potential for the people there to respond to the universe with a love that is patient and kind, a love that does not envy or boast and is not proud.  A love that is not rude or self seeking or easily angered.  A love that keeps no record of wrongs but rejoices with the truth.  A love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. A love that never fails. 

It was April 1st, a Saturday in Edmonton and the sun was shining.  Looking south from the corner of 51st avenue and 111 street you can see on the left the impressive arched entrance way of the newly renovated Southgate mall.  Mary Stewart and her Mom were in the mall shopping, a not unusual activity.



(Play begins stage left.  Enter Mary and her mother Mrs. Stewart, carrying parcels, with mall bench in foreground.)

“Slow down Mary”, said Mrs. Stewart.  “Lets sit down here and have a rest.  I must be getting older, my backs’  getting sore already and I can’t keep up with you.  Besides, I need you to tell me what you think about the renovations to the mall.  The company I work for has spent huge dollars renovating the mall and they want us find out what people think.  So lets sit down here and have a chat.  Mary looked at her Mom pretending surprise and astonishment and then said “OK Mom, I suppose if we kept on going that would be starting our third time around the mall, and when you think of it, twice around should be good enough”. Mary and her mom both sat down on the bench with a flourish.  After a moment to catch their breath, Mary said “Well, what do I think of the hugely expensive renovations?”; as she stood up and continued “ “...you know the skylights, with the verse of poetry written on the inside so that to read it, you stand in the middle of the skylight  and spin slowly around (like this), until you come to the end of the verse and then of course the beginning again.  And you know how on the second time around the mall I stopped to write down the verses... well I think the whole idea is just fabulous, I love the way your voice echoes under the dome of the skylight, and the verses are just beautiful, I never knew Shakespeare was such a poet.  Anyway, I think the renovations to the mall are  just great, and that touch of poetry in the skylights very classy.   Although I do miss the old fountain, nevertheless the renovations to the mall are beautiful; your company did a great job.” 

“Why thank you Mary, I’m sure my bosses will be very glad to hear that. “

“Ah here it is, said Mary, as she was browsing her notebook.  Let me read to you again the  verse  of  Shakespeare from the skylight on the other side: “ and she spun around to read, 

“Hath the brightest day a cloud; and after summer ever more succeeds barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold: so cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet.” 

I always thought Shakespeare was just old English and hard to understand stories about kings and queens, but this is very pretty.” 


“Well the old English is hard to understand sometimes Mary but there are so may gems among the rough that Shakespeare is still worth reading today, it just takes a bit of digging.” 

“Mom, do you think that somehow, beautiful words from Shakespeare could help the people in the poorer countries of the world where there is hunger and terrible living conditions or is Shakespeare just entertainment?” 

“Oh I don’t know Mary,  I suppose sharing an appreciation for the beautiful is important, but whether Shakespeare can help the people of Africa, I don’t know... why do you ask? “

“Well on TV they have these programs about helping the starving children in Africa so I just wonder Mom, what do you think should be the plan of action to solve that problem? “

“Oh I don’t know Mary, you might as well ask me “How to Save the World”, I suppose giving a donation can help but I know what you mean, what do we do after that.  I know most days after a day of work It’s all I can do to get supper on the table and clean up and the day’s over.  And I think it is the same for most people in Canada, they are very busy with their work and just trying to get by and there is not a lot of time left to help people in other countries. “

“Well Mom, because the people in the government are full time maybe we should expect the government to solve the problem.” 

“Oh I don’t know about that Mary, somehow I think that the less the government's involved in the better.  As far as I can tell Mary what really works is a system, our system, where the properties of success are improved customer service and a quality cost competitive product.  I mean everyone wants to be successful and if you have a system where success results from improved customer service and providing quality cost competitive products then that's what you get.  The trouble with government services is there is really no alternative; there really is no way for the people to reward good government over bad government on a daily basis, like there is in the marketplace.  So I think you really need  to keep the government as small as possible and try to solve the problems whenever possible through a market economy. 

For example Mary, there was an incentive for the mall managers to come up with a renovating plan that would make the mall beautiful and attract customers and so we got  Shakespeare in the skylights;  with the government there would not be such an incentive and that’s what makes all the difference. “

“But Mom, how can a market economy help people in poorer countries?”

“That’s a good question Mary.  You want to be a reporter someday right?”

“You mean a feminist reporter?”

“Yes a feminist reporter. 

And so when you are a reporter you ask different groups that question and see if you can’t come up with a plan of action.  But just remember that all groups have some good ideas so be sure to listen to every group.  All groups have some good ideas.”

“OK Mom.” 

“Mom, do you think feminism can save the world?”  asked Mary. 

Mrs. Stewart answered with a smile “Sometimes I wonder if any “ism” can save the world.  They all probably have some good ideas and then they may have some vindictive ideas too. “  Mary said “Well the world will probably be better when us women are more in charge, right Mom.”  “Now you’ve got something there Mary!” answered Mrs. Stewart.  “But, you know Mary I think it is just as valuable for a woman to stay home with the children as it is for her to be out working, either way, it is never easy.” 

“What do you think Dad thinks of feminism Mom?”  asked Mary. “Oh, sometimes I think he’s a better feminist than I am.” said Mrs. Stewart.  “Which reminds me Mary, you know that April fools joke we were going to play on your father, well its almost 12:00 and I had better use the cell to phone Mike in mall security to set it up.  (And she started to dial)”  “Oh yes!” said Mary with obvious glee, “This should be good!”

“Hi Mike, Marjory Stewart here, how’s it going?  OK remember the April fools joke I was talking to you about this morning?.... Could you meet me over here by the entrance to the Library, it’s almost time for George to be coming up from the library to get us, OK thanks  see you in a minute”

Mary asked “Is he coming mom?”.  Mrs. Stewart nodded and asked “What do you think Mary, should I go back and get that sweater I was trying on?”  “Oh I don’t know” said Mary, “It will probably go on sale.”

(Enter stage left, Mike the security guard, in full uniform, cap and all.)  “Hi Mrs. Stewart”, said Mike.  “Hi Mike, George should be coming any minute now just over there up from the Library, if you could keep your cell phone on speaker phone, we’ll listen in and jump in after you have got him.”   “OK Mrs. Stewart”, said Mike.

(Mike proceeds to stage right and sure enough, George, happy as a mud lark, appears stage right carrying a bunch of books from the Library.)

“Excuse me Sir,  is your vehicle a Blue Ford F150 Extended Cab plate #VVH 222? 

George
Why yes it is.

Mike
Well sorry to inform you Sir, but your vehicle has just been demolished by a cement truck. (George looks in shock)

Mike held out his cell phone with speaker phone on and Mary’s voice came over loud and clear “April fools dad!”  (Mike pointed over to his two accomplices stage left and said smiling “Sorry Mr. Stewart, they put me up to it.”  (Mike put out his hand and after Mr. Stewart awkwardly shifted some books around, he and Mr. Stewart shook hands.)  “No problem said George, “Those two rascals eh?,  Bye”  (George walked over to join Margorie and Mary at the Mall bench.)

“Hey dad, we got you good eh?” said Mary.  “You sure did, you two rascals ” said George.

Mary said, “Hey dad, what do you think of Shakespeare in the skylights?” as she jumped up and walked towards the skylight in front of them and pointed to the words. “Let me read this one to you” and she turned slowly looking up to read “Here’s flowers for you, hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram, the marigold that goes to bed wi’ the sun and with him rises weeping: these are flowers of middle summer.” 

“Yes very nice Mary, it’s not every Saturday I have a bouquet of flowers given to me.” George walked over to Mary and looking up noticed “But some of them are fake skylights right?  This one doesn't really go through the roof with a window at the top letting in sunlight?”   Mary thought about this for a moment as they both walked back to the bench and sat down.  And then she answered, “Ah yes dear Dad, but a beautiful skylight nonetheless, what we have here is an attribute of success;  a “skylight” providing the customer service of beauty, on a cost effective basis. “ Her dad of course looked perplexed as usual and Mary laughed.

“Mom, have you read any Shakespeare, can you remember any favorite parts?”  Well let me think, there is one short passage from Anthony and Cleopatra that I think I can quote and I’m still waiting for your dad to set me up like Cleopatra on the Nile or at least take me for a canoe trip someday.  It goes something like this: 

“The barge she sat in was like a burnished throne, burn’d on the water, its deck was beaten gold; Purple the sails, and so perfumed that the winds were love sick with them; the oars were silver, which to the tune of flutes kept stroke,  and made the water which they beat to follow faster, As amorous of their strokes, for her own person, queen Cleopatra.” 

“Woo hoo, that sounds alright, how about you Dad, can you remember any Shakespeare?” 

“Well there is a passage from Shakespeare that I had fun with a few years ago when you were only about seven or eight.  It was a fun way I could ask your Mom if it was OK if I could go golfing. It was a variation of Prospero’s final soliloquy in “The Tempest”. ”  Oh yes George, I remember that, it was so pretty”, said Mrs. Stewart, “It may have gotten your father out golfing a few more times than he should have.  OK George, lets here it. “

OK here goes: 

“And now my fortune is all overthrown, and what strength I have is mine own; which is most faint now, tis true. Gentle breath of yours must fill my sails or else my project fails, which is to please.  My hope is in your prayers which pierces as they assault mercy, to heal my faults.  I must be here confined by you, or sent to the golf course. Let me not, since I have my new golf clubs and golf balls got,  dwell, in this warm house, by your spell.  Rather you to your good crafts will happy be, and so I ask, by your indulgence, to be set free.” 

“Way to go dad, that’s very touching.” said Mary. George replied, “ And so does that mean can I go golfing?”   Mrs. Stewart jumped in “Oh you don’t want to go golfing today George, it’s all dry and brown out there.  You’ll come back a dust ball!”  “OK” said George somewhat dejectedly, “I guess your right, it’s just that its been a long winter.”

Mrs. Stewart jumped in “You know Mary, the mall is having a Karaoke contest at noon and Mike, our friendly security guard, is doubling as the moderator, I can see him setting up now. (Stage center with guitar and amp, microphones, table, computer etc.)  Mike will be giving away prized to anyone who sings a song, and I know we can’t keep a prize because I’m mall staff, but I promised Mike we would come by and if everyone’s too shy to sing a song we would start.”

“Aw Mom, your kidding” said Mary. “No,” said Mrs. Stewart, “You know the song we can sing” she said to Mary as she started leading them over to the Karaoke stage. “What song said Mary, “Oh no, not that song” she said as she was trailing behind her Mom heading for the Karaoke stage.

Mrs. Stewart spoke to Mike, and then took the guitar, waving for Mary to join her on stage.  When Mary arrived she said into the microphone to the audience. “Hi, we would like to sing for you the famous poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling, sung to the tune, the chords, of the even more famous Pachelbel’s Cannon.  OK, here goes:
Verse 1
C
If you can keep your head when all about you
G
Are loosing theirs and blaming it on you
Am
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
Em
And make allowance for their doubting too
F
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting
C
Or being lied about; don’t deal in lies
F
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating
G
And yet don’t look too good or talk too wise

Chorus
C   C                      G
And then you’ll      be
Am   Am                Em
And then you’ll      be
FF FF
CC CC
FF FF
G
GG                C
A man my     son

Verse 2
C
If you can dream and not make dreams your master
G
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim
Am
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
Em
And treat those two imposters just the same
F
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
C
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
F
or watch the things you gave you life to broken

G
And stoop and build them up with worn out tools

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3
C
If you can make a heap of all your winnings
G
And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss
Am
And loose and start again at your beginnings
Em
And never breath a word about your loss
F
If you can force your heart and berve and sinew
C
To serve your turn long after they are gone
F
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
G
Except the will which says to them “Hold on!”

Repeat Chorus

Verse 4
C
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue
G
Or walk with Kings nor loose the common touch
Am
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you
Em
If all men count with you but none too much
F
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
C
With sixty seconds worth of distance run
F
Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it
G
And which is more, you’ll be a Man, my son!

Repeat Chorus, End

“Thank you very much” said Mrs. Stewart, through the microphone to the audience and then off mike she turned and said happily “OK Mary, let’s go”.

(Mary, Margorie and George, waving bye to Mike, exit stage right, curtain.)