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ACT I, SCENE EIGHT (Childish Questions)
[Note: This entire scene is fictional.]
CHARACTERS
- A MAN
HIS DAUGHTER
LOUDSPEAKER: 1912. Revenues in the electric field reach two hundred eighty-five million. [Edison Electric Institute Bulletin No. 3, June 1936, p. 10.]
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(Lights up on FATHER and DAUGHTER, center. He is seated in chair; she is sitting on the floor playing with large alphabet blocks. Projection represents a Christmas tree and teddy bear.)
GIRL: Daddy, where do we get electricity from?
FATHER (annoyed at the interruption): We get it from the electric company.
GIRL: Where does the company get it?
FATHER: They generate it.
GIRL: What's "generate" mean?
FATHER: Generate means... means... can't you see Daddy is busy? Why don't you play with your blocks, dear?
GIRL: How do they generate it, Daddy?
FATHER: Oh.... (under his breath) Damn! Sometimes they run dynamos with steam engines and sometimes they run dynamos with water.
GIRL: What is a dynamo?
FATHER: Well, a dynamo is... What the devil do you want to know that for?
GIRL (after a pause): I know. A dynamo is what they make electricity with. We had that in school.
FATHER: Well, why didn't you get the rest in school?
GIRL: What would happen if the company wouldn't give us electricity any more?
FATHER: We'd be in a hell of a fix.
GIRL: Then why doesn't the Government give us electricity?
FATHER: Because it would be competing with private business, and, besides, everybody knows that the Government wouldn't be efficient.
GIRL (pauses, apparently thinking): Daddy, who runs the Post Office?
FATHER: The Government runs the Post Office.
GIRL: Why does the Government run the Post Office?
FATHER: Because it's too important to us to permit anybody else to run it.
GIRL: Well, Daddy, don't you think electricity is important? You said we'd be in a hell of a fix if the company quit giving it to us.
FATHER: Watch your language, young lady!
GIRL: It was what you said, Daddy.
FATHER: The Post Office and electric lights are different.
GIRL (stands up, holding the blocks in her arm): Daddy, who is the Government?
FATHER: The Government is you and me, I guess — the people.
GIRL: Do all the people need electricity?
FATHER: Yes.
GIRL: And does the company own what all the people need?
FATHER: That's right!
GIRL: Gee, Daddy; the people are awfully dumb. (She drops the blocks.)
Blackout
Introduction | Essay | Script | Lessons | Resources