Real Talent

Premiered December 1, 2003

Perceptions – Act II, Scene 1

As the lights go up, SCOTT, KELLY and DICK are all sitting in the room, with varying degrees of concern written on their respective faces?

DICK

I sure never figured this project for those kind of results! This could really turn into something!

SCOTT

You mean a successful project?

DICK

Yeah. That’s what worries me!

KELLY

There was always the possibility of something like this happening. The problem is that it was so dramatic. No one was ever supposed to directly observe the results.

SCOTT

Why not?

KELLY

The idea was to reduce the possibility of cheating. If they couldn’t see the results, supposedly it would be harder to cheat.

SCOTT

That makes sense.

KELLY

But also... Not being able to observe the results directly was supposed to prevent everyone from knowing that someone had real talent. Now, of course, everyone knows!

SCOTT

Including some locksmith.

DICK

I think I liked it better when no one knew what was going on.

KELLY

I think I agree with you.

SCOTT

I guess my idea for an experiment wasn’t such a good one. It’s just that I never thought it would go anywhere. Much less cause the situation we’re in now.

KELLY

Don’t apologize. I never thought that it would go anywhere either. In fact, I thought it was an incredibly stupid idea with no possibility for anything resembling success.

SCOTT looks pained, but KELLY doesn’t notice it.

KELLY

That’s why I didn’t stop it.

DICK

So what do we do now? Find out who’s responsible for screwing up our project with positive results?

SCOTT

Did you see anybody volunteer?

DICK

No. Even Esther was too shocked to take credit.

KELLY

Dick’s right though. We have to identify the person who caused the windmill to rotate.

SCOTT

Why?

KELLY

Didn’t you hear Geraldine?

SCOTT

I don’t think we should take Geraldine’s “orders” too seriously. She may control the budget, but we still control the results.

KELLY

Don’t kid yourself! Geraldine can seize control of the entire project on a moment’s notice. It’s written into the contract with the university.

SCOTT

You’re kidding!

KELLY shakes her head, no.

DICK

So what do we do now?

KELLY

Find out who made the windmill rotate. The question is how much time Geraldine will give us before she pulls the plug.

SCOTT

I wouldn’t count on a lot of patience from Geraldine. I got the feeling that she wanted results yesterday!

DICK

So, if we’re going to finish this thing, we’d better do it in a hurry.

SCOTT

Absolutely.

KELLY

The problem of getting results may be easier said than done. I don’t know that we’ll be able to come up with something quickly. Even if we have time, we may not be able to confirm anything.

DICK

Why not?

KELLY

Would someone with that kind of talent, really want to expose themselves?

SCOTT

I wouldn’t.

DICK

But if they were trying to hide their ESP talents, why would they even be a part of the project?

KELLY

To find out if there were others like themselves.

DICK

Oh.

SCOTT

There’s another possibility too. The person with the talent may not know that they have it.

DICK

Can you have talent without knowing it?

SCOTT

Why not?

KELLY

Scott’s right. After all, it would be second nature to you. The fact that others didn’t have it would be the surprise. We all tend to judge others by our own physiological standards.

DICK

That’s a little weird.

KELLY

That’s life.

SCOTT

So we now have someone with telekinesis, who either does not know they have it, or who doesn’t want anyone else to know about it.

KELLY

Or more than one person. Several people could have unknowingly contributed, including the spectators.

SCOTT

Maybe it’s time for some direct experiments.

KELLY

Direct? What for?

SCOTT

Because we don’t have time for anything else. It may also keep Geraldine from pulling the plug prematurely.

KELLY

But if we get zero results...?

SCOTT

If the indirect experiments indicate there is talent, and the direct experiments yield nothing, then we’ll know there is someone with talent who is concealing the fact.

KELLY

Yes. That would be worth knowing.

SCOTT

We need results on both direct and indirect experiments. We really can’t afford to waste any more time. Geraldine is going to be breathing down our necks until we have some definitive results.

DICK

That’s for sure!

SCOTT

(to KELLY)

Why don’t you and Dick conduct some direct experiments, while I correlate the results from the indirect tests?

KELLY

You can’t correlate any results! You don’t have the clearance, remember?

SCOTT

Get serious! We’re involved in a whole new ball game now.

KELLY

Not really. The withholding of access to the results was based on exactly this sort of situation.

SCOTT

Then let me correlate the results without knowing who is who. Would that satisfy the censors?

KELLY

Well… that might be all right. I mean... if you don’t know what you’re doing... you wouldn’t violate any security rules.

SCOTT

Look, you can code the results with respect to each of the subjects. That way, you won’t actually know who is doing what. You’ll still be unbiased. At the same time, I can develop a file on five unknown candidates.

DICK

Five?

SCOTT

I’m including Ann. We’ll then have five files, with correlated results. We’ll know if we have one, two, three, four or five talents, but we won’t know which file is whose. Then when we’re ready, you can apply your code to my set of files. Then we’ll know which of the subjects have talent and which don’t.

KELLY

I must admit, the idea has merit.

DICK

Really!? Scott’s idea has merit?

SCOTT

I hope we didn’t shock you.

DICK

It’s just that I didn’t know you had good ideas. I mean... ideas that Kelly would think were good.

KELLY

Well, it is a good idea. We should be able to pinpoint what we’re dealing with, and in a relatively short time.

SCOTT

Then we’re agreed. I’ll correlate the results and prepare five separate files. Kelly will provide the raw data results and a code to eventually connect the five names to the five files. Dick, you go through and debug the room again. It’s important that no one sees any of our results.

DICK

Right!

SCOTT

Meanwhile the two of you can begin the direct experiments with our five subjects.

KELLY

And just maybe, we can find out who likes to rotate small windmills.

SCOTT

I’d like to know that myself.

DICK

(aside)

So would I.

BLACKOUT—END OF ACT II, SCENE 1

Perceptions -- Act II, Interscene 4-5

The lights come up on the pay telephone booth, as the lights go down on the main stage. SHELA enters from offstage and steps into the booth. As she does, she glances around several times in a secretive manner. As SHELA consults a small pocket notebook, SPY enters from above. [This is accomplished by SPY being supported by a rope to the theatre overhead -- see below drawing. SPY also stands on a board and leans out over the telephone booth.] SPY whips out his camera and begins taking pictures of SHELA as SHELA dials the operator. SHELA is unaware of SPY at this point.

SHELA

Operator? This is credit card number 3347694. I want to call... (ad) 33476... (ad, then slowly and with precise pronunciation) 3 3 4 7 6 9 4. I want to call 212, 376, 5311. (ad) 2 1 2. (ad) 3 7 6. 5 3 1 1. (ad) Thank you. (ad) Hello? Let me have extension 357. (ad, and becoming noticeably more agitated) Ex-tens-ion 3 5 7!

ESTHER enters from offstage, and then seeing SHELA, pretends to casually wait for SHELA to get off the telephone. At the same time, ESTHER tries to eavesdrop on SHELA’s conversation. ESTHER is also unaware of SPY at this point.

SHELA

Hello? This is 34-98. Let me speak to 11-0-2. (ad) How about 11-0-3? (ad) 11-17? Oh, okay. (ad) 11-17? Great! (ad) 34-98. (ad) Right!

Suddenly, there is the loud sound of a board cracking. SHELA and ESTHER both glance around, but neither look up to see SPY. Meanwhile SPY looks at the audience with obvious concern on his face.

SHELA

(into the telephone)

Did you hear something? (ad before dismissing the sound) Okay. Anyway, here’s the order: 12, 34, 78, 2. Got it? (ad) Good.

Suddenly, the board on which SPY has his feet planted, springs loose and SPY very rapidly swings off stage. There is the sound from offstage of loud crashing. Both ESTHER and SHELA notice SPY’s rapid departure. SHELA turns back to the telephone, while ESTHER looks offstage in wonder. Then ESTHER turns back to SHELA, just in time to hear SHELA’s next line to the telephone.

SHELA

Oh, by the way; hold the mustard!

SHELA hangs up the receiver, and smiling at ESTHER as he passes, quickly departs. ESTHER returns SHELA’s smile, and just as quickly enters the telephone booth. She dials the operator.

ESTHER

Operator? This is credit card number 907527. (ad) 9 0 7...

BLACKOUT—END OF INTERSCENE 4/5

Back to:

Act I, Scene 3 -- Results!

Forward to:

Act II, Scene 2 -- Misdirections

Stageplays Short Cut to Fictional Works

Real Talent

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