Earth

by Adrian Hornsby

Earth is a surrealist comic parable: part mime, part film, part circus-theatre. It tells the story of a war between a fat beer-guzzling capitalist and two ignorant avaricious peasants over a magic tree. While they are slapping at each other the tree god climbs up from beneath the root, take the tree, and does a runner. A Chaplinesque chase ensues before a much enfeebled god is eventually captured, and brought caged before the court.

{The JUDGE stalks out stage left. Music floods over the speakers — ‘Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonite’ by Fleetwood Mac. All those on stage — ie. both crowds — draw back to the wings on either side as the opening bars of the song build up (they are ravelling up their strength — it is like a huge indrawing of breath), then as the drum kicks in they all rush toward the centre (this the exhalation/explosion), and tear the box apart, pull out the god and in a big brawltogether toss him about amongst themselves, fists flying, submerge him in the rucus and kick and beat and tear at him as they fight over him. As those right in the middle beat the god, on the edges of the crowd couples pair up and ’50s rock ’n’ roll dance. Chants rise and fall off among the crowd. This section should be violent ecstatic horrific chaos. As the music drains out the crowd disperses to leave the god on his back on the bleacher in bits of the broken box, his white skin all blackened and bloodied, defunct. The JUDGE comes on, looks at the god, then out to the audience.}

JUDGE: There is no act of Western expansionism that the members of the West are not complicit in. There is no corporate act that is not an expression of our desires. There is no people that is not invested in itself. That which occurs is what we want to occur. If we believe otherwise we must examine our behaviour. The gods are too weak to avert our greed. The guilt we buy is not expensive enough. One man believes something is his because he has held it for a while. Another because he has power to take it. Everybody wants something to hold.

{He turns and looks at the smashed god, then exits. Lights out.}

Earth was originally commissioned by an NGO which works to support the Mapuches - an indigenous Chilean rain forest tribe that is being pushed around by international business interests (the paper industry, the hardwood exporters, the agribusiness men hungry for grazing land etc. etc.). Everybody wants the thing they want.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

26 May 2002
Café de la Danse, Paris

17 May 2003
Perdu, Amsterdam

Earth

Original Cast featured Flore Violet, Mike Dineen and Martin Lewis
directed by Adrian Hornsby with Clara McBride
film directed by Adrian Hornsby, camera Tabore Rector