Chameleon

THE SCENE IS SET, SOUNDS OF BULLROARERS
THE PLAYERS STROLL ON AND SING:

GO
This is the start of our show
You picked a good place to go tonight
Because everyone knows
The stars still shine when it's wet and rainy
and don't you know
Forces are waiting, anticipating
For us to just, let it all go

Radiate all the love you can
Be you a cat, dog, woman,
Or even a Man
Wherever you go let that music flow
and the ways and the means are within this show,
So come on

This is the late show
Get together, don't you know,
We got to go go go

Put your stick into the fire
and raise it higher

Look out now
Look out now
We'd better look out now,
See what's coming in
See what's coming in.

THE MUSICIANS RECEED, PLAY DIFFERENT, MYSTIC SOUNDS

ENTER ALICE

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ALICE
You should understand that I am not of Earth.
I come from the planet you call Mars and have chosen to call myself
"Alice" for your convenience.
Allied intelligences of the multiverse sent those like myself to sow seed
in your minds.
We wish you no ill. I have come to open doorways of growth and communication for us all.
The time is right.

Do not be fearful when I say you are pressed up to your own destruction
like a face against glass, a rock about to topple, a storm to blow.

Be not fearful, be strong. Turn around.

Listen now.

It is time you all became aware of the damage you have done to your
planet, your living environment.
You have so defiled the entirety of your globe, that even out on Mars we
can feel it.
Among other things, we have to clear up your space waste;
Rockets that have out burnt their use, your petty probings and shuttlings
that leave such debris behind.

You don't need a tin can to go to stars.

Your mode of existence creates too much of this stuff "pollution."

You have heard it said;
these "factories" desecrate the rivers and poison the air.

Your "industry" creates wealth, but destroys life...

In this tale, we shall explore arts of living on planet as part of a
universe of souls.

It is you’re Selves in question.
Your society threatens Earth's life

Awake now and heal your world.

So do I challenge you.

(pause)

Look, who are these 3 figures come to this place?

ALICE RECEEDS. 3 GOAT SPIRITS APPEAR

Announce yourselves. Speak. What is your purpose?

SPIRIT
We are spirits that give commentary.
We tell the day it's news.

ALICE
There is work to be done.

SPIRIT
And we know it, we heard your talk.

SPIRIT
We are aware of Earth's need and seek those that will help.

ALICE
It is good then.
I cannot stay long in this atmosphere,
but shall return as and when nessicery.

(EXIT ALICE)

SPIRIT
She speaks of the humans lot

SPIRIT
How the life of their planet is ailing.

SPIRIT
Her travels have taught her many things.

ALL
Earth could listen to this calling

SPIRIT
Who will hear

SPIRIT
Who will feel

SPIRIT
Who will act

SPIRIT
There is some hope that Earth will survive it's present situation

SPIRIT
If it is not, then the life of Earth,
will die.
(pause)

SPIRIT
Who then dares to stand for Mother Earth?

(pause)

SPIRIT
Fom all life must it come.

(pause)

SPIRIT
And where does all life originate?

SPIRIT
Sun Moon and Stars
Guardians throughout time
who draw up life from the soil
they choose to illuminate.

Such is the calibre of aid we seek.

ALL
Spirits all amass
Open eyes
Realize

SPIRIT
Look at the Earth

ENTER EARTH

SPIRIT
See, the human has built a great drill on her surface

SPIRIT
The machines are positioned, now they shiver into action.
Deeply plunge the metallic penetrators

ALL
So She screams

THE EARTH SCREAMS

See how the pearl planet is hurting

Let us do what we can

THEY NOD IN AGREEANCE, SOME SIMPLE PACT IS MADE

SPIRITS
We summon the Sun
We summon the Sun
To court we say to court
To join our gaze in mighty glare
And see what is to see
To see
And see what is to see

We summon the Moon
Summon the Moon
To court we say to court
Come she who pulls the tides of Man
And bring all love to bear
To bear
And bring all love to bear

What is to be done?
To be done
What is to do?
Be done

Build a structure bright and fair from ruins of the old

SPIRIT
We must go away to let the Sun and Moon get about their business.

SPIRITS EXIT SHAKING GOURDS AND RINGING BELLS. ENTER CHILD WHO STANDS
WITH BAND. BAND PLAYS "SUN AND MOON"

SUN AND MOON

Sun and Moon
Day and Night
Come heal our bodies
Bathe us in your light

We are standing in a dark place
Cannot see for fear
We must use our inner strength
With light we can see clear

BAND KEEP PLAYING; CHILD SPEAKS

The Sun and Moon rise and fall each day
The Sun brings life and the Moon excites me when it is big

Stars are the universe which we are a part of

I pray that we on Earth respect these heavenly bodies and our own lives
as well.

EXIT CHILD. MUSIC CHANGES TO INTRODUCE SUN AND MOON, a courteous couple.
EXIT BAND.

SUN
Good day

MOON
Good evening

THEY EXCHANGE GLANCES, LOOK AT WATCHES

SUN
As you on Earth revolve about me, the Sun,

MOON
So I the Moon circle you on Earth.

SUN
All is resplendant in my glory
My rays illuminate all and give life to everything

MOON
Though without Sun's rays I cannot be seen,
I, the Moon
Move your emotions
I steer the sea
Wax and Wane
and cause the psychic tides

Many strange events do take place beneath my unshadowed prescence.

SUN
LOOKS AT MOON, IMPRESSED
Sky sister, you , of all spheres, are a wyrd one.

LOOKS AT AUDIENCE, CLEARS BREATH

Hear now
The three spirits have called us to court,
for the Earth has problems

A steward force must meet to work for Earths needs.

THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER

MOON
Then court must be held,
But who will gather the forum
It cannot be us
We have our duties to perform.

SUN
Who will call the court.
It cannot be the spirits
For as yet man does not see them.

MOON
There must be a medium – one
who can travel between our world and the world of man.

THEY PONDER, PERHAPS ASK AUDIENCE. ENTER SPIRIT

MOON
I remember one!
I know one.

SUN
Who?

MOON
His name is Vortex Joe.

SUN

Of course, Vortex Joe
traveler of all planes.

MOON
Shaman to his kind, the Mali people.

SUN
He who weilds the Rod of the universe.

MOON
Who changes colour; becomes
a bird, a fish a lizard!

SPIRIT
Yet pardon me great orb, this …
Creature is imprisoned.
Men have sealed him inside the
Great mountain.

EXIT SPIRIT

SUN
What spirit
Entombed in rock?
That makes me angry.
I will not be vexed.
He shall be free.
By flame and fire
He shall be free.

Great mountain!? Ha!!

SUN AND MOON CHANT

Break the Rock
Break the Lock
Break the Rock
Break the Lock

That holds the hero of the Earth.
Who breathes and feels and knows his worth
All space and time are his.

With one foot on the Land
And one foot in the Sky

He stands astride all of the Realms
And weilds the Rod that

Brings together Casts apart

And changes all the world.

Sun: Where is the Manchild, send him rays
To fire his spirit and free him from this prison.

MOUNTAIN FALL ASUNDER!

FX: MOUNTAIN EXPLODING
CUE MELLOW SONG

Rushing down through Time
With Rod of Karma in his hand
Imprisoned for so long
At last he is free
To free you and me.

Vortex Joe, wake once more
Wake up and see the world.

When we imprisoned Joe
We put us in a cage
‘Cos the Vortex is our own true Nature
Sent by Sun and Moon.
He’ll play the cosmic loon
And we are all part of his lunacy.


Vortex Joe, raise your eyes
From their sleep, you gotta go.
You gotta go, you gotta go,
You gotta go.

It’s time to wake up
Time to wake up
Time to awaken.

VORTEX JOE HAS BEES LYING BENEATH POLSTYRENE BLOCKS. HE GETS UP SLOWLY AND POWERFULLY. HE LOOKS AT THE ROD IN HIS HAND – REMEMBERS, THEN GLEEFULLY WIELDS IT
WITH CONFIDENCE.

Vortex Joe: Ho ho – my stick,
Still with me!
Ho ho! Vortex Joe!

Free at last, free from the rock!

I can feel great energies. Wind and
Rain. STAMPS Earth beneath my feet.
And what’s this!? Suns Rays!

CALLS Sun I am bidden from slumber
What a fool!
I simply make good theatrical sense.

USING ROD TO STIR MYSTIC STUFF HE SEMI CHANTS

Ha ha!

People and events do mix
Nicely does it, bring it together.

Situations come about and
who comes round the corner . . .

Look at that, what did I say.

ENTER JACOB, WHO DOES NOT SEE JOE. HE LOOKS
CONFUSED.

Jacob: What am I? Who am I going?
Where is… Why am… I
When will…
What kind of life am I living in this day and age? I’m trapped.
No way out

Who can you trust
Where can you go

Too much constraint; No freedom.

Development all around
Land barons who greed for power
Polluting industries
Cities of suffocating concrete and tarmac.

ENTER SPIRITS WHO ACKNOWLEDGE VORTEX JOE

Factories belching smoke
A world hung on a nuclear nerve-game.

Father works in this corporation “Hi-rise”
What good does that do?
He has a high status position, and plots out what new areas of
land are to be developed.
This is the way to destroy our livelihood
the delicate balance of energies in the Earth.
Nurturing, healing natural forces
I dream of ancient dragons

You never know what’s going to happen next, do you!
I stumbled on this stash of my father’s:
Four kilograms of white, white cocaine, all done up in a
suitcase.

Who am I to turn away providence
And I’m off to Meaness City,
head clear in the clouds, wondering what the fuck’s this snow
doing here.

Vortex Joe: Which is where Jacobs father
Not too pleased at the loss of both car
And coke
Sends a couple of henchmen to - return his goods.
Poor Jacob.

Jacob : Who’s this in my wing mirror – dark night; empty freeway
And I’m forced over to the gravel and given a thorough
beating

And left by the road
I could have died!

MUSIC OR SONG, WHERE ALICE MAY DO DREAM
DANCE…
EVENTUALLY, DRUMS OF MALI COMMENCE,
AND THEY APPEAR IN PAINT AND BEADS.
JACOB GETS UP AND HITCH-HIKES OFF OF
PERFORMANCE AREA

Mali: TO AUDIENCE
So you’re on your way to the city,
Where the creatures dwell.
Where all lie
Smothered in oil from the Mothers belly.
This is a dying culture.
You cannot survive.
You have no songs.

Who can sing the song of this age?

Enliven the Dragon lines that write
Your spine in the sky

Chanting words that bring the world
Into existence.

See, Machine Man.
It is a contemptuous lizard
Breeds bad eggs in sacred land.

What kind of a song?

SONG

I see your footprints Chameleon
Tell me, is it part of your plan
Please elucidate, if it is too late
When you’ve fed all you can
Is it as grim as it seems
I can tell by your coat
And your gloat
That you’re not my friend

But only dying
Stepsister Union, melting, excluding
And it’s running down to the sea
Your mind it’s unkind to fallow and blind
And it’s oozing out into me
The dog days are here,
Said the man with the sneer
As he choked

Still something’s dying

Mmmm dying. SONG FINISH

These earth-heating ways
Will die off and leave us once
More to our own
But how long will it take
Will there be anything left?

Our people have suffered the
Imposition of Machine Man for too long.

ENTER MORE MALI

We are the Mali People and can
Ride on the wind, we sing among
The stars our songs of life and death.

Now our hearts are imprisoned
Inside the Great Mountain and we
Can fly no more
Only remember.

We called him Vortex Joe, He is in
All of us, but shall never walk again. Oh no.

ENTER VORTEX JOE

Vortex Joe: Ha ha ha!

Not so, good Mali
I am Vortex Joe.

THE MALI ARE ASTONISHED

Set free by Sun and Moon
Raise your heads, do not be
So gloomy
It is not the end
My staff has choosen one
Name of Jacob
To go into the world

He will not find it easy
But give him time

The agents of peace are on the move.

EXIT VORTEX JOE

MALI WITH CURIOUS EXPRESSIONS

There are those walking, swimming
And flying about the Earth who do love it
There is hope still!

EXEUNT WITH “YIPS” AND A FEW “VORTEX JOE”

ENTER JACOB AND SPIRITS

Jacob: Eventually, in Meaness City, I sought employment.
Anything, I said to myself. – I’m a motorcycle courier.

Spirits: So round the city he goes
CHANT Taking peoples stuff about,
He lives in the down town area
Meets people who do him no good.
Gets involved with an underground scene.
Meets the “Burning Crew”
These people near burn him out
Sell him drugs and everything

Now there’s this lizard called Smug
Head of the underworld you could say
Deals between the Law and Rout
His watchful eyes are always out.

THE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN APPEARING. SMUG SINGS
AS PART OF MEANESS CITY THEME. A DEAL IS DONE
BETWEEN JACOB AND SMUG

Smug: My name is Smug and I live here
At the heart of Meaness City
You’d be surprised at the many lives
I do my business with.

All: Meaness City, aint gonna take it
Meaness City,
Meaness City ain’t gonna take it
Meaness City
Ain’t gonna take it, ain’t gonna take it
Aint gonna take it
NOW

Spirit: It is a twilight existence
That Jacob begins to live

Spirit: A far cry from what Joe or we are looking for

Spirit: let us nag him till he gets it right.

THE SPIRITS GOAD AND MAKE JACOB DANCE

Jacob: Skyscraper terror; no life in there;
City of eyes; city of lies;
Fever hot on my brow;
I’m poisoned to the core.
JACOB COLLAPSES; SOOTHING MUSIC…
ENTER ALICE… SHE TENDS TO JACOB…

Jacob: What’s that?
Alice: Healing waters from the hills of Mars. Are you comfortable?

Jacob: Who are you?

Alice: My name is Alice?

JACOB MOVES AWAY WITH SUSPICIAN. ALICE
REGARDS JACOB WITH COMPASSION
IN MOVING, JACOB CRUMBLES TO FLOOR. ALICE
CRADLES HIM AND JACOB COMES ROUND AGAIN.

Jacob: Who are you, where am I
Who . . . you . . .

Alice: Do not worry, Relax.

Jacob: Get off me.

Alice: You’re in a bad way
Need healing.

Jacob: Healing?
What do you mean?

HIS VOICE IS SOFT AND DREAMY

Alice: TO THE AUDIENCE.
The boy must travel to the place
I call the spaces
He must go very soon because his
Life is in danger
There he will find the mystic
Waters of Myo
Which will heal his dis-ease.

TO JACOB
Hallo Jacob, are you allright
. . . . can you see the spaces.

ENTER SPIRITS

Jacob: IN A TRANCE
I am floating high above
There is a city below me
Glistening
It must be dawn
And if I pout my lips to become a
Beak – yes yes so

Streamlining my body in the
Magnificent passage of air

Feathers grow and help me
Direct my flight

Every muscle bracing against
The wind

Plunge

Deep into the currents
And
Change
Further

Wow


She is leading me through darkness
Where strange forms play in
Natures electricity

Alice: Along the way and through the door.

JACOB IS LEAD THROUGH A DOOR

Here is the forest Jacob
Tall trees and fresh air
You are free to fly

JACOBS BIRD LANDS

Rejoice at the morning
The sun is bright
Through the leaves
Come with me now

Spirit: Alice leads him to a strange sort of fountain.

Spirit: The waters of Myo!

Jacob: SLOW MOTION RUNNING

I am seeking, my heart knows
the way

Take me deeper guide
Open the way.

Alice: Search deeper still.

Jacob: I pass through the undergrowth
Feel the fronds and ferns licking my body.
I am sleek death and my eyes are red.

Spirits: Rushing, rushing through the leaves
What has Jacob now become?

A lion or tiger, bear or beast
There is none he cannot be
Now he flies and now he swims
Buzzing wings and flapping fins

Ever ever changing form
The spirit runs him through and through

Spirit: To the Source.

Spirit: To the Centre.

Spirit: The Myo – water is life to all things.

JACOB HAS BEEN DOING ACTIONS SEES FOUNTAIN IN MIME

Jacob: What a sight:
Water is issuing from the brow of the earth!
See how it sparkles!

HE DRINKS; WASHES HIMSELF TOTALLY

I feel so alive!
How can this be?

Spirit: Jacob has found himself.

Spirit: He is bathed in his own being.

Spirit: Feel the power of the
Waters of Myo.

Alice: Wait now, but soon we must
Travel to our council at the court of
The Sun and the Moon.

CYMBOLS, ENTER VORTEX JOE WHO HAS ADDED
FEATHER EPELETTES TO HIS SUIT

Vortex Joe: Good friends! It’s me!
Vortex Joe.
I summon you all to the council
With the Sun and the Moon.

They wish to speak their plans.

Come all in joy, you are bidden.

Spirits
And Alice: The time is now
So, we come to court.

THEY ALL CARRY JACOB OUT. EXEUNT.

ENTER SUN AND MOON WHO STAND REGAL

ENTER ALICE, SPIRITS AND JACOB. SPIRITS COME TO FORE

Spirit: See this great hall full of people

Spirit: Every nation is represented.

Spirit: Joe has been working hard!

THEY MOVE BACK

Sun: Are we all here?

Vortex Joe: All save the one called Smug,
He slipped away
Would not come.

Moon: That we expected but do not
Worry, enough are here.

VORTEX BOWS

Sun: Be seated.

ALL SIT SAVE THE SUN AND THE MOON

Moon: A loving guard that protects its environment.
Sun: Are we of one accord.

The Host: Aye!

Sun: Thank you all for coming
Our plan is quite simple
There is an energy binding
The universe
We shall energise the earth with energy.

Moon: In the correct time of season
You will celebrate at the
Energy centres
Stone circles
Sacred groves
Earth temples
And holy wells

Sun: As you rejoice your work on Earth,

Moon: So open you to healing.

Sun and Moon: And we will pour down our rays.

Moon: The spirits will guard the gates to
the plant kingdoms, where these
rays will enter the soil
and so nourish the ecosystems

THEY BOW

Sun: RAPS THE FLOOR
The energising will start at
Great stone rocks
In three days time.
Call your musicians, dancers, poets
and firework makers, your stiltwalkers,
skinbeaters and singers.
Cluster about stone rocks
Sing the song of the Age
Activate your Earth with music and dance

Vortex Joe: Ya hey!
Let’s celebrate and get friendly
Then pool our skills and do our work!

Sun and Moon: Go now, tread the
Rainbow Stair to Earth Circus
and call your people to dance and rejoice
for the Earth is reborn.

ALL CHEER

Sun: Is the host prepared?

Host: Yes lifegiver.
To Earth we go to revel and dance
To pour all our power over all
And work the heart of joy on Earth
That all hearts beat fresh and strong
That love may peel out loud and long

Farewell Sun!

Farewell Moon!

EXIT SUN AND MOON. THE HOST TRAVELS THE RAINBOW
STAIR AND THE GROOVE OUT, PERHAPS HOLD HANDS.

Vortex Joe: Here we are on Earth
Great Stone Rock

What a reception!

THE MALI PEOPLE HAVE PREPARED MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL. THEY ARE ECSTATIC WELCOMERS.

THE MUSIC CONTINUES QUIETER

Alice: So the people celebrated .
And true to their agreement
The Sun and the Moon poured light
Into the Great Stone Rocks
Everyone was open to it
Happily beating drums
Intoning and playing bizarre instruments

The sky entered the ground
The ground rose to the sky
And there was a delicious drinking.
They poured down their light.

Spirits all: And the Earth drank.

Alice: They poured down more.

Spirits: The Earth drank still.

Alice: And the Earth gave it’s
Healing back to the sky
That both could feed on the star stuff.

Men and Women, recognising their
Part in the cycle, create new
Technologies to conduct it’s flow.

The circle is complete.