January 7 & 8: The Burning Times
Helena Andrade
Characters:
Skunk, a homeless man in his thirties
Angel, an outreach worker, mother, activist
Lola, Angel’s 9 year old daughter
The Burning Times
The rooftop of a four-story apartment building in East Van at sunset. To the east, black smoke billows high and wide. Directly above is a full moon. The soundscape is filled with distant sirens and the sound of waterbombers.
LOLA: Is the whole city going to burn?
SKUNK: This is the end of western civilization.
ANGEL: This is happening because we trusted the wrong people.
LOLA: Are people dying?
ANGEL: I don’t know.
SKUNK: I hope so.
LOLA: I don’t want to die. I don’t want Jackie and Esperanza and the other kids in my class to die.
SKUNK: Death can be a good thing.
ANGEL: I think there’s better ways to go than smoke and flames.
SKUNK: Well, its quick.
ANGEL: What about the damage to survivors? Think about that.
LOLA: I wish there was no such thing as oil. It just causes fighting and pollution.
SKUNK: Yeah, and the police are going to use this as an excuse to be more violent.
ANGEL: Wow, look how the light makes the smoke look so . . . beautiful.
END.