Opus 40: The Master-Work of Environmental Artist Harvey Fite Page #7

---

It's a f***ing wall.

And I'm not in it.

I'm not in it. It's a window

and I can leave any time I want.

But I choose not to.

I choose to stay here.

It's breathing.

MASTER:
No matter what is said,

we do not react.

Freddie, you may begin.

I was on a ship that got

What'd you do, dummy?

FREDDIE:
I can feel outside,

I can touch the neighbor's house.

I can touch the plants,

I can touch the stars,

I can touch anything I want.

And end of Application.

- You're f***ing with me.

- End of Application.

- Freddie, open your eyes.

- It's a f***ing wall!

Open your eyes

and come back to me.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Very good.

Very good.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(SHUSHING)

(CHATTER QUIETS)

I am here to announce the first

Universal Congress of The Cause

to be held May 21st, 1950,

in Phoenix, Arizona,

a city named

for that glorious bird,

whose resurrection

from the ashes fits our own.

And it is here we will

present Book II.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(DIGGING)

(MASTER GRUNTING)

(PANTING)

What's in it?

My unpublished work.

My life's work.

Hold on. Hold on.

All right.

Please, come and join us.

Please, come get insight on

how to be freer, more productive,

and more in command of your life.

CLARK:
- Free yourself, ma'am.

- Don't...

Free yourself from past trauma.

Take command of your life, sir.

Would you care for

some free processing?

Sir, would you care for some

free processing? It's free.

Free yourself from past traumas.

Free yourself from past trauma.

Free yourself from past trauma.

CLARK:
Take control of your life.

Free yourself

from your ailments.

Free yourself from your ailments.

CLARK:
Take control of your life, sir.

Take control of your life.

You don't have to

change your faith

or leave the congregation

you belong to.

So those interested in freedom

are urged to please come

for free sample processing sessions

in being younger, feeling freer,

and understanding

where you come from.

It works.

I added that.

(CHUCKLES)

- OK, ready?

- Is it in focus?

I was just asking.

- Go ahead, snap away.

(LAUGHING) - OK.

Ready?

One, two...

(SHUTTER CLICKING)

Thank you.

(MUFFLED CHATTER)

(UP-TEMPO PIANO MUSIC PLAYS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Hi, Helen.

It's almost here.

(DOOR OPENS)

(APPLAUSE)

(CHEERING)

That's enough.

That's enough now.

You're gonna make me

red all over.

Thank you. Thank you.

Book II... is about man.

And the title of the book

is The Split Saber.

And here we have some answers.

No more secrets.

The source of all creation...

...good and evil...

...and the source of all...

...now, funny enough,

the source of all...

...is you.

I have unlocked...

and discovered

a secret to living

in these bodies that we hold.

And, oh yes, it's very, very,

- VERY, VERY SERIOUS.

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)

The secret...

...is laughter.

(LAUGHTER)

(FIGHT APPLAUSE)

MASTER:
Now, I'd like to discuss

processing and communication.

The art of listening,

if you will.

(UP-TEMPO PIANO MUSIC PLAYS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Bill.

Hello.

- How are you?

- Fine, thank you.

- You came from New York?

- New York City, yes.

So, what do you think

of the book?

What do you think about it?

I think it stinks.

If it were up to me I'd chop this thing

down to a three-page pamphlet

and hand it to people

before they got on the subway.

But I edited most of

his earlier work.

Can I talk to you for a minute?

- Outside?

- Let me say this,

the man is a grade-A mystic.

A true, original mystic

of the highest order.

But his work is garbled and twisted,

and let me tell you...

What... What is this?

(GRUNTING)

(SCREAMING)

(COUGHING)

(WOMAN SINGING)

- Hello.

- Helen.

- Author.

- Please.

- I've been reading the new book.

- What do you think?

I think it's wonderful.

- Wait till you get to the good parts.

- Oh, yes.

Well, as I've begun, I did notice

on page 13 there's a change.

You've changed the

processing-platform question.

Now it says,

"Can you imagine...?"

Yes.

Yes.

If our previous method was to induce

memory by asking, "Can you recall,"

doesn't it then change everything

if now we say, "Can you imagine?"

We are invoking a new, wider range

to account for the new data.

"Can you imagine," allows for a more

creative pathway to the mind.

More open.

- But if the new...

- What do you want?!

Helen.

This is the new work.

Over here!

The game is called

Pick-a-Point.

You pick a point, drive straight at it,

as fast as you can.

I'll go first.

I pick that winding road.

(LAUGHING)

Good job, Daddy!

(CHEERING)

Ya-hoo! (laughing)

Whoo!

Whoo-hoo!

Whoo!

Thrilling!

(ENGINE STOPS)

- Thrilling.

Freddie.

Pick a point.

Tell it to me.

The rock...

The mountain.

The head.

It's the head of an alligator.

Good.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Whoo! Freddie!

Go, Freddie!

He's going very fast.

(THUNDER ROLLS IN DISTANCE)

- Good boy.

(INHALES)

(EXHALES)

Freddie!

(JO STAFFORD:
"NO OTHER LOVE")

- Hello?

(KNOCKING)

WOMAN:
Hello?

Mrs. Solstad,

I'm looking for Doris.

Oh.

- What for?

- Because I'm looking for her,

because I want to talk to her.

That's what for.

Well, Doris is in Alabama right now.

- What's she doing in Alabama?

- Well, she's there with, um... Jim Day.

They're married. He's in ROTC

training, Navy flight training.

- Jim Day?

- Mm-hm.

- Jim Day, Jim Day, that Jim Day?

- Yes.

- Jim Day from Somerville.

- Well, when'd that happen?

They've been married

for three years.

Is he still ugly?

She has two children.

Boys or girls?

Two boys.

Are you coming back home?

No, I was just visiting.

I thought I'd see

if she was around, say hello.

How's your family doing?

Yeah, all right.

Well, she's not here.

You could write her.

I have an address.

I'm not gonna

write her a letter.

All right.

Was she upset last time I was here?

When I left her here?

- Yes.

- Was she broken up about it?

Yes.

- She told you what happened?

- Mm. Yeah.

What'd she say?

That you said that

you'd come back sometime.

Is that right?

It was a long time ago.

Where have you been?

I been working.

Working, traveling.

I think I've been halfway around

the world since I last saw Doris.

How old is she now?

Doris is 23.

'Cause I wanted to know.

You know, she was...

She was too young when I...

Well, she's happy,

and that's good.

I'll tell her you came to see me.

Ah, that's not gonna matter.

Give me a break.

It was nice to see you.

Am I leaving?

No. Whatever you'd like.

You can come in.

- Nah. I gotta go.

- OK.

Thank you.

- How's Mr. Solstad?

- Why, he's very good.

He's working, and...

- Will you tell him I said hello?

- All right.

So, her name is Doris Day?

Like the Doris Day?

Yes.

- The movie star.

- Yes.

BOY:
Who are you?

BOY 2:
My name is Casper.

BOY:
Hey, Casper.

Would you like to play pirate with me?

CASPER:
Oh, boy! Would I!

BOY:
How are we gonna

tie this together, Casper?

CASPER:
I found some rope.

BOY:
Gee, Casper,

you're a tricky one.

Hello?

MASTER:
I miss you.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes