broken

Evolution broken
Traits maladptive
Environmental bankruptcy
Economic bankruptcy

Fish stocks
Oil stocks
Affluent consumer stocks
Investor stocks
Arable land stocks

the ballad of robert Dziekanski

[ the solo's are missing for the different characters and need to be added ]

[ what will robert sing? ]

[ the 4 rcmp uniformed officers are checking tickets ]

[ the lights go down - and come up on the chorus ]

[ the chorus could be angels with wings - like the angels in Wings of Desire ]

chorus: we are here today - the day robert Dziekanski is going to die

chorus: we are here in the vancouver airport, waiting with him - it's 1am - he's got just 30 minutes to live

chorus: he doesn't know that he is going to die

chorus: he got off the plane from poland 10 hours ago and he hasn't had anything to eat or drink

[ robert walks on and off ]

chorus: we dedicate this work to him. to his mother. to poland. to vancouver.

[ moment of silence, heads bowed ]

chorus: the 4 rcmp officers are here too.

chorus: they don't know that they are going to kill him.

[ the 4 officers are talking off stage, on stage, beyond the 4th wall ]

chorus: the camera man is here. he is coming back from china.

chorus: if it wasn't for him none of us would exist.

[ do the lights go out? is the chorus wearing camera's around their necks? ]

[ or do they just pause and bow their heads ]

chorus: we are not going to tell this story in the usual way.

chorus: we are also not going to tell it like it happened - this is make believe after all.

chorus: we could tell it as a tragedy - for a tragedy it is.

chorus: we have all the elements the ancient greeks loved and thought so highly of.

chorus: we have unity time - unity of place - unity of action.

chorus: a perfect triangle.

chorus: the players don't know their time has come.

chorus: the clock is ticking and the events are ready to unfold.

chorus: the airport, the arrival area - an arrival and a departure.

chorus: the action is a betrayal, a killing, the many against the one, us versus the other, the state versus the individual, brother killing brother, the armed versus the unarmed, the watchers versus the watched.

chorus: we could tell the story like that - but why? this airport is a cabaret!

[ the lights go down on the chorus ]

[ the lights come up on a big show number of "life is a cabaret" !!! ]

[ let's have some fun! what does vancouver have to offer? burlesque and drag queens and so much in between!! ]

[ the lights go down on the dancers and go up on the chorus ]

chorus: robert, you can come on stage now.

chorus: we can't hear him. imagine he is speaking polish.

chorus: but all we hear is nothing. no one hears him. his ignored.

chorus: robert - go and look for your mother. search the stage.

chorus: don't give up robert. keep looking. you have been looking for 9 hours.

robert: i want my mom.

robert: i want my mom. where is my mom?

robert: she would be here... why isn't she here.

robert: mom!

robert: mom - how come no one is helping me.

robert: don't leave me here alone.

robert: no one understands me.

robert: no one cares about me.

robert: i am soo alone.

robert: mom - come and get me please.

robert: please - i am begging you - come and get me out of here.

robert: i need you.

robert: i miss you.

robert: where are you?

robert: when are you coming?

chorus: robert - that's enough. we understand.

chorus: you understand don't you?

chorus: did you ever let go of your mother's hand only to lose her?

chorus: his mother came to get him.

chorus: she stayed at the airport for 3 hours before going back to kamloops.

chorus: she never sees her son alive again.

[ zofia at a customer service agent booth ]

zofia: can you please page my son

zofia: he is supposed to be here hours ago

zofia: please page him - his name is robert Dziekanski

zofia: no - you pronounce it Dziekanski - Dzie - kan - ski

zofia: robert Dziekanski

chorus: but robert can't hear that page

chorus: he is the secure area - and pages are not played there

chorus: and even if pages were played there

chorus: it wouldn't have been his mothers voice

chorus: now - we will re-enact what is shown on the video tapes

[ re-enactment ]

[ robert is dead ]

[ lights black except the spot on him ]

officers: we are sorry

officers: it was wrong

officers: we wish we could do it all over again

officers: but since we can't

officers: we are working hard to make sure this doesn't happen again

officers: we are speaking out

officers: we don't want anyone else to die

officers: we don't want anyone else to kill someone and live with that

officers: we don't want anyone else to lose their son or their daughter

officers: we don't want to use electric discharge weapons anymore

[ they put the weapons down ]