Plaintext Players

The Plaintext Players

Demotic 2004/2006
The Roman Forum Project 2003
Virtual Live 2002
The Roman Forum 2000
Birth of the Christ Child 1999
Still Lies Quiet Truth 1998
Silent Orpheus 1997
Orpheus 1997
The White Whale 1997
SLQT 1996
The Candide Campaign
Gutter City 1995
LittleHamlet 1995
The Cake of the Desert 1996
The Cake of the Desert 1995
I Object 1995
Christmas 1994

"The White Whale" began when a white whale washed up dead in Venice. Some thought it must be Moby Dick. Others argued that it must be a collective hallucination, for there are no whales in the Mediterranean. Ishmael, the only person now living who has seen Moby Dick; Herman, who wrote the book on which the movie was based; Monkey-General, a famous museologist; and a dogged Reporter gathered in Venice to see if it was really true that Moby Dick was dead...

[ cast and performance ]

Herman says, "What do they call that kind of museum that has animals in it? And people are just another kind of animal?"

History-Herself says, "Civilization."

Herman says, "And it's all remarkably . . . inauthentic?"

History-Herself says, "Civilization is what they call it."

Herman says, "And they think people are actually going to fall for this? They're supposed to believe that South Sea Islanders crossed the Pacific in canoes and hunted *whales*?"

Herman looks out over the giant floating Head.

Herman says, "Obviously, these curators have never seen . . ."

History-Herself says, "A real plot?"

Herman says, "Our Blessed Mother."

[from The White Whale]