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| [Music under: chanting Tibetan monks. The Performer is crumpled up in the fetal position under a pile of roses, the Puritan moves to his area in a rictus of referred pain. The Prodigy occupies his area, trying to pull himself back from the disturbance. The Perfectionist sits in his swivel chair - it's business as usual. Hushed tones prevail in the dialogue sequence which follows.] | |
| PERFORMER: | [raising an arm] Pain ... swelling ... tenderness. |
| [The Perfectionist wheels to his control panel. The Puritan is there waiting for him.] | |
| PERFECTIONIST: | [producing a vial of pills] Butazolidin. |
| [He pops a pill, hands the vial to the Puritan.] | |
| PURITAN: | [to Perfectionist] Side effects: hypertension, insomnia, psychosis - |
| [He takes a pill; this Perfectionist-Puritan action is repeated for each of the pharmaceuticals which follows. The Prodigy, meanwhile, is moving in his own space - blithe with naive certainty.] | |
| PRODIGY: | Candy Love Hearts. 'U R the 1.' |
| PERFORMER: | [diagnosing it] Gouty inflammation of the joints. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Allopurinal. |
| PURITAN: | Side-effects: unexplained sore throat, weakness in hands, taste perversion, impotence. |
| PRODIGY: | Vitamin C. |
| PERFORMER: | Crescent like sensations in the fingers. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Zyloprim. |
| PURITAN: | Side-effects: Edema, fever and tingling pain. |
| PRODIGY: | Basin of hot water. |
| PERFORMER: | Tightness in joints and muscles. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Librax. |
| PURITAN: | Dilated pupils. Dry mouth. Confusion. Ataxia. |
| [On the word 'ataxia' everyone takes their pulse.] | |
| PRODIGY: | [doing it] Gotta soak. |
| PERFORMER: | [self-diagnosis] Hypertension. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Aldomet. |
| PURITAN: | Feelings of detachment. Depression. Mild psychosis including nightmares. |
| PRODIGY: | Hot cocoa. |
| PERFORMER: | Gout. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Inderal. |
| PURITAN: | Inderal may decrease the effectiveness of Zyloprim. |
| PRODIGY: | Hot tubby. |
| PERFORMER: | Agitated depression! |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Chlorpromazine. |
| PURITAN: | Insomnia. Not to be taken with Inderal. |
| PRODIGY: | Hot wax. |
| [The Performer is startled back to full awareness.] | |
| PERFORMER: | I can't sleep. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Nembutal. |
| PURITAN: | Should be avoided in patients with impaired cardiovascular systems. |
| PRODIGY: | [exiting] Coat, cap, scarf and gloves. |
| PERFORMER: | No one understands! |
| [He takes his pulse again.] | |
| High blood pressure. | |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Serpasil. |
| PURITAN: | Mental depression. Impaired concentration. Decreased libido. |
| PERFORMER: | I can't sleep ... ringing in the ears. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Valium. |
| PURITAN: | Hallucinations. |
| PERFORMER: | Am I dying? |
| [The Puritan moves to his chair.] | |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Valium. |
| PURITAN: | [sitting down] Clumsiness. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Valium. |
| PURITAN: | Vertigo. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | Valium! |
| PURITAN: | Insomnia. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | VALIUM! |
| PURITAN: | RAGE! |
| PERFORMER: | I need help. |
| PERFECTIONIST: | [spinning in his chair] Valium. Valium. Valium. |
| [Light shift. Another note from the ground bass.] |