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Invaded Dreams
A Play by Caroline Arragain
1st scene.
Fiona on stage.
3 virtual characters: the sister, the father, the mother. They appear on the screen (situated upstage), as black and white pictures.
Voice overs for the sister comes from backstage.
Voices of the teacher, the father and the mother are prerecorded, with reverb, like in a memory.
Fiona dances.
Phone rings.
This morning my sister called me, it was 5 o�clock, I was still asleep.
Sister appears on screen.
Fiona: hello, who is this, calling so early?
Sister: this is your sister, am I waking you up?
Fiona: yeah�
Sister: well, it�s 5 o�clock already. Aren�t you ashamed to be still asleep?
Fiona: well, I guess I�m not. I was having a very nice dream actually. You want to hear about it?
Sister: No, I�d rather not. My God, Fiona, when are you gonna stop dreaming your life away? When are you gonna leave your bed and look for a job? Don�t you want to get somewhere in your life? Don�t you want to become somebody?
Screen off
I guess I don�t. In the eyes of society, I�m a marginal, an eccentric, a burden. I spend my nights and days dreaming in my bed, this is the only thing I can do.
When I was a kid, I would constantly fall asleep on my desk in the classroom. I could not help it. My teachers got angry at me:
A teacher appears on the screen, in a classroom with thousand desks.
Teacher: you�re so undisciplined! How do you expect anybody to hire you if you�re not even able to stay awake and learn how to behave. School is supposed to prepare you for your professional life, how can you learn if you fall asleep on your desk? You should take waking pills, as the other kids, obey and conform, or you won�t get a job, girl!
Screen off.
I�m glad I didn�t follow their advice. Employees nowadays work night and day, under the pressure of their employers. Productivity, efficiency, that�s what is expected. Corporations have to sell more to face competition, faithful consumers therefore have to shop more. Faithful employees have to work even more to keep their jobs and pay their credit cards off. Waking up at 5, driving to the job, in the traffic, working all morning and afternoon, having breakfast, lunch and dinner in front of the computer, relaxing in the traffic getting home. Phone call, that�s the employer: �can you come back for a few hours, we have a very urgent order, we need you�. Negative answers of course are out of the question. Swallowing waking pills, going back to work, until midnight, three in the morning. No time to sleep, no time to dream. That was not for me.
My parents were worried about me. My father would ask me.
Father appears on screen.
Father: What do you want to do when you grow up?
Fiona: I want to be a beach bum. Have a small house on the beach, take walks on the sand, collect shelles and stones, eat oysters and mussels, sleep under the sun at day and under the stars at night.
Father: I�m afraid that�s not how it works daughter. If you don�t want to have to obey anybody, you could become a doctor, like me. You will lead a comfortable life, and at the same time save the world! You will afford all the houses you want, you will buy oysters and not have to catch them, you will invite your friends to dinner and they will be envious of your houses, your money, your happiness.
Screen off
I�m glad I did not follow his advice. Today doctors spend their days fighting against diseases spreading faster than their time: stress, anxiety, ulcers; rich people�s diseases, the poor died a long time ago. They can afford to buy as many houses as they like, but they can not find the time to go there. Coasts are full of empty houses and deserted roads. Concrete has replaced sand, there is not even any beach left to sleep on.
I was getting older, still sleeping and living my life in dreams. My parents were worried, what would become of me? In despair, my mother told me once:
Mother appears on screen.
Mother: Well, daughter, if you don�t want to work, why don�t you at least marry a rich and handsome man, he will support you, and you won�t have anything to do but take care of your family. Think about your future, think about your old years, or at least, do it for me!
Screen off
I�m glad I did not follow her advice. My mother had 5 kids, spent her time waking up in the middle of the night, go shopping for food, shopping for clothes, shopping for furniture and kitchen utensils, driving the kids to school, driving the kids to their afternoon activities. Come back, prepare dinner, clean. She died at 55 from exhaustion, did not see her children growing older. She did not have time to enjoy her pension. How could I have stood such a continuous tension?
I was kind of stubborn I admit. Teachers, parents and friends all did agree: You are good for nothing, you won�t get anywhere.
So for once I followed their advice, and I�m happy about it: I did not go anywhere, I did not move. I stayed here, right here, in my bed. And dream. I live my dreams and dream my life, erasing unconsciously the line between both, until they constitute the same universe of sweetness. My universe. My bed.
Scene 2.
Fiona on stage, asleep in her bed.
A list of numbers on the screen, mostly 0s and 1s.
The following information is said by an electronic male voice, rapidly and automatically. No feeling in the voice.
Dark electronic music performed live or recorded behind the voice.
Enter Keyword: Fiona Artaud / Background.
Personal information for identification and qualification:
Birth date: 02/19/2001
Place of birth: suburb number T77892
driver�s license number: C 5798203
Passport number: 783920757
Voter registration: 9830498
Address: 2378 23rd Street, apartment 243, 45th floor, San Francisco 91302
Phone number: 415-8798-867996
SSN: 613-76-9844
Childhood and Family background.
Family category B 763829. Revenue: $ 315,000 per year.
Father is a doctor.
Mother a housewife.
3 brothers and 1 sister, all married with children, good professional careers.
Very stable family living in proper anesthetized suburbs. Consumes regularly.
Educational information.
Failure at school despite stable family background.
Entrance denied to numerous schools because of laziness.
Sent to reformatory school in 2015.
High school certificate in 2021
bad academic records except in literature and foreign languages, subjects which have now disappeared.
Numerous punishments for constantly falling asleep in the classroom.
Entrance to university denied because of unsatisfying school record.
Teacher�s notes: Undisciplined student. Clever but insubordination to swallow the lessons. Extreme laziness. Failure to conform.
hard time to socialize with other children. Refusal to participate in shopping activities. Falls asleep constantly and dream. No ambition.
Medical record:
Major physical disease: irresistible desire to sleep. Sleeps 7 to 9 hours a day. Allergy to waking pills.
2013: sent to a retreat in the Mall of America. Reason: Allergy to waking pills. Treatment fails: even in the shopping wonder, where a gas is sprayed into the air for the eyes to stay open, she would fall asleep after two hours of shopping.
Major mental disease: no ambition.
Employment information:
Inability to find a job because of her bad references and her allergy to waking pills.
Conclusion:
Fiona Artaud falls under the category X 66: suspicious citizen under medium surveillance.
Scene 3.
Fiona on stage. Virtual character: the sister.
My sister of course doesn�t agree with my life style. But I�m her sister and she cares about me. She helps me a lot, financially I mean. This morning she called me, it was 5 o�clock, I was still asleep.
Sister appears on screen, same picture as in scene 1
Sister: hello, who is this, calling so early?
Sister: this is your sister, am I waking you up?
Fiona: yeah�
Sister: well, it�s 5 o�clock already. Aren�t you ashamed to be still asleep?
Fiona: you know I can�t help it.
Sister: yeah, I know. But you seem to become lazier and lazier every day. I still think there might be a way for you to find a job, even with your sleeping disease.
Fiona: I am looking, I really am. Actually, I have job interviews next week, and therefore I need to buy some new clothes�
Sister: You need money, is that it?
Fiona: (shyly) Yeah� Could you put some in my bank account?
Sister: Ah Fiona�What did I do to have a handicapped sister? What would you do without me? It�s the last time, you hear me, the last time!
Screen off.
Faced with the idea I could be looking for a job, she could not say no. I have no shame to ask her for money, she does not have the time to spend all that she earns anyway.
Well, of course the money is not for buying clothes. Let�s keep that between us: I want to get a new bed. Mine is old and my back hurts. I can not dream well anymore. New beds can not be found on the black market, I have to go to a store. All I have is cash, and stores do not accept cash anymore.
Today cash can be found only on the black market. Cash slowly disappeared, and it became illegal a few years ago. People slowly stopped using it, it was not convenient enough. Cards have replaced bills, all sorts of cards: bank cards, ATM cards, visa cards, master cards, debit cards, business cards, gift cards, stores cards, credit cards�It�s much more convenient, it saves time. No need to walk to withdraw cash, no need to worry about money transactions, just insert your card, and everything is taken care of. Money moves from stores to banks to firms to banks, there is nothing to worry about but earning money and spending it.
Modern society is about convenience, and everybody does agree to facilitate it. Technology has found so many devices to make our lives easier, to help us save time on unnecessary daily tasks. Can you believe that some decades ago people actually had to walk to the market to shop for food? Even worse: they had to think about what they needed to buy.
Well nowadays, no need to worry about what is missing in your life. Some people spend their day determining what you need, that�s their job, how could you know better? Sneaking into your life, discovering all these small pieces of information you leave behind, they are able to say who you are, what you need. All you have to say is YES.
Fiona crosses to the chair in a choreography.
Let�s see� Cheapest Biggest Bed House. Com
Huge mouth appears on the screen, seductive voice. The voice comes from backstage, with reverb.
Voice: Welcome to you dear Fiona Artaud to Cheapest biggest bed House.com. Everything is organized for your convenience and pleasure, we wish you a pleasant stay with us.
Let me guess what you are looking for today. Oh, the last time you got a bed was, WHAT?, 10 years ago! It might be time to change it�
Fiona: yeah, you�re right.
Voice: yeah, I know
According to what we know about you, we�re gonna offer you what is more adapted to your tastes. Trust us. We have exactly what you need.
The tropical beach bed : perfect for those who like sleeping, this bed will give you the sensation of laying on a sand beach.
Your Price: $612.00 instead of $1087!
What do you think?
Fiona: Wouaouh�
Voice: We encourage you as well to get The Silver Shell Mattress which goes perfectly with this very nice bed. This mattress will lead your dreams to horizons where you haven�t been before. Looking for inspiration? You need this mattress�
Your price: $399 instead of $500!
AND if you get the bed and the mattress we will offer you, for free, 2 Heavenly Moonlight Pillows, which come in purple, your favorite color.
The total of your purchase is $1011, including the 2 free pillows. Instead of $1609! How can you resist such an offer?
Fiona: well, I don�t know what to say�
Voice: Just say Yes. You won�t find any better deal on the market. And this special offer is valid only for the coming hour�
Fiona: all right, all right, I�ll take it.
Voice: Congratulation Fiona.
(voice becomes harder) Please select the mode of payment:
Fiona (reads): credit cards, master cards, Cheapest Biggest Bed House card, debit card, visa card�
(Types): Debit card
Voice: introduce your number please.
Fiona (typing): 058-9456110, expires 02/02
Voice: It will be delivered within the next hour. We want to remind you that all prices include handling and shipping, for your convenience. We hope to see you soon again. Thanks for shopping with us, and have a nice day!
When the voice stops, the screen goes off. Fiona is not bewitched anymore, she�s waking up like from a dream.
She leaves the stage.
Scene 4
Data scroll down the screen. Almost only 0 and 1, plus some pieces of information. Same voice, although more authoritarian. Dark music.
ALERT, ALERT. Suspicious transaction at the Cheapest Biggest Bed House.
01/04/2021, 6:04 p.m., the Cheapest Biggest Bed House.com, purchase of a bed Queen Size, a mattress and 2 pillows , total price $1011.
Bank account responsible City bank number 058-9456110
shows restricted funds of $ 1806 , sufficient for the purchase but under the $400,000 required for the purchase of a bed.
According to law 355 aiming at preventing laziness, only wealthy people who do not need to work to consume are tolerated to sleep and therefore own a bed.
Bank account belongs to Fiona Artaud. She stands under the category X 66, which justifies a further investigation.
� Financial Information:
Only one bank account. Funds available fluctuate between $500 and $2000.
No earned revenue.
On welfare from 2021 to 2023. No revenue at all since welfare has been suppressed to prevent laziness within society.
Reccurent Deposit of $1200 from the account City Bank number 034-43771550 belonging to Erika Smith, her sister.
Irregular deposit from the same account once in a while.
Only one debit card, no credit card, no shopping cards.
How does Fiona survive with such a tiny revenue?
Consumer Information :
Here is her bank record from last January. Appears on screen.
| DATE |
DESCRIPTION |
AMOUNT |
| 01/01/2021 |
Bobby real estate |
$800 |
| 01/14/2021 |
Hydro California � Utility services |
$400 |
| 01/18/2021 |
Know More bookstore-san francisco |
$12 |
| 01/19/2021 |
Drive faster gas station-oakland |
$15 |
| 01/20/2021 |
The dreamer paradise-blank dream disks-San Jose |
$20 |
| 01/24/2021 |
Look Better clothing store-sweater-berkeley |
$23 |
These costs are entirely covered by the deposit from her sister.
Bank record dramatically small. Of consumption insufficient.
Very suspicious purchase on the 20th of January.
Basic expenses such as food and TV subscriptions do not appear on the record.
How does Fiona buy them if it�s not with a card?
Subject definitively suspicious. Search started for further proof.
Scene 5
Fiona on stage.
Tonight I had a nightmare, I took a walk down the streets.
I rarely go outside. I rarely leave my bed. There are too many people on the streets, too many people running in all directions, do they even know where they go? Too many busy people, busy with their job and other activities, busy with getting busy, busy with being on time, busy with saving time in order to get even more busy.
Sidewalks have become highways, you are not allowed to stop. If by misfortune you do, to take a breathe or look up at the moon, people are gonna run into you and look at you with suspicious eyes: �what is this guy doing, stopping in the middle of the street. Hasn�t he anything better to do? Shouldn�t he be at work?�
People work day and night, one job after another. There is no time for sleeping anymore. It�s so unproductive. People take waking pills to resist. One pill saves one hour of sleep. Doctors recommend five waking pills a day. 2 for the child, 3 for the teenager, 5 for the adult, seven for the lazy ones. Patients usually sleep 2 hours a day between 2 jobs or two phone calls. They plug themselves to dream polls, which can be found everywhere in offices and basements. The program of the 5098 channels is to be found on each poll.
Zapping choreography + screen
Dreaming, in a small quantity, has been scientifically proven to be good for the mind. Dreams allow the brain to rest more deeply in a shorter time, people save time.
I do not complain, it�s good for my business. I�m a professional dreamer, I sleep night and day. The channels offered on the official dream net all offer the same kind of programs: stories of stars and white success. Some people want dreams more adapted to their fantasies. I make them to order, and exchange them on the black market against food, books, services, and sometimes cash. I dream (video of the ocean and her on the beach) of nude women for the movie store, I dream of infinite rice fields for the Vietnamese restaurant at the corner, I dream of libraries filled with Middle Age books for the bookstore, I dream of infinite spiritual horizons for my Yoga teacher, I dream of beaches, lizards, kites, stars, I dream day and night, that�s my job.
I love my job. It�s not always easy though. I have to hide. Sometimes I run out of inspiration. I take trips to the desert and to the stars, that�s my specialty. I read a lot of books. I take walks outside.
Like tonight. I had this nightmare, people don�t want that. I took a long walk trying to avoid the crowded areas to find inspiration. But my nightmare would not leave my head. Anguish came up inside my body, I came back home quickly.
When I opened the door, my bed had disappeared.
Scene 6
The voice is now sensual, same as in scene 3. The agent is represented on slides.
Sadomasochist scene: a woman dressed as a man (suit and tie, moustache), whip in hands, handcuffs.
Fiona is still having the nightmare on stage, when the voice starts�
Voice: Welcome to you, dear Fiona Artaud, Wlecome to you, welcome to you�
Fiona wakes up, scared. Music of the cheapest Biggest Bed House scene goes on, more scary. Choreography of Fiona expressing her fears. At the same time, pictures on screen.
Voice: welcome to you dear Fiona Artaud to the Corporate Army headquarters. Everything is organized for your better interest, we wish you a pleasant stay with us.
Fiona: what am I doing here? where is my bed?
Voice: shhhhhh�Don�t be impatient. I am about to tell you everything. I am afraid your dream came to an end. Or your nightmare. We�re here to show you a better way.
Fiona: What? What do you mean? I do not need anybody to tell me...
Voice: I�m afraid you will have to obey though. We know everything about you.You are a criminal. You have to be put to death.
Fiona is about to speak when�
Pictures. Fiona shocked, scared.
Voice: You are a criminal. you are a selfish dreamer and exchange your dreams on the blackmarket. You use cash. Cash is prohibited in our society. Cash transactions do not appear in our database, and are therefore against a more convenient consumerism.
You represent a danger for our society. You are a risk. You are of no use!
Fiona: how, how do you know all of that about me?
Voice: we know everything. Little brothers spy on you whenever you call on your cell phone, type on your computer, send an email to a friend, buy a book or gas with a card. They stand at the corner and orbit in space. No way to escape. Every piece of your life is recorded in our database. Enter the right keyword, and here it is, at our disposal.
Fiona: It�s not possible. It�s violation of privacy.
Voice: It does not seem to disturb anybody but you. Obedient people do not have anything to hide. And your case legitimates our system, thanks to which we caught a criminal, YOU.
Fiona: What happens when there is nowhere to hide?
Fiona falls in slow motion.
Fiona: what will happen to me?
Voice: you have to be put to death. Pause. Unless�
Fiona: Unless what?
Voice: There is currently a shortage of dreamers on the market, and your productivity in dreaming is apparently amazing. More Intense dreams Incorporated is right now looking for people like you. It is ready to pay 200,000$ for your death. How to refuse? It�s the only chance for you to pay back for your sins.
However your imagination will have to be controlled, your dreams have to conform with the values of our society.
Pause. She does not say anything.
Voice: aren�t you happy? you should be more grateful that we give you a second chance. So you accept? (laugh) It�s either that or death...
She nods.
Voice: Congratulation! Take that.
Agent throws pills from the screen. Fiona reacts as if they had reached the stage.
Fiona: what is it?
Voice: sleeping pills
Fiona: but isn�t it contrary to your ideology?
Voice: Our ideology, don�t forget. Waking pills, sleeping pills, shopping pills, TV pills, driving pills, working pills, it�s all the same.
Fiona hesitant in her face.
Voice: Trust us. We know what�s good for you.
Reluctantly, she swallows them.
Scene 7
TV commercials appear on the screen.
Looking at them, but back to the screen, Fiona slowly conforms, doing the same movement as in the commercials.
She falls asleep at the end of the video.
20 sec break.
Second video starts, Fiona in a dream state.
Music increases in intensity, and at the last scene of the video, stops or slows down radically, goes into a heart beat.
Invades Dreams was performed in San Francisco and Oackland, California, in April and May 2001.
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