Death to the Yankees: The Invasions of New York

Death to the Yankees: (A play)

The Invasions of New York

A Transposition Tale of Time and Space

Howard D. Stupak

Ó2023 All rights reserved.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

Dwight Eisenhower, Farewell address, January 17, 1961

Act 1.

Opening 1. Sleepy Hollow, New York, a suburb of New York City, Spring 2020.

Off-Stage Voice: It is a moment of clarity when one wakes up and realizes that they have been all along an officer in an army that is the enemy of individual freedom.

A well-made playground, surrounded by trees, but eerily quiet. There are no children playing. None. Because the playground is wrapped in bright yellow caution tape on further inspection. The yellow tape is everywhere. Someone deliberately made sure that there was no way to use the play equipment by liberally applying the caution tape. A nearby basketball hoop has been covered in horizontal planks. The playground is further reinforced with a chicken-wire fence around every aspect of is perimeter. There will be no playing here. Brush begins peeling away the tape.

Emerging from behind a statue dedicated to the exact spot of the capture of British Major John Andre during the American Revolution is a local police officer wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves. He appears quite stern.

Officer: Sir! The playground is closed! Please do not touch the tape.

He is reprimanding a tall, middle aged man, Hugo Brush who has become engaged in pulling away the tape that his three children, who are standing behind him look on shocked. He glances at the officer but continues in his task.

Officer: Sir! I am not going to warn you again. Step away from the tape.

Brush(strong British accent): I pay taxes in this town, and my children need a place to play. There is no danger from a virus here to them. It is ridiculous. Why don't you go apprehend some real trouble-makers? This tape is complete bullocks. We are going to play here, like it or not. Playgrounds don't need cops!

The officer is clearly infuriated with the comment, and without another word, he removes the Taser from his belt with his latex-enclad hands. Brush resumes calmly the tedious task of removing the tape, having turned his back to the officer.

Officer: I warned you...

Brush (turning in surprise): Wha...

But without another word, the officer has activated the Taser on Brush, striking him with its electrodes in his back, to the shock of the nearby, and panicked children, who literally jump up and down in distress. Brush twitches in agony from the electric bolt, and then collapses to the ground, pacified to his hands and knees, losing consciousness.

Prologue 1. Twenty years earlier. Municipal Hospital of San Francisco. October, 21, 1999

A tall young doctor (twenty years younger than the prior scene), Hugo Brush, a resident of surgery is bedecked in blue scrubs and a long white coat, sitting at a primitive boxy computer terminal in a busy hospital nursing station. He is bedraggled and exhausted appearing, one hand supporting his head. Next to him is a large tray of many different types of bandages. A chatty young social worker, Carey is smiling at him, trying to make conversation.