SCENE: Outside Dorm building – Benny used to room up with Roger and Mark but after getting the job with Sorenson VRS (Video Relay Services - where Deaf people can call VRS to get an interpreter on the television screen to call hearing people) he has moved out. He is trying to convince them that they need a video relay system hooked up to their TV to communicate with hearing callers via a virtual interpreter on the screen. (Most deaf people prefer live one-on-one contact with interpreters rather than one via a TV screen). Sorenson VRS has been recruiting interpreters from educational settings so there is a crying need for more interpreters in schools and colleges and this is affecting the education of Deaf children and adults - hence Maureen's future protest against Sorenson).
ROGER
What happened to Benny
What happened to his heart
And the ideals he once pursued?
BENNY
And the worker of that place next door
Has a right to do with it as he pleases
ROGER
Happy birthday, Jesus!
BENNY
TV? (tv where?)
MARK
You're wasting your time
ROGER
We're deaf (Meaning that he is deaf and Mark is 'culturally deaf')
MARK
And you broke your word – this is absurd
BENNY
Welcome to the world of video relay
ROGER
I knew it!
BENNY
Next door, the home of Sorenson, you see
And now that block is re-zoned
My dream can become a reality
You'll see boys…
You'll see boys
A state of the art, digital, virtual
Video relay station
I'll set the TV and on paper guarantee
That you can keep it for free
If you do me one small favor
MARK
What?
BENNY
Convince Maureen to cancel her protest
MARK
Why not just get an injunction or call
The cops
BENNY
Yeah, I did, and they're on stand-by but
Investors would rather I handle this
quietly
ROGER
You can't quietly steal all the terps in the city
Than watch that "Signing Time" show on
TV! ("Signing Time" can be found on PBS on Mondays at 1pm, PST
BENNY
You want to call hearies and talk with them?
You need a way to do it!
It's what I used to dream about
Think twice before you pooh pooh it
You'll see boys
You'll see boys
You'll see – the beauty of VRS
That lets us do our work and get paid
With Terps in the box
Whose work keeps us in touch
Just the protest
And you'll have it made
You'll see – or you'll lose
Blackout, lights on to reveal the dorm room again
One Sign Glory
(Roger's lament to his parents, asking them why they chose not to sign with him – regret that his parents never learned to sign. His parents are hearing and they wanted Roger to live a normal life, and decided to raise him in the Oral-Cued Speech program, severing any ties with the Deaf community. Now that he's older and makes his own decicisons, he has enrolled in CSUN, a mainstream university of 30,000 which caters to 300 Deaf/HOH students and he has discovered that Deaf people do have a language of their own - sign language. He wants to know why he wasn't given the opporunity to communicate in ASL growing up.)
One sign. Glory. One sign.
Before I go, glory
One sign to keep with me
Say one sign, one signed word, glory
From parents of a deaf boy,
Who wasted opporunity
One sign, they had the sign on their hands
Glory
In the eyes of a young boy, a young boy
Show glory, under the bright kitchen lights
One sign, before the sun sets
Glory- for the boy's empty ears
Time flies – time dies
Glory – one blaze of glory
One blaze of glory
Say, glory, in a sign that shows true
Truth like a blazing fire, an eternal flame
Say one sign, a sign about love
Glory, from the hands of a parent
A parent
Show, the one sign
Before the parents forget, glory
Like a sunset
One sign
To redeem those lost years
Time flies
And then no need to endure anymore
Time dies
(Dorm room – Mimi rings the flashing doorbell and enters, carrying her broken Sidekick (Tmobile - don't own the rights) as an excuse to meet Roger. Both characters have a cochlear implant - Roger speaks to her while Mimi lipreads him and respond in Total Communication, exposing him to more sign language.)
Fix My Sidekick
ROGER
What da ya need?
MIMI
Sidekick's dead
ROGER
I know you – wait – how'd it die?
MIMI
It's not working I dropped it
And I'm a little clumsy on my feet
Would you fix my sidekick?
What are you staring at?
ROGER
Nothing, your ear with the C I…
You look familiar
Can you hear me?
MIMI
Just haven't worn it much today
At least my head stopped ringing
Anyway. What?
ROGER
Nothing, your smile reminded me of
MIMI
I always remind people of – who is she?
ROGER
Hearing. Her name was April
MIMI
Say it again…
Sorry about your friend
Would you fix my sidekick?
ROGER
Well
MIMI
Yeah. What?
ROGER
Oh, my speech – it's
MIMI
slipping – I hear it – a little
ROGER
Rusty, I figured…
Oh, well. Goodnight
It broke down again?
MIMI
No – I think I dropped my notebook
ROGER
I know I've seen you out and about
When I used to go out
Your sidekick's off
MIMI
I can't find – I had it when
I walked in the door
It was new - is it on the floor?
ROGER
The floor?
MIMI
They say I'm the only one
Below 14th street. Is it true?
ROGER
What?
MIMI
You're talking again.
ROGER
Oh no.
I mean you are – not the only -
I mean – you look familiar
MIMI
Like your hearing friend?
ROGER
Only when you smile
But I'm sure I've seen you
Somewhere else -
MIMI
Do you go to the O. C. Block?
That's where I go – I chat.
ROGER
Yes! They used to sign with you -
MIMI
To socialize
ROGER
I didn't recognize you,
Without the implant
MIMI
We could fix my sidekick
Oh won't you fix my sidekick?
ROGER
Why don't you forget that stuff?
You look like you're hearing
MIMI
I'm still deaf - but I'm on both sides
Born to hearing parents
ROGER
I once was born a hearing
I used to talk like that way
MIMI
I'm not oral – I told you
ROGER
I used to cue
MIMI
I use T C
ROGER
Uh huh
You're speaking right now
MIMI
But now and then I like to
ROGER
Uh huh
MIMI
Voice it…
ROGER
Oh, here it - um
MIMI
What's that?
ROGER
Remote controller
MIMI
We could fix my sidekick
Oh, what'd you do with my sidekick?
ROGER
The screen went all black
MIMI
Our eyes'll adjust, thank
God for the moon
ROGER
Maybe it's not the moon at all
I hear "Signing Time's" shooting down the
Street
MIMI
Whatever….whatever…
ROGER
Cold hands
MIMI
Yours too
Big. Like my father's
Do you wanna sign?
ROGER
English?
MIMI
No – in A S L
ROGER
I'm Roger
MIMI
They call me
They call me Mimi….
(Next chapter coming soon)
