Act 1, Scene 3: The First one is Free


INTRO

%SND% Narrator: "Millions of years ago, a fissure more than 1600 miles long on the floor of the Pacific Ocean produced the Hawaiian Ridge. Along the top of this ridge protrude the individual domes that are the Hawaiian Islands. They were first discovered by Polynesians from the South Pacific around the year 300, and by the year 900, all the main Islands were occupied."

%SND% Narrator: "Around the year 1200, Tahitian explorers arrived, enslaved the polynesians, and started the "kahuna nui" or high-priest line which initiated a ruling king for each island. Social classes emerged and the Hawaiian culture began to form. The Hawaiians ate mostly vegatables and poi and supplemented their diet with fish and over 30 varieties of native seaweeds."

%SND% Narrator: "The great explorer Captain James Cook found Oahu and Kauai on January 18, 1778. He was thought of by the Hawaiians as the reincarnation of Lono, god of peace. However the cultural contempt of the missionaries could not have been more heartbreaking in what it would mean for the islanders. .The appearance of destitution, degradation and barbarism among the chattering, almost naked savages, whose heads and feet and much of their sunburnt swarthy skin were bare, was appalling,. the Rev. Hiram Bingham wrote .Can these be human beings?."

%SND% Narrator: "What followed was a slow-motion stripping of tradition, land, political power and health from the native Hawaiians. Traditional dress and dance were shamed, and the property belonging to land-rich but cash-poor locals was bought up by American and British sugar planters. Contagious diseases such as cholera, measles and gonorrhea reduced the hawaiian population from about 1 million in 1779 to less than 88,000 in 1849."

%SND% Narrator: "On Jan. 17, 1893, the Hawaiian monarchy ended in a day of bloodless revolution. Armed insurrection by a relatively small group of Americans took control of the Islands with the backing of American troops sent ashore from a warship in Honolulu Harbor. The last monarch, Queen Lili`uokalani, yielded her throne, under protest, in order to avoid bloodshed, trusting that the United States government would right the wrong that had been done to her and the Hawaiian people."

%SND% Narrator: "Five years later, the United States quietly annexed the eight main islands. During the overthrow, Marines landed in Honolulu and occupied points including Iolani Palace. While there, a recruit found Kalakaua.s crown and pried off the jewels, which he then used as payment in a game of dice."

%SND% Narrator: "Queen Lili`uokalani remained an indomitable spirit, honored and revered. A queen to the end to her people, Lili`uokalani died in 1917, her plea for justice unanswered."

%SND% Narrator: "Although President Clinton apologized to native Hawaiians in 1993, a bill aiming to restore a measure of sovereignty has languished in Congress for well over a decade. And while the Hawaiians vie for political recognition that may never come, many descendants of those who profited from what an 1893 New York Times headline called .the political crime of the century. remain some of the state.s wealthiest and most influential landholders. "


MAIN DIALOGUE

%HND% Curtain - open

%AMB% AMB-0301 - Beach Party Ambience

%LIG% Rightside of Stage lights on (Partylight)

%ACT% Savannah is dancing tipsily on a table in [2-3], putting on a show for everyone. (Boy does she have something to compensate!)

%ATT% The Patrons all have an iPhone permanently attached to their right hand :)

%MUS% MUS-0301 - Dance Music

%ACT% Patron 1,2,3 are standing around the table, facing Savannah, looking at her, dancing and cheering, and occasionally snapping pictures with their iPhones.

%SND% SND-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Yeeeeehaw!

%ACT% All patrons hold up their iPhones, filming Savannah

%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Yeah, yeah!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Yeah, yeah!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Yeah, yeah!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Yeah, yeah!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Right, in the heat of the night!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Pump up the party, turn up the light!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Are you ready to rock steady?"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Rhyme to rhyme I add line to line!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Put the needle on the record!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Put the needle on the record!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Put the needle on the record!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Put the needle on the record!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "Put the needle on the record!"
%MUS% MUS-0301 (cont.) - Savannah: "When the song's beats go like this!"

%ACT% Savannah makes a jump

%SND% SND-0301 - CRACK!

Savannah: "AAAAARGH!"

%HND% The table breaks down

%MUS% MUS-0302 - Background Music (Small Town Boy)

%ACT% Savannah falls off the table

%ACT% All patrons follow the fall with their iPhones, then turn away the other direction, and start frantically tapping and swiping

Savannah (off): "Aaaargh. Ouch. Urrg."

%ACT% Savannah pulls herself up on the playrail. First one paw, then the other paw, then pulling herself up.

Savannrah: "Guys? Isn't anybody going to help me?"

%SND% SND-0302 - Patron 1: "Just a second, still uploading!"

%SND% SND-0302 (cont.) - Patron 2: "Awesome! This is SO gonna go viral!"

%ACT% Patron 3 turns to Savannah, showing her his phone!

%SND% SND-0302 (cont.) - Patron 3: "Look, barely online, and already 300 likes! You're a star!"

%ACT% Makani comes in from [7], carrying a surfboard.

Savannah (tipsy): "Uhm. Yeah. You're right. The world really needed to see this. Well done. If you guys will excuse me for a moment, I need to restore my fluid balance."

%ACT% Savannah staggers towards the bar, bumping right into Makani

%ACT% Makani drops the surfboard

%SND% SND-0303 - Bump, Surfboard falling

Savannah: "WHOOPS!"

Makani: "WHOA!"

Savannah: "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

%ACT% The Patrons put down their phones, and start dancing again.

Makani: "Wow! What the hell brought you here? You're about the last person I would have expected to see tonight!"

Savannah: "It's a long story. And sorry for being so rude when we met at the airport. I was a little bit tense, and you didn't deserve that."

%ACT% Makani leads Savannah to the bar while they keep talking

Makani: "No offense taken. So how about we start over in a more relaxed atmosphere? Can I offer you something to drink?"

Savannah: "Sure!"

Makani: "What'cha like?"

Savannah: "A Blue Hawaiian."

Makani: "Excellent choice!"

Savannah (chuckles): "Liar."

%ACT% Makani turns to Frank

Makani: "Frank? Could you please prove this Lady wrong, and make her a Blue Hawaiian? And I'll have a beer."

%SND% SND-0304 - Frank (to Makani): "Sure thing!"

%SND% SND-0304 (cont.) - Frank (shouts): "Last call! We're closing! Everybody place your final orders!"

%AMB% AMB-0301 SLOW FADE
%AMB% AMB-0302 - Night Beach Ambience

%ATT% Dialogue just continues, don't wait

%ACT% In the Background: Patron 1 begins to slowly walk off the stage

%ACT% In the Background: Barman starts mixing a Blue Hawaiian. He takes a glass, fills it with crushed ice. Then he inserts a blue fox, tops it with rum and cream, then puts everything in a blender. (Cue %SND% SND-0305 - Blender!) He pours it back into the glass, puts a little umbrella and a straw in it, and then puts it down next to Savannah. He then fetches a beer and puts it down next to Makani. Then he starts to clean up the bar, going on until the scene is over.

Makani: "So what made you come down here after all? I thought I'd never see you again."

Savannah: "I was desperate."

Makani: (chuckles) "How flattering."

Savannah: "No, don't get me wrong. I just had a really shitty day, and this was the perfect opportunity to get my mind off it. I really like this place. Except for the hipster tourists, perhaps."

Makani: "You're right, they can be a little bit annoying at times, but they bring in most of the money."

Savannah: "You're native, right?"

%ACT% In the Background: Patron 2 begins to slowly walk off the stage

Makani: "Ho baddah, wat you tink im sum kine moke? Shoots den why u ask bra?"

Savannah: "I dunno … I guess I just care about stuff like that."

Makani (chuckles): "Most of the people coming here just care about waves, girls and booze. Admittedly, all those are pretty good here … so I guess that's okay. Sometimes I'm a little sad knowing that we've basically given away most of our ancient Polynesian culture. But there's no point in trying to turn back the clock. I've got a great running business at the most beautiful place on earth. I really shouldn't complain."

%ACT% In the Background: Patron 3 begins to slowly walk off the stage - the place is now empty except for Makani, Savannah and Frank.

%SND% SND-0306 - Dying Dolphin 1

Savannah: "Wait - did you hear that?"

Makani: "What?"

%SND% SND-0307 - Dying Dolphin 2

Savannah: "There it was again. It's coming from the beach!"

Makani: "Frank, can you please turn the music down?"

%MUS% MUS-0302 FADE

%LIG% normal light faded in on right side of stage, Partylights out

%SND% SND-0308 - Dying Dolphin 3 (long)
%MUS% MUS-0303 - Music Cue 1

Savannah: "That sounds like … a dolphin? So close to the shore? That's not good! I have to check it out! It might be in trouble!"

%ACT% Savannah runs off to the beach at [7]

Makani: "I'm coming with you!"

%LIG% Light on left side of stage on (Dark Blue)

%ACT% Makani runs after Savannah

%ACT% While they run, a dolphin gets washed upon the beach [7], lying there

%ATT% Savannah is slightly in panic, very emotional and nervous.

Savannah (nervously): "Oh no, the poor thing! It's barely moving!"

%SND% SND-0309 - Dying Dolphin 4

%ACT% Savannah examines the dolphin, her paws are shaking.

Makani: "Can you see if its hurt?"

%MUS% MUS-0303 FADE
%MUS% MUS-0304 - Music Cue 2

Savannah (analyzing): "I can't see anything obvious - no injuries, nothing. It's a female. It looks like she can't breathe. SHE'S DYING!"

Makani: "Shit. It's that goddamn pollution, I swear. You can't imagine the truckloads of plastic that get washed upon the beach every day. The ocean's a junkyard."

Savannah (very nervous, almost crying): "Stop talking, we need to help her!"

Makani: "But how?"

Savannah: "We need to get her back into the shallow water, but hold her up so she can breathe. Do you think you can do that? I'm going to call my department at the university. If they don't know what to do, nobody does."

Makani: "All right!"

%ACT% Makani pulls the dolphin into the water by its tail.

%ACT% Savannah conjures up her cellphone out of nowhere

%SND% SND-0310 - Dialling, Ringtone
%SND% SND-0310 (cont.) - Monica/Phone (yawning, sleepy): "Hi Savannah. You'd better have a really good reason to wake me up like that."

Savannah (dramatic): "Monica! I'm sorry but this is an emergency. I found a dolphin stranded at Ala Moana beach! She's weak, barely moving, and it looks like she can't breathe! What can we do? Call the police? The fire department?"

%SND% SND-0311 - Monica: "Oh, no, not again. All right, don't panic, I'll handle this. Just stay where you are, I'm going to call Professor Bailey."

Savannah: "What? No, please, anyone but Bailey!"

%SND% SND-0312 - Monica: "He is my boss, like it or not. The institute has a lot of resources, but I can't do anything without his permission. I know how to handle him. Just trust me!"

Savannah (sceptical): "All right, if you say so."

%SND% SND-0313 - Monica: "I'll do my best".

Savannah (relieved): "Thank you, Monica."

%SND% SND-0314 - End of call beep
%MUS% MUS-0304 FADE
%MUS% MUS-0305 - Music Cue 3

%ACT% Savannah puts the cell phone away

%ACT% Savannah joins Makani in the water

%ACT% Savannah strokes the dolphin's back.

Savannah (soothing): "Don't worry, help is on the way. Everything will be okay."

Makani: "No, I'm afraid it won't. She stopped moving. She doesn't breathe. I think she's dead."

Savannah (crying): "Oh no!"

%ACT% Savannah hugs the dolphin

Savannah (crying, angry): "If I had noticed her earlier, we might have been able to save her! But I was too busy dancing on tables … I HATE myself!"

%ACT% Makani puts a paw on her shoulder

Makani: "Now don't be so hard on yourself. It's not your fault. The ocean's a junkyard. She probably swallowed a piece of plastic, or got into an oil leak … this is not the first time I've seen it happen."

Savannah (sobbing): "I don't understand how people can be so cruel."

Makani: "Well, this is not the paradise it used to be."

%ACT% Two men wearing protective suits and surgeon masks enter from [1]

%ACT% Man1 carries a huge, very bright lamp.

%ACT% Man2 carries baton

Man2: "Get away from the carcass."

%MUS% MUS-0305 FADE
%MUS% MUS-0306 - Music Cue 4

Savannah: "Who are you? Did the university send you?"

Man2: "That's none of your goddamn business!"

%ACT% Man2 threatens them with his baton

Makani: "You're a bunch of rude bastards!"

Man2: "I'm just doing my job. Now get OUT OF THE WAY."

%SND% SND-0315 - Sound of a small motor boat coming.

Makani: "Come one, Savannah, there's nothing more we can do here."

%ACT% Savannah sobs.

%ACT% Makani takes Savannah by the hand, and takes her back to the bar. (Action continues)

%HND% The rear of a boat floats into view from the water side, with Man3 in it. (The boat is only partly visible)

%ACT% Man3 throws a piece of rope to Man1 and Man2, the other end is tied to the rear of the boat.

%ACT% Man1 and Man2 tie the rope to the dolphins tail.

%ACT% Man3 disappears off stage (the other part of the boat), and Man1 jumps into the boat.

%ACT% Man1 disappears off stage (the other part of the boat), and Man2 jumps into the boat.

%SND% SND-0316 - Sound of Motorboat driving off

%HND% The boat drives off, pulling the dolphin behind them.

%LIG% Undim right sight of the stage (Party lights stay off)

%LIG% Dim left side of stage (Darkblue)

Savannah (timid, shaken): "Those guys were scary as hell."

Makani: "And they were here remarkably fast. Does the university have an emergency service just for cases like this?"

Savannah: "I don't know. I'm just glad they're gone. I just can't get over that poor dolphin. Just when I thought my day was taking a turn for the better …"

Makani: "The day's not over yet. And we still have something to drink."

Savannah: "Oh yes, I need that now."

%ACT% Savannah and Makani grab their drinks that are still on the counter.

Makani: "Hipahipa!"

Savannah: "Hipahipa!"

%ACT% Savannah and Makani *clunk* their glasses

%SND% SND-0317 - Clunk

%ACT% Savannah empties her cocktail in one go.

%ACT% Makani downs his beer.

Savannah: "Aaah! That was good. You know, when I applied for this mission, I was really looking forward to it! I knew I'm more of a zoologist than a plant person, but I love the sea, and I love my science. And I was really looking forward to meet up with Monica. But then it all turned into a nightmare! First the airline messes up my luggage. Then it turns out that Professor Bailey is the biggest asshole, and the other students hate me for not sucking up to him. And finally I find out that my assignment will put me under deck all day, sorting out sonar images. So here is Hawaii, an oceanic paradise, and all I'll ever get to see of it is images of green sludge and a dead dolphin."

%ACT% Savannah sobs and cries a little bit. (She's VERY disappointed.)

%ACT% Makani feels sorry, and intuitively gives her a big hug, comforting her.

Makani: "Awww, don't cry. You had an awful lot of bad luck, but that doesn't mean that tomorrow can't be a wonderful day. Say, don't you get any time off?"

%ACT% Makani lets go of her.

Savannah: "The project goes for three weeks. I've got Sundays off."

Makani: "All right. You know, I happen to be a diving teacher. How about you come over for a lesson? The first one is free!"

Savannah: "You're always a salesman, aren't you?"

Makani (chuckles): "No, of course not. It's just … you care about this place, the people, and even the animals more than anyone else I've met in quite a while. It's a pleasure to talk to you, and I'd really like to see you again. I know some really nice spots, and maybe I can make your trip worth it after all."

Savannah: "Thank you, Makani. That's really sweet. Let me think about it for a night, okay?"

Makani: "You have my number."

Savannah: "I really have to go now. I've got that stupid safety training tomorrow, and I don't want to fall asleep in the middle of it."

Makani: "Well then, good night Savannah. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Savannah: "You too, Makani. Take care."

Makani: "Bye bye".

%AMB% AMB-0302 FADE
%MUS% MUS-0306 FADE

%LIG% Lights out

%HND% Curtain - close