Friday, April 15, 2011

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - GRANDMA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Music: “This Is Your Life”
Ivan The Drooler comes centre stage; on his chest a sign “Ivan The Drooler”

Ivan:            Hello everyone. I’m Ivan The Drooler!
Leah:           Ivan The Drooler? I don’t know any such dog.
Ivan:            I’m Pavlov’s dog!
Leah:           So where’s the bell? And why isn’t he drooling?
Amos E .     Tell us about it.
Leah sings:  Pavlov, Pavlov, my good friend ...            

All sing:
Pavlov, Pavlov, my good friend.
When will they truly listen to me?
My soul is afire with yearning
So much I said, so much I long for.
And yet, myself, I didn't explain .,,

Where will they really read me?
My soul is dying slowly 
So much I wrote - so much I mailed
And yet - myself - I never explained

Pavlov, Pavlov! My good friend
Why aren’t there more like you?
Pavlov, Pavlov! My good friend
The day will come, we shall pay our debt

'Tis just a matter, a matter of language
'Tis a power ... the strength of a word.
 I know there should be consensus  
 About the meanings of movement

Pavlov, Pavlov! My good friend
Why aren’t there more like you?
Pavlov, Pavlov! My good friend
The day will come, we shall pay our debt

Miri & Clara

Miri:    Why do they need a bell for eating?
Clara:  You don’t understand. The bell is needed for drooling.
Miri:    But the dog drools for eating!
Clara:  You don’t understand. He drools ‘cause he wants to hear the bell!!

Amos E.  Confused? So are we!
----------
Amos E:   And now to our last guest this evening.
Rat:          Squeaking 
Leah:        I don't recognise this.
Rat:          Knocks
Leah:        What's he knocking for?
Rat:          Where's the lever?
Leah:        Maybe it's something to do with a lab?
Amos E:   Very good. I invite our next guest to come in.

Music: "This Is Your Life"
The rat enters with the sign "Mickie Skinner Mouse"

Rat:          Hallo! I'm Mickie Skinner Mouse, the rat from the lab.
Amos E:   Tell us about your laboratory experience.
Rat:          It all happened in the thirties or forties, I don't remember any more.
Amos E:   What happened then?
Rat:          A professor came to us.  We were poor.  He suggested, we go into
                 the box, press levers, and get food. That's what we did.  We stood
                 there and pushed levers. We drew graphs for him and we put on
                 weight with pleasure. Only, lately it's become boring.
Amos E:   What do you mean?
Rat:          We're all used up, we're exhausted.
                 All the time, the same levers.
                 Only the researchers change. Enough is enough already!
Amos E:   What do you suggest?
Rat:          Expand! Expand!  It's too crowded here. We're all fat, no room,
                 We want to move. We want more levers... We want movement
                 We want LOCOMOTION ... We don't understand why they don't do
                 this.  Mrs. Yulevich has been suggesting it for more than 20 years!
Amos E:   Nu Leah: how do you explain it?
Leah:        I only just found the right words.
                 Even Miri and Clara can testify to that!

Miri & Clara 4
Miri:    I never knew JABA is a fattening substance.
Clara:  You don't understand. All the time he simply kept pressing the lever!
Miri:    So that's why the bell rang!
Clara:  You don't understand  When the dog sees the rat, he rings the bell.
            The rat drools, eats JABA, presses the lever and runs to bring food
            for the dog! 
----------
Amos E:   Mrs. Yulevich, Happy Birthday!
                 I wish you - and all of us - that scientists will find the strength to
                 expand the lab ... and understand the organism better ...
                 We shall meet you in another ten years from now
                 Everyone here hopes the ideas will soon spread ...

_____________________________________________________________

Those are excerpts from a play written and performed by my family.
I am blessed with sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren who make me laugh.
Which is healthy for my soul.
As everyone knows, laughing with others keeps body and soul together.
Like Mark Twain said There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesome
returns of conjectures out of such trifling investment of fact. 

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