acid rain precipitation of dilute solutions of strong mineral acids, formed by the mixing of the atmosphere of various industrial pollutants (primarily sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide) with naturally occurring oxygen and water vapor. lluvia ácida precipitación de soluciones diluidas de ácidos minerales fuertes, formados por la mezcla de la atmósfera de diversos contaminantes industriales (principalmente dióxido de azufre y óxidos de nitrógeno) con oxígeno natural y vapor de agua.

Active ventilation  synonymous with mechanical ventilation. Ventilación activa sinónimo de ventilación mecánica.  

adapted (or introduced) plants non-native, introduced plants that reliably grow well in a given habitat with minimal winter protection, pest control, fertilization or irrigation once their root systems are established; adapted plants are considered low maintenance and not invasive. plantas adaptadas (o introducidas) plantas no nativas, introducidas que confiablemente crecen bien en un determinado hábitat con protección mínima en invierno, control de plagas, fertilización o riego una vez que se establecen los sistemas de la raíz; plantas adaptadas se consideran de bajo mantenimiento y no invasivas.

adaptive reuse renovation of a space for a purpose different from the original. reutilización adaptativa renovación de un espacio para un propósito diferente al original.

adhesives substance that is used to bond one surface to another by attachment. adhesivos sustancia que se utiliza para adherir una superficie a otra.

agrifibre agricultural fiber such as wheat, straw, cereal straw, sugarcane bagasse, sunflower husk, walnut shells, coconut husks. agrofibra fibra agrícola como el trigo, paja, paja de cereales, bagazo de caña de azúcar, cáscara de girasol, cáscaras de nueces, las cáscaras de coco.

agrifibre board a composite panel product derived from recovered agricultural waste fiber and mixed together with a resin. Tablón de Agrofibra un producto de panel compuesto, derivado de fibra de residuos agrícolas recuperados y mezclados con una resina. 

albedo reflectance of sunlight, also known as Solar Reflectance. albedo reflectancia de la luz del sol, también conocida como reflectancia solar.

 MARCHING FOR A FUTURE

 A One Act Play

  by

 William Bross

 

 Copyright 2015                    31 Alpine Way

by William Bross                 Victor, NY 14564

wilperry@rochester.rr.com

 MARCHING FOR A FUTURE

_________________________

CAST OF CHARACTERS

 

ANDREW MASON.  57.  Editor of the City Record, a N.Y. City Newspaper

JACKSON THOMAS.  30.  Lead reporter for the City Record

TEAGAN MASON.  16.  Andrew Mason’s youngest daughter

BARBARA MASON.  55.  Andrew Mason’s wife

ANNA MASON.  23.  Andrew Mason’s married daughter

SECRETARY.   21

THE TIME

 

Early afternoon of September 21, 2014

THE PLACE

 

Andrew Mason’s second story office overlooking 5^th Ave. New York City

Act One.  Scene one.  People are marching along 5^th Avenue

Scene two.  Andrew Mason’s Office.  Early afternoon

 

 MARCHING FOR A FUTURE

 ACT ONE

Scene One

  SETTING:            

A Poster is placed on a stand stating:

5^th Avenue, New York City

September 21, 2014

People’s Climate March

The worship area is lit but the doors are closed.

    LIGHTS UP   In the hall or vestibule a drummer begins softly playing a   marching cadence on a snare drum.  Over 30 seconds, the snare drum player gradually plays the drum louder. The doors of the worship area are opened and the drummer, playing at full volume, leads ten or more marchers of all ages upthe center aisles.  The marchers, carrying signs, walk up and down the aisles for about three minutes ending up in a row across the front of the worship area.  They then follow the drummer out of the worship area and the doors are closed. The sound of the drum fades away gradually.  

 MARCHING FOR A FUTURE 

 ACT ONE

Scene Two

SETTING:          

The first poster is replaced on the stand with a second poster stating

Newspaper Editor’s Office

September 21, 2014

5th Ave., two stories above the

ongoing People’s Climate March

  AT  RISE:  Andrew Mason is sitting at his desk dressed in a white shirt with the  top button open and his tie loose.  He gets up and walks over to look out a prop window ten feet to the right of Andrew’s desk.  

ANDREW

(Speaking to himself while looking out the window.)

Give me a break.  These people need to get a life.

 

 

ANDREW

(Walking back to his desk shaking his head, he hears a knock.)

Yeah, what now!

JACKSON

(Walks into the office and goes over to look out the window.)

Boy, it’s been a long time since I have seen this many people marching in New York City.

ANDREW

(Speaking with authority.)

Jackson, these marches come and go.  I doubt if anyone important is even paying attention.  What are a couple of thousand environmentalists going to do?  Change the world?

JACKSON

I don’t know boss, the networks are saying there could be as many as 400,000 people marching up 5^th Ave. today. We can’t ignore a march this big.

ANDREW

(Looking at the audience, with an evil grin.)

Oh, don’t you worry.  I’ll give the march…..oh, how about five column inches on page eight.

JACKSON

(Still standing at the window shakes his head in disbelief)

SECRETARY

(Walks from the back of the worship area to Andrew’s desk)

Your wife is calling on line one, sir.

ANDREW

(Andrew looks over to Jackson at the window)

This is probably about this march.  Barbara is into all this environmental stuff.

ANDREW

(Picks up the phone on his desk)

Hello, Dear.

Andrew listens for about 15 seconds and begins shaking his head  back and forth and making a sour face)

But….but…. what will the neighbors say?

(Speaking with disbelief)

The Mitchell’s and the Kaufmann’s are getting solar cells on their house too?!  OK, Dear, we’ll talk more when you get here.  Goodbye.

(Turning to Jackson and speaking in shock)

I don’t believe it.  I don’t believe it!  Barbara is going to put solar cells on our roof. 

(Looking straight ahead at the audience, he laments)

My beautiful normal roof covered with solar cells. 

(Turning to look at Jackson)

Next she will want me to become a vegan.

JACKSON

(Leaves the office.)

SECRETARY

(Enters from the back of the worship area and walks forward to Andrew’s desk)

Your daughter Teagan is here to see you, sir.

ANDREW

(Andrew gets up and stands in front of his desk and, as Teagan approaches, he holds his arms out and smiles getting ready for a hug

from his daughter.  Teagan walks by her father and goes directly to the window. 

TEAGAN

(As she walk by her father.)

Hi, Dad.

ANDREW

(Andrew, with his arms still out, turns his head sideways to look at his daughter and with a frustrated, didn’t you notice I wanted a hug look, turns and goes back to his desk with his shoulders slumped forward and his head down.)

TEAGAN

(Looking out the window)

Isn’t this exciting?! Come look Dad.  This march is a big success for the climate change movement!! 

ANDREW

(Cradles his head in both hands and looks down at his desktop)

TEAGAN

Oh look!  Here come the folks from our church.  Oh, there’s Devon, he is with the kids riding their bikes. Hi Devon!  Hi Devon!  I’m up here!

 ANDREW

(With a surprised look on his face)

Who’s Devon?

TEAGAN

We met at the environmental club at school.  He’s awesome.

ANDREW

(Looking at the congregation with a smirk, mouths the two words – “He’s awesome” – while shaking his head side to side with a la-de-da look.)

You’re in an Environmental Club?

 TEAGAN

Dad, I told you that four months ago.

ANDREW

Why is he riding a bike? 

TEAGAN

He told me he wants to encourage others to think about riding a bike when possible.  You know, Dad, cities all over the world are setting up bike lanes and improving public transportation.  Some cities are even experimenting with auto free Sundays.  Why, in Europe…

ANDREW

(Interrupts Teagan speaking sternly)

Wait a minute!  Wait a minute! This is America!  Nobody is telling me I can’t drive my Hummer anywhere I want any time I want.

 TEAGAN

(Leaves the window, walks over and stands beside her father at his desk.)

Dad…. I have been meaning to talk to you about that.  Do you realize how embarrassing it is for me as a member of the environment club for my father to drive a hummer?  Dad, you really need to dump that gas guzzler and get a hybrid or, better yet, one of the new all electric cars.

ANDREW

Look, dear, I’m the Editor of a newspaper.  My Hummer is a status symbol.

TEAGAN

Well guess what, Dad, big and over consuming for status is out and small and sustainable is in.    I mean, think about it, do you really have to drag five thousand pounds of steel with you to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk just to say I’m so special?

ANDREW

(Grudgingly)

OK, OK, I guess you have a point.

TEAGAN

(Walks back over to the window)

RECEPTIONIST

(Walks from the back of the worship area to Andrew’s desk)

Your wife is here to see you sir.

 BARBARA

(Walks up to Andrew’s desk.)

Hello, Dear. 

(Looks over at the window and sees Teagan)

Teagan, you’re here. I wondered where you went this afternoon.

TEAGAN

Dad’s office is a great place to watch the march.

BARBARA

(Barbara walks over to the window and hugs Teagan.)

TEAGAN

I just can’t believe how many people came to New York today to be in this march.

BARBARA

I’m not surprised.  A lot of people in the US and throughout the world are very concerned about climate change.  It’s about time we made a statement.  Do you know there are marches in over 150 other cities today?

(Looks over at Andrew and says loudly in an authoritative tone.)

Of course, if the media will give this some good coverage it will help the cause.

ANDREW

(Speaking with an, I know what’s best tone.)

Now, honey, all this scary talk by a few scientists is getting everyone overly excited about the issue.  Yes, the world may be temporarily getting a little hotter, but this has happened in the past, and before you know it, everything will be back to normal.  Just give old Mother Nature some time.

BARBARA

(Walks to Andrew’s desk with a determined look on her face.)

Andrew, I know you don’t like change, but the longer we refuse to see the truth and make the changes needed to stop global warming, the harder it is going to be to fix this problem in the future.

ANDREW

(Speaking with disbelief)

Teagan tells me there is even a group from our church in this march.

BARBARA

Yes, Andrew, Praise the Lord, there are members in our church that understand how serious the problem is. Andy, we can’t just sit back and think that Mother Nature or somebody else will solve this problem.  Everybody is in this together, and we all have to do our part.

BARBARA

(Walks back over to the window to join Teagan)

SECRETARY

(Walks from the back of the worship area to Andrew’s desk.)

Sir, your daughter Ann is here to see you.

ANN

(Walking from the back of the worship area to Andrew’s desk carrying baby Grace wrapped in a blanket, sees Teagan and Barbara at the window)

I didn’t know you two were here.

 TEAGAN and BARBARA

(Walk over to Ann at Andrew’s desk.)

TEAGAN

I came to watch the march from Dad’s office and Mom came to see Dad.

BARBARA

(Speaking to Ann.)

What brings you here today?

 ANN

(Looking sad and speaking with deep concern)

I came to talk to Dad.

BARBARA

(Gives Ann a kiss and takes Grace into her arms.) 

Well, good luck with that, your father is being his usual stubborn self today.

BARBARA and TEAGAN

(Walk back to the window with Grace.)

 ANDREW

(Gets up from his chair and gives Ann a hug.  He sits back down and  Ann sits down on a chair to the right of Andrew’s desk. Andrew, speaking with concern.)

What’s wrong, Ann?  I can see you’re troubled about something.

ANN

Dad, I’m worried About Grace’s future.

ANDREW

(Looks over to his granddaughter who is at the window and then back to Ann.)

Now Ann, Mom and I will see that Grace will have the best of everything.  I have already started a college fund.  And….

ANN

( Ann interrupts.)

Dad, I know you and Mom love Grace and want her to have the best of everything.  But Dad, what kind of world is Grace going to have?  You run a newspaper. You must know that bad things are happening to our planet:  Species are going extinct, the oceans are becoming acidic, glaciers are melting, farmers are suffering from drought. Dad, have you forgotten what Hurricane Sandy did to our city?  Scientists throughout the world are saying we have got to take this climate change issue seriously, yet sometimes I think nobody is listening.

ANN

(Reaches out and takes her fathers hand.)

Dad, you have always been my hero.  Now I need you to be Grace’s hero.  I don’t want her to spend her whole life struggling to just survive one crisis after another.

 (Andrew, with his head down, holds Ann’s hand with both his hands and then slowly looks up at her face in deep thought.  He lets go of her hand, gets up from his desk and walks over to the window where Teagan and Barbara have been watching the march and fussing over Grace. He takes Grace from Barbara, and looking down at the baby, walks slowly around the office for about 45 seconds.  During this time the snare drum player in the foyer outside the worship area starts playing his/her drum, first softly and then gradually louder.  The snare drum stops and Andrew looks up from the baby to the congregation.)

ANDREW

(Speaking with conviction)

My granddaughter is most certainly going to have a future!!

TEAGAN and BARBARA

(Leave the window and walk over to Andrew who is still holding the baby)

ANN

(Gets up from her chair and joins her mother and sister on either side of Andrew)

ANDREW

(Looking side to side at his family)

You’re right!  You’re RIGHT!  Change is scary and I’ll admit, I like the way thing are.  But now…

(Looking down at Grace)

Holding Grace in my arms, and looking at this beautiful face with so much trust and so much promise….

(Looking back at his wife and daughters, and speaking with acceptance)

I know I have to stop denying the truth. 

(Now speaking with conviction.)

This is the only world we have, and if we don’t stop heating it up, Grace’s future is in jeopardy.  And I can tell you right now that this is not going to happen on my watch!!

(In a loud voice)

Jackson!  JACKSON!!

JACKSON

(Comes running into the office)

Yes, boss.

ANDREW

(In a forceful manner)

Get your best team together.  I want a large, front page story about this march.  I want pictures!  I want interviews! Make it happen!

JACKSON

(Smiling, gives Andrew a high five)

Boss, when were done, New York is going to be talking about this march for months.

(Runs out of the office)

TEAGAN

(Gives her father a big hug.)

Oh, Dad!

ANDREW

(Looking around at his family with a confident smile)

Is it too late to join this march?

BARBARA

(Speaking to Teagan with a sly smile,)

Get the sign we made for your father.

TEAGAN

(Walks over to the window and brings back a sign that says Kick the Carbon Habit.  Grandfathers United for a Sustainable Future.  She Gives it to Andrew)

ANDREW

(Takes the sign from Teagan. Takes hold of Barbara’s hand and  gives her a kiss on the cheek.)

You know, honey, I think it would be really cool to drive a Chevy Volt.

ANDREW, BARBARA, TEAGAN and ANN

(Walk down the center aisle toward the back of the worship area. About half way down the aisle, they stop)

BARBARA

You know, I think we should try some vegan meals.

ANDREW

Can I have meat once a week?

BARBARA

We’ll see.

ANDREW

Let’s get marching!

MARCHERS

(The doors of the worship area open and the drummer and marchers, along with Andrew, Barbara, Teagan and Ann, march to the front of the worship area, line up and take a bow. 

END OF PLAY