Dave Malloy
Electric Future
GRACE:
It’s so dark

TYE:
What’s that sound?

DJ:
Electricity is at a premium
Hoarded and squandered away
Used only for capital punishment

GRACE/TYE:
MY FUTURE OH MY FUTURE
MY ELECTRIC FUTURE
PUNISH ME PUNISH ME
FOR MY PAST
EVERY DECISION

WE WASTED WE SPLURGED WE SQUANDERED
PUNISH ME PUNISH ME
FOR MY PRESENT
PUNISH MY FUTURE FOR MY PAST
FOR MY PAST

CYRUS:
What is this place?
DJ:
Oh no, you’ve snuck into the execution chamber of the dystopic totalitarian state

CYRUS:
What?

DJ:
You’ve snuck inside - don’t sit down at that chair! Don’t squander any of society’s precious electricity

CYRUS:
That’s an electric chair

DJ:
For punishment

CYRUS:
That’s what I need

CYRUS sits down in the chair and puts on the electric crown

DJ:
YOU’VE HAVE TO PAY
YOU’VE HURT PEOPLE

CYRUS:
I’VE HURT PEOPLE
DJ:
YOU’VE HAVE TO PAY
YOU’VE HURT YOUR FRIENDS

CYRUS:
I’VE HURT FRIENDS

DJ:
YOU’VE HAVE TO PAY
YOU’VE LET THEM DOWN

CYRUS:
I’VE LET THEM DOWN

DJ:
AND YOUR GUILT IS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS

CYRUS:
THIS IS MY ONLY STORY
THIS IS WHO I AM

DJ:
They make these chairs externally controlled now. But this is an old model. You can manipulate the electricity yourself while sitting in the seat

(CYRUS gives himself a tiny shock by twisting a knob on the arm rest)
CYRUS:
AH!

(GRACE and TYE have seemingly lost all intonation/individuality)

GRACE:
It’s so cold in the future. I wish I had a sweater

TYE:
Yes I too remember when we had sweaters...

GRACE:
What’s is Cyrus doing?

TYE:
If he’s doing it. He must have to

MO:
Look, The DJ isn’t looking

JAYNIE:
We should do it now -

SAMSON:
Right? I mean: right?

MO:
If we don’t, this electronic music menace is just going to keep going from school to school! From gymnasium to gymnasium! Until there are none of us left!

DJ:
GUILT IS THE BOOGEY MAN INSIDE YOUR HEAD
SO MANY MISTAKES MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD

DJ & HENCHMEN:
GUILT IS THE BOOGEY MAN INSIDE YOUR HEAD
SO MANY MISTAKES MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD

DJ:
YOU DON’T NEED TO SLEEP
DON’T NEED TO EAT
WHEN YOU CAN FEED OFF HATING YOURSELF

(CYRUS shocks himself)

CYRUS:
AH!

DJ:
Does it feel good?

CYRUS:
Are you crazy? No. It hurts. It hurts a lot

DJ:
But does it feel good to feel bad?

CYRUS:
It’s what I deserve

DJ (very sweetly):
Oh really why?

CYRUS:
GUILT IS THE BOOGEY MAN INSIDE MY HEAD
SO MANY MISTAKES MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD

I DON’T NEED TO SLEEP
DON’T NEED TO EAT
WHEN I CAN FEED OFF HATING MYSELF

(Shocks self)

CYRUS:
Ah!

DJ:
LOOK INTO YOUR EYES
SEE THE BOOGEY MAN PEEKING OUT

HE SAYS HI
HE SAYS COME IN TAKE A LOAD OFF

(Shocks self)

CYRUS:
Ah!

DJ & HENCHMEN:
LOOK INTO YOUR EYES
SEE THE BOOGEY MAN PEEKING OUT

HE SAYS HI
HE SAYS COME IN TAKE A LOAD OFF

CYRUS:
WHAT IS MY FUTURE
ALL I SEE IS THE PAST

THIS IS MY ONLY STORY
THIS IS WHO I AM

GRACE/TYE (underneath previous line):
MY FUTURE­­ OH MY FUTURE
MY ELECTRIC FUTURE
PUNISH ME PUNISH ME
FOR MY PAST

(CYRUS shocks himself again)

CYRUS:
AH! AH! AHH!

DJ:
One more time, Cyrus. Just one more time

(The three commentators stand at three different points around or along or under the DJ booth)

SAMSON:
On the count of three...

COMMENTENTATORS:
ONE TWO THREE GO!!

(CYRUS turns knob as the three commentators try to gain entry to the DJ)

(SAMSON and JAYNIE are fricasseed simultaneously with CYRUS)

(There isn’t quite enough juice)

SAMSON & JAYNIE CYRUS:
Ahhhhhhhhhh! AHHHH!

(MO sees that he alone has survived)

MO:
Samson? Samson? Jaynie? Samson? Boo? I don’t mind if you haunt me guys - booo? Jaynie? Samson? Oh no

(Beat)

MO:
I guess it’s up to MO

(MO enters the belly of the DJ area)

(MO accidentally triggers the AIR HORN)

(End of heat)