INTRO.

(organ chords are played in background; shifting w/ text)  

Ghost:   Ships of all ages will enter this port, But hours are long and wages too short. The work may be done, but there aint' much to go round'. While the bosses' coat tails drag along the ground; While the lungs of the mechanics suddenly burst; While we dust off our hands and call on the hearse. And if the lives of punks like us don't means so much, Then we're calling it quits- you can find yourself a new crutch!  

SCENE 1   (Heavy machinery, factory ambience. Two workers carry in a large object, mainly a desk, chairs, etc. The desk is draped in white sheets with black coal stains. The word “product” appears on each. The workers begin a dialogue.)

Worker 1: (Helping worker 2 carry the desk) Boy, I sure as hell hope I won’t still be breakin’ my back like this when I Get to be an old woman. Work ‘til ya die? Not me….Yeah, I could see myself sitting mighty comfortable if I live to be far along in my years.

Worker 2: Sure, that’s a great idea, really, but nothing is for sure. As my father always used to say, “No one ever moves to skid row out of choice”.

W1: Well, perhaps. Of course the odds are against us! But it’s happening to folks all the time…one day the ship comes in, yielding a bounty of little green bills.

W2: (dryly) Luck.

W1: Certainly not always!

VOICE OVER:  Steel workers local 357!  Attention Seattle steel workers!  The Union has agreed to strike in sympathy with the local shipyard workers tomorrow, February 6, 1919. I repeat: do not report to work tomorrow.  Those who do will be acting in betrayal of the solidarity of Seattle's working class! Attention all veterans! We are seeking 24- hour coverage of guards during this strike. Anyone with military experience may help patrol the strike. The strike will always remain peaceful, therefore the guards will remain unarmed. 

(1 and 2 hurry offstage, the ghost sits and opens a newspaper. Sounds of the media/press are heard-somewhat ambiguous...perhaps phrases like "Anarchists and communists!" or "An overthrow of capitalism!" might be heard)

Ghost: (Reads headline, while shaking his head in awe) THE NEW YORK TIMES: FEBRUARY 6, 1919.ENTIRE CITY TIED UP IN SEATTLE GENERAL STRIKE! Soldiers from Camp Lewis rush to the city attempting to save the unfortunate citizens dealing with closed down schools and a lack of streetcars. Even newspapers are suspended!

SCENE 2

A figure, in a fetal position, rises from underneath a desk.

Upon rising he slicks his hair and puts on a coat.

Ah Glorious morning. Well, time to get to work.

(Mayor Hanson pulls out a deck of cards and begins to deal out a hand of solitaire, after a minute of playing he hears a knock on the door)

Voice: Mayor Hanson, important message for you sir.

Mayor: Not now I’m extremely busy, come back in an hour. (He appears excited as he makes a good card move.)

Voice: But Mayor Han…

Mayor: I said good day to you madam.

(He plays on for a moment)

Mayor: Now where’s my to do list? Very important stuff ya know. OK, OK 9:00 am, meeting with the city legislators to discuss effects of new tax code. Wait a second, 9:00 AM, I told those yahoos not to schedule me that early anymore. For cryin’ out loud it’s already 11:30. (reading of the sheet again) 11:30 lunch time. Perfect.

(He continues to play cards, after a second or two he again hears a knock)

Mayor: (annoyed) What is it?

Voice: So sorry to bother you again sir. But the Governor has something to say to you.

Mayor: Oh! The Governor?!? Um….yes….

(The Governor’s booming voice comes in and Ole looks frantic and worried)

Voice of Governor: OLE, Our glorious city of Seattle is facing perhaps the greatest catastrophe in its history. The striking shipyard workers have requested that all Seattle unions strike at once, causing the entire city to shut down. They are calling it the Seattle General Strike. This is obviously the handy work of the communist and anarchist subversives, and must be stopped immediately. Protect our free society by any means necessary. Hanson, if you don’t do this right, it’ll be YOUR neck that hangs! Don’t let us down Hanson.

Mayor: Yes sir! I will not let you down, Governor, sir.

What to do? What to do?

(As he paces around, not sure quite what to do. After some deliberation)

Secretary, take a letter.

Address it to The New York Times.

Our city, no, no, no… Our very country is looking down the barrel of a full-blown Bolshevik revolution.

You must understand that we are not dealing simply with men of civil society but rather a band of anarchists and Bolsheviks, and all together troublemaking revolutionaries.

As Mayor of the city of Seattle, I vow that this reckless behavior they call the Seattle General Strike will not reach first base and this great American city of ours will shine with labor… Excuse my pride once more.

Keeping things under control your mayor of Seattle (he says with an unsure look on his face), Ole Hanson

(silent tableaux w/ union meeting “in action” while ghost delivers poem)

Ghost: A tug-of-war ensues for the buyers and sellers,

To win back the muscle of the toilers and dwellers,

The benders and breakers and various “thing-makers”

Of all craft unions united

SCENE 3

(Union leaders are together in a meeting)

Rep 1: Hey, hey, everyone, quiet down, we’d like to say a few words…first off,

I’d like to thank you on behalf of the shipbuilders for coming out in support of the strike.

Teamster: We’re all in it together!

Rep 1: Exactly! With all of you out on a sympathy strike, they can’t ignore us for long.

We’re the backbone of this city, and without us, There is no Seattle! The bigwigs

up in the corporate headquarters and city hall can’t do jack without us.

Teamster: Damn straight.

Rep 2: What we need to do, is run the city ourselves. We already do all the work, all we need to do is manage it. We will set up cafeterias around the city, keep everyone fed for the lowest feasible price, and provide some other basic services such as delivering milk to the schoolchildren. We’ll get some of our people to act as unarmed guards, some firefighting, garbage, utilities, that kind of thing. If we keep the basic needs of the people met the strike could go on indefinitely.

Rep 1: We’ll have the bosses pissing their pants when they see they aren’t needed

anymore.

Rep 2: And then the’ll have no choice but to give us a fair deal. Cause we’ll be in charge, and it will be us that’s taking them back. They won’t be able to deny the power of the workers united.

(The workers start singing…)

Song: In Unity

W1: You think you can walk all over us

W2: You think you have answers we can trust

All Workers: Well sisters and brothers we can walk one another

In unity, in unity we must

W1: You think you can walk all over us

W2: No one knows where this will end

All workers: We must stand together comrades in our fight

In unity, in unity we must

W1: You think you can walk all over us

W2: Bring on the soldiers and the guns

All workers: But we will walk together in peace

In unity, in unity we must

In unity, in unity we trust

(Loud, obnoxious dimwit soldier walks in, interrupting the song)

Soldier: Who wants a fresh copy of “The Star”? It is astonishingly cheap-it’s free!

(Starts passing out papers to the audience as he begins a song)

“Read about mayor-the hero and king

He’s gonna’ clean this city up it’ll make you wanna’ sing!

He’s strong and fierce, smart and witty-

he’ll make us all proud of our intoxicating city!”

(Meanwhile, the mayor is onstage clipping his toenails, surrounded by flowers given to him by the citizens and businessmen.)

(Then the soldier shouts)

“Strikes in San Francisco, California!

Strikes in Lawrence, Mass.

Strikes in Switzerland!

When will this Bolshevik madness end??”

(Newsboys come in and rip the paper into pieces and sing):

Soldiers selling “The Star”?

These troops have gone too far!”

Soldier: This strike will soon become a part of history,

But we will forget about it, Oh so conveniently!

(now shouting the headlines) THE NEW YORK TIMES: FEBRUARY 7, 1919. Mayor Hanson has decided to put the city under federal control this morning. He promises the law-abiding citizens and industries they will receive ample protection. Strike leaders are conferencing, but have yet to reach an agreement with the mayor and his committee.

(Mayor walks through the crowd, deputizing audience members by giving them guns and sheriff stars and he says)

Mayor: Any man who attempts to take over control of municipal government functions will be shot on sight. Strikers have not taken over government functions in Seattle. They will not be allowed to take over any government functions despite their published statements that they intend to operate the light plant and help police the city. The seat of the city government is still at the City Hall.

(The scene fades into a conversation between a few union members who are about to eat lunch)

SCENE 4

W1: Well, this sure beats the soggy old tuna on rye that I usually eat for lunch.

W2: Yeah, this is the best meal I’ve eaten since old grandma Sue’s homecookin’!

(Ghost enters, awed by the beautiful display of food he sees in front of him)

Ghost: How much does it cost to get a piece of this scrumptious feast?

W1: 35 cents, well actually 25 cents if you’re a member of a union!

Ghost: Just a measly 25 cents? Well I’ll be darned…..!

(Union members engage in a song about the food, while the mayor sits on the opposite side of the stage, outraged)

Song of Food

W1: I’ve got buttered mashed potatoes, chicken and gravy

Mayor: That’s it I’m calling in the cops the army and the navy!

Ghost: Union food for a union man, only 25 cents can ya’ pay?

W1: I think I can!

W2: Apple butter, carrot cake, broccoli cheese and wine.

Ghost: There’s more wine?

W1: There’s more wine!

W1 and W2: Everybody gets more wine! (clap-clap)

Mayor: Gotta’ keep this city runnin’ Gotta’ keep this city runnin’

W2: We don’t need the city hall.

W1: Just look around, we’ve got it all!

Ghost : Apple pie! Apple pie!

Mayor: Gotta’ keep this city runnin’! Where’s my pencil?

Ghost: Salt and pepper!

Mayor: Where’s my pencil?

W1: Pass the butter!

W2: Raise your glasses, make a toast!

Mayor: This riot will destroy the entire West coast!

W1, W2 & Ghost: I guess it’s not so terrible, just us sittin’ around,

I’d agree it’s nice to get my feet up off the ground!

Mayor: A complete disregard for the order of society

The Seattle General Strike is gaining too much notoriety!

W1: Pass the mashed potatoes, carrots, chicken corn and peas, okay?

Mayor: I’ve gotta get this city back in motion now, today!

(the workers clink their glasses together-loud exclamations; they are making merry)

(Mayor’s secretary reads to him)

Voice over: Hey Ole! You’ve got to hear this! Look what the paper printed today concerning the strike! THE NEW YORK TIMES: FEBRUARY 8, 1919. SEATTLE NOW THANKFULLY CALMED DUE TO AUTHORITIES. The appearance of troops with machine guns prevents disorder in General Strike. Some car lines are now running. Ole Mayor Hanson is a champion of order! Seattle’s citizens announce they will not treat with revolutionists.

(The mayor stands up, straightens his tie and looks a little more relieved)

SCENE 5

(Workers are in a meeting, and two union representatives are making speeches)

Rep 1: Hey, hey, quiet down everyone…Once again, I wan’t to thank you all for your cooperation. We’ve had a lot of success these past few days. The city is united like it never has been before. And I’d like to congratulate everyone on this. This is history in the making right here. The world hasn’t seen this kind of labor organization and solidarity before. But all that aside, we’ve run into a few problems.

Teamster: Yeah, no kiddin!

Rep 1: We’ve had some unions drop out. (general commotion) It’s not that these unions don’t support us, it’s just that the higher ups in the unions decided they had too much to lose in this endeavor. So some of the unions are back to work. This isn’t anything to worry about. There are still more than enough of us here to keep the city at a standstill.

Teamster: Hey, hold up, I’ve got something to say.

Rep 2: We’ll take questions later, we’ve got business to discuss.

Teamster: Hey, I kinda feel like you should give me the floor. I mean, I’m representing a lot of people here.

Rep 2: We don’t have time, we’ve got pressing issues to discuss, we’re talking about maintaining our solidarity here.

Teamster: If you want to maintain solidarity, maybe you should be listening to what some people have to say. What happened to “we’re all in this together?”

Rep2: There’s no time for rhetoric now, we’ve got business to deal with.

Teamster: This is malarky! You’re no better than the people we’re supposed to be fighting against. You can’t just order the teamsters around like this, we’re equals in this whole thing. I’m out of here, and my union is coming with me. (leaves)

Rep 1: (calling after) Hold up, lets be reasonable now. We’ve got to stick together to get through this… damn! That’s one more union out. People, we need to stick together if this is going to work!

SCENE 6

W1: (frantically) Hey, listen to this! THE NEW YORK TIMES: FEBRUARY 9, 1919. LABOR LEADERS NOW PREDICTING THE STRIKE WILL BE CALLED OF IN 24 HOURS. Unions are dropping the strike like flies. Newspapers are back!

W2: (sounding disheartened) Yeah, I can’t believe it….after all of the control that we’d gained, we just lost it….and without gaining any higher wages or shorter hours….

(Ghost enters the scene)

Ghost: Although the needs haven’t been met, what was pulled together was a real workingman’s revolution. The entire city being run peacefully by the working class! I never lived to see anything like it.

W1: You think? Yeah, what we did was pretty impressive, wasn’t it?

Ghost: And why are you goons doing reading the New York Times?? I just came across a poem written by a young girl published in Seattle’s “The Labor Weekly.”

(workers look on, and all three read the poem together)

What scares them the most is

That NOTHING HAPPENS!

They are ready

For DISTURBANCES.

They have machine guns,

And Soldiers,

But this SMILING SILENCE

Is uncanny.

The businessmen

Don’t understand

That sort of weapon…

It is your SMILE

That is UPSETTING

Their reliance on artillery, brother!

It is the garbage wagons

That go along the street

Marked “EXEMPT

By STRIKE COMMITTEE.”

It is the milk stations

That are getting better daily,

And the three hundred WAR veterans of labor

Handling the crowds

WITHOUT GUNS,

For these things speak

Of a NEW POWER

And a NEW WORLD

That they do not feel

At HOME in.

(Workers and Ghost are silent for a moment, and then they look around and each pick up a heavy object to carry offstage, implying their return to work)