The Tolerance of Time

The Tolerance of Time:

            A play about normal people

                        who make big deals

                                        out of simple things.

Characters:
(by order of appearance)
H.G. Wells: narrator, best selling author of 'The Time Machine.'
Billy Pilgrim: working class Hero 1, a mild mannered, average man of a bit later than
middle age. Believes in the 'so it goes' explanation of life.
The Crowd: Everyday people. A wide assortment of classes, styles, ages and 20th
century decades.
John Lennon: (In the later years of his life) working class Hero 2, a not so mild
mannered rock star, not so average Englishman-turned-American in the name of his
rights. Believes in the right and power of change. Peace advocate.
The Tralfamadorian/Krishna/God, etc: 1 being, representative of the multiple
perceptions and faces of "God" in all cultures and people. This character changes form.
Kilgore Trout: narrator 2, not so best selling author of many sci-fi novels.

(Curtain)
(Lights remain bright then dim, to create the effect of a fading sunset. There is
a single wooden chair present on stage right, and a bench at a bus terminal.)
H.G. Wells:(enters, hands clasped. He is a proper gentleman, and takes center stage as
if about to give a lecture.) Good evening my colleagues, friends, poets, musicians and
members of any such guild or academy. It would be improper to continue without
introducing myself. I am Mr. Wells, author of 'The Time Machine.' You may pick up a
copy of this as you leave the theater later this evening... (pauses and puts hands in his
pocket) Bear with this plot, and forgive the author of this play, for our story begins with a
rather ordinary man. His name is Billy Pilgrim, and a pilgrim he is indeed. While time is a
very difficult concept to comprehend, this seemingly regular fellow is at a loss of
understanding basic western thought concerning time. We are about to see his views on
this. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the show. (takes his seat at the side of the stage.
Looks to stage left.)
Billy Pilgrim and Crowd: (enters. Billy Pilgrim is at the center of the crowd. Crowd
talks, laughs, goes about normal business. The Crowd exits stage right, Wells looks to
Billy Pilgrim, who sits alone on the bench. Billy is dressed in a military uniform and
carries a duffel bag with him. He appears calm and dreamy. A few moments pass.)
H.G. Wells: Mr. Pilgrim, aren't you going to introduce yourself to the audience now?
Billy Pilgrim: (shrugs) I guess so. (stands, speaking in monotone voice.) I'm Billy
Pilgrim, I come from a town named Illium, and well, I'm off to war now. (resumes his
seat)
H.G. Wells: Is that all you have to say, Mr. Pilgrim?
Billy Pilgrim: Yes sir, I'm trying not to miss my bus.
H.G. Wells: That is well then, just trying to keep the audience occupied until... (looks at
his watch) about now...
John Lennon:(enters, stage left, walking briskly to the bench with a guitar case and
bag. Sits next to Billy. John is dressed in typical 60's style hippie clothing. John quickly
gets comfortable and sets one ankle on top of the other knee.)
Billy Pilgrim:(Stares oddly at John, inching more toward the opposite side of the bench
from John)
H.G. Wells:(chuckles)
John Lennon:(coughs, speaks facing Billy) Hello soldier boy.
Billy Pilgrim:(uneasily) Hello there. Nice day isn't it?
John Lennon: What day isn't?
Billy Pilgrim: I don't think yesterday was particularly pleasant.
John Lennon: Just because it rained? How typical. I like rain myself. Puts me in an
upbeat mood.
Billy Pilgrim: That's odd... I'm Billy, Billy Pilgrim (politely offers his hand to John)
John Lennon:(shakes his hand firmly and comically) I'm John Lennon. So, are you off
to war then?
Billy Pilgrim: Yes. I-
John Lennon: You been waiting for the bus for a long time?
Billy Pilgrim: I don't know. What's time, anyway?
John Lennon: It's nice you can think that way. In a few weeks they'll be sending you off
to catch bullets.
Billy Pilgrim:(Shifts uncomfortably) So it goes. I can't change any of that.
H.G. Wells and John Lennon: (laugh)
Billy Pilgrim:(mumbles) Easy to say when you don't know the Tralfamadorians!
John Lennon:(moves uncomfortably close to him) The Tralfibbityjibbities? Who or
what are they, man?
Billy Pilgrim: The Tralfamadorians. They're a separate race. Aliens, I guess.
John Lennon: (with his usual sarcasm) Oh and are they coming to get us?
Billy Pilgrim: They get me sometimes. You know, I don't have to stay in one time.
John Lennon: You must trip too much, man, it's messin you up, you're snapping out!
Messes with your mind... (makes scary face and wiggles fingers in a mock evil fashion.)
Billy Pilgrim:(attempts to ignore John) The Tralfamadorians say that anything I do is of
no consequence to future or past events.
John Lennon: Let me guess, that's your reasoning for entering the war then? That's how
you justify it, now, isn't it? Bloody conformist.
Billy Pilgrim: It's the truth.
John Lennon: I'll believe these Tralfamadorian fellows when I see them. They're invisible
like God's supposed to be, aren't they? Just a convenient little excuse. A nice way to
weep as Jesus did. A nice way to let your sins slip you by, man. You aren't responsible,
are you? It's your fate, someone's taken care of it for you.
Billy Pilgrim: They aren't God, they're an advanced civilization. Even they have wars.
War is inevitable.
John Lennon: Not if we all refrain from fighting. You don't have a verymind, do
you soldier boy?
Billy Pilgrim:(faces John Lennon directly) You're the one who won't even consider my
philosophy. There's surely someone out there who believes me. If Montana Wildhack
were here, she'd explain...
John Lennon: That old bird? She's a bit, eh, out of commission, soldier boy...
(Billy Pilgrim, John Lennon and H.G. Wells turn to stage left. Enter Tralfamadorian.
The Tralfamadorian wears a nondescript green or gray uniform with large, typical alien
'bug eyes,' and a tee shirt reading "Roswell~ been there, done that")
Tralfamadorian: (stooping low enough to speak English) Greetings, Earthlings.
John Lennon: (stands and faces the Tralfamadorian) So what's this about not being able
to change things?
H.G. Wells:(crosses stage to John Lennon.) Excuse me, sir, an alien just arrived on the
scene here, and you aren't phased by this at all? Please explain.
John Lennon:(to Tralfamadorian) Just a moment. (turns to H.G. Wells) I try not to
judge people-
H.G. Wells: That's impossible-
Billy Pilgrim: You just judged me, because I was wearing a soldier uniform. All of the
assumptions- (looks at the Tralfamadorian then back at John Lennon) Why bother... it
doesn't mean a thing anyway.
H.G. Wells:(to John Lennon) Please continue. This is fascinating.
John Lennon: It's called Bagism. You see, if everyone wore a bag around, we wouldn't
have the chance to judge each other based upon appearance. We could get more done, we
could change things-
Tralfamadorian:(a puff of smoke surrounds the Tralfamadorian. From the mist,
Krishna appears, surrounded by the traditional blue light.)
H.G. Wells:(returns to his chair stage right and sits.)
Billy Pilgrim: Who are you?
Krishna: Krishna. I have many faces.
John Lennon:(turns away) This is getting too strange, man...
H.G. Wells: Even for you, John?
John Lennon: Yeah.
Krishna: I suppose I did not accomplish much when I was in my Tralfamadorian form.
That is just one of my many faces.
John Lennon: Well I don't buy into this. Religion is nonsense.
Krishna: You followed me for years.
Billy Pilgrim:(stands up as if about to make a radical move) You're foolish! The
Tralfamadorians have the correct philosophy and that is what I will follow! It doesn't
matter if I die in this war, or if you (points to John) get shot by some maniac or if you
(points to Krishna) don't exist. Things go on, don't you see? What's the use, I'm not
going to change you.
John Lennon:(sarcastically) I'm giving up my career to study comparative religion, you
know. You're all conformists anyway. You've got to do something against the people
trying to send you out to war, man. They're sending you out to die.
Billy Pilgrim: It doesn't matter, you can't escape your destiny.
John Lennon: Let me see that draft card.... burn it! That's no life for you. You have a
name, and a job, you're more than a number, aren't you?
Billy Pilgrim: I don't know...
John Lennon: You have a family? I'm sure you've got something worth living for.
Krishna: Life is what you make of it. Billy simply believes in karma, that which is
predestined fortune. It's simply another way of explaining it.
John Lennon: Rubbish.
Billy Pilgrim: Yes, what he (points to Krishna) said!
John Lennon:(to Billy Pilgrim) Let me ask you this, then: why do you even bother
living? Why do you bother falling in love? What's the point of it all, man?
Krishna: Wouldn't you like to know?
Billy Pilgrim: I don't want to know. We just exist, and go on, and it goes in a circle-
H.G. Wells:(stands) Is that circle unbroken?
(Simultaneously)
John Lennon: No.
Billy Pilgrim: Yes.
(both men look to Krishna, curious at his answer.)
John Lennon: (shakes his head, as if awakening from an odd dream) This is a waste of
my time.
Billy Pilgrim: I'm quite content. What does it matter, really? Doesn't life just go on?
John Lennon: Sure it does, obla-di obla-da, brother... what's that got to do with the price
of eggs?
Billy Pilgrim: If things just happen, why is anything a waste? Whatever's supposed to
happen will happen, why try to change it?
John Lennon: If life goes on, why waste it? I'm here in the real world man, you've got to
face it. Sure, we all have methods of escape, but welcome back to reality. So it's not
great, but there it is. You either change it or change with it. Life is going on and I'm
going to catch up with it. (grabs his guitar case and turns to leave)
Krishna:(is surrounded once again by mist. Changes into God, who holds a scroll in
his hand. God has long hair.)
John Lennon: Hey, you have long hair, too. I dig it. You're kind of invisible, whoever
you are.
God: You only see me if you want to.
Billy Pilgrim: What are those? (points to scrolls)
God: The Ten Amendments of the Ten Commandments as you see them.
John Lennon: You're talking to air, soldier boy. I'm gone. (exits stage left)
H.G. Wells:(to audience) I suppose this is a rather private moment... (exits stage right)
God: (hands Billy Pilgrim the Ten Amendments as he sees them)
Billy: ( the scroll and reads aloud)
Thou shalt not kill. Amendment One: Unless you are involved in a war, particularly if you
are drafted. Amendment Two: Unless you are predestined to kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. Amendment One: Unless you are in a war situation with
thousands of helpless women before you, at your feet and in your submission. This form
of adultery is also permissible if you are in a war situation and have not seen your wife for
months. Amendment Two: Unless you are predestined to commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal. Amendment One: Unless you are in a war and have war booty stolen
from your enemies or their families. Amendment Two: Unless you are predestined to
steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Amendment One: Unless you have
been at war and committed adultery in the accepted situations, as stated previously.
Amendment Two: Unless you are predestined to lie.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Amendment One: Unless he has a better life
than you. Amendment Two: Unless you are predestined fatewise or genetically
predestined to jealous behavior. This is also an acceptable reason for breaking 'thou shalt
not kill'

God: Enough! I believe we all see your understanding of me, now don't we Billy?
Billy Pilgrim: I guess so. Isn't it a nice life?
H.G. Wells: So it goes.
God: (laughs as the mist of transformation appears once more. When the mist fades,
H.G. Wells is in John's place)
H.G. Wells: Now now, I know what you're thinking, Billy, I'm not about to lecture you.
But God is how you see Him, or Her, or It. I believe the same goes with time. Of course,
you do believe differently, and I accept that. Many people are trying to escape their fate, I
find it admirable that you dare embrace it. Whether you are seen as lazy or brave, you are
a man.
Billy Pilgrim: Just another man, like that rock star fellow.
H.G. Wells: And time travel, not a bad idea, son... your bus is here. I'll help you with
your things. (takes one of Billy's bags)
H.G. Wells and Billy Pilgrim: (exit stage left)
Kilgore Trout: (enters stage right) No one's left to listen. (takes H.G. Wells' seat) So
we end this play. It's a rather odd play, but so things are, so life is, life goes on, and so it
goes... (stands, takes chair, and exits stage right)