Sponsored Lover
Sponsored Lover Two leads (Jamie and Lucy) and two supporting parishioners are needed. If possible each shill has a couple supporting shills coming in from across the Starbucks to join the debate. This Action is designed to spread. If it's working a whole Town Hall meeting develops inside our host chain store, discussing the issue of corporate appropriation of human emotions.
Jamie and Lucy are the two lovers. You two enter the store and sit, staring into each others' eyes. Hold hands in the center of the table. You are transfixed, and just a bit loud. Your shills sit nearby with the AM in sight. The AM sizes up the progress of the play and signals all the shills to turn toward the lovers and openly watch, encouraging voyeuristic interest from throughout the coffeeshop.
Jamie: "I love you.
Lucy: "Oh, I love you."
Jamie: "I love you.
Lucy: "Yes darling, I love you so much."
Jamie: "I want to elope, marry, everything.
Lucy: "I want to plunge into a new life.
Jamie: "I love you.
Lucy: "I love you, too.Jamie gets on one knee beside the table.
Jamie: "Will you marry me?, brought to you by Subway -- Good To The Last Bite."
Lucy: "Oh sweetheart... but... What did you say?"
Jamie: "What I've been saying all along. I love you brought to you by Fig Newtons, The Taste Treat from Nabisco."
Lucky: "I love you. Just say 'I love you.'".
Jamie: "I just love you, brought to you by Waste Management Systems, WM, Relax -- We'll Clean Up!"
Lucy: "Honey, what IS this?
Jamie: "This is my undying devotion to you, that's all sweetheart, don't be concerned, sponsored by Zocor. It's Your Future. Be There.
Lucy: "Have you, have you... SOLD OUR LOVE!"
Jamie: " Honey, brought to you by your local Coca Cola bottler, I love you as much as ever! believe me! by Polo Deckwear.
Lucy: "Oh my god... this is a nightmare...
It unravels from there. This little comedy can branch out in several directions. We would like to hear what you come up with -- or see your videotape. It's very important for the shills to come over to the lovers and spread the discussion throughout the Starbucks. Be loud enough. Don't be afraid of entering the zone of Exalted Embarrassment.
"Excuse me I couldn't help but over-hear - that you found a corporate sponsored for your marriage proposal. That's a fascinating profit center. Very creative, almost artistic. Who do you talk to for that kind of arrangement... do you have an agent?
A second shill approaches in a state of shocked (and loud) disbelief. "Saying 'I love you' with corporate sponsorship? Are you, are you SERIOUS? I just want to say that this is incredible. Has it come to this? What is this culture coming to? ARE YOU INSANE?"
Another shill marches up. "Look, dude, this is the 21st Century so get on board or get out of the way. You're either with us or against us. How do you think people make a living today? I've sold adspace on my grandma's forehead!"
The notion that you can sell intimate emotions to corporations is debated by the shills, while the lovers sit in the center of it all. Maybe you'll be lucky and a Joni Mitchell love song will come over the Starbucks sound system
Once we had a little old man speak up. He was the kind of nondescript fellow who might haunt the back pages of a Carson McCullers southern diner. A person who is always quietly there in the back -- with his newspaper and careful napkin and fork. I noticed him, and I thought we must be annoying him. Suddenly he put his paper down and called out -- "Did you read the one about the desperate couple who offered to name their child Wal Mart Lowest Prices Always Johnson? They were demanding a million dollars. Imagine that - growing up with that name. 'Hello who are you?' "Oh my name is Wal Mart Lowest Prices Always Johnson!' I mean what would you call such a child at home? 'Wally?' Yes that's probably what they had in mind. Drop the advertisement in the middle and just stick with Wally but meanwhile get out of town with that Wal Mart money. Yes, I'm sure of it, that's what they were thinking, that young couple. Oh well, his name is probably Harold now, something like that. Probably Harold Higby Johnson, after some deceased Uncle Harold Higby or some such. Oh well."
He brought down the house.
Jamie and Lucy are the two lovers. You two enter the store and sit, staring into each others' eyes. Hold hands in the center of the table. You are transfixed, and just a bit loud. Your shills sit nearby with the AM in sight. The AM sizes up the progress of the play and signals all the shills to turn toward the lovers and openly watch, encouraging voyeuristic interest from throughout the coffeeshop.
Jamie: "I love you.
Lucy: "Oh, I love you."
Jamie: "I love you.
Lucy: "Yes darling, I love you so much."
Jamie: "I want to elope, marry, everything.
Lucy: "I want to plunge into a new life.
Jamie: "I love you.
Lucy: "I love you, too.Jamie gets on one knee beside the table.
Jamie: "Will you marry me?, brought to you by Subway -- Good To The Last Bite."
Lucy: "Oh sweetheart... but... What did you say?"
Jamie: "What I've been saying all along. I love you brought to you by Fig Newtons, The Taste Treat from Nabisco."
Lucky: "I love you. Just say 'I love you.'".
Jamie: "I just love you, brought to you by Waste Management Systems, WM, Relax -- We'll Clean Up!"
Lucy: "Honey, what IS this?
Jamie: "This is my undying devotion to you, that's all sweetheart, don't be concerned, sponsored by Zocor. It's Your Future. Be There.
Lucy: "Have you, have you... SOLD OUR LOVE!"
Jamie: " Honey, brought to you by your local Coca Cola bottler, I love you as much as ever! believe me! by Polo Deckwear.
Lucy: "Oh my god... this is a nightmare...
It unravels from there. This little comedy can branch out in several directions. We would like to hear what you come up with -- or see your videotape. It's very important for the shills to come over to the lovers and spread the discussion throughout the Starbucks. Be loud enough. Don't be afraid of entering the zone of Exalted Embarrassment.
"Excuse me I couldn't help but over-hear - that you found a corporate sponsored for your marriage proposal. That's a fascinating profit center. Very creative, almost artistic. Who do you talk to for that kind of arrangement... do you have an agent?
A second shill approaches in a state of shocked (and loud) disbelief. "Saying 'I love you' with corporate sponsorship? Are you, are you SERIOUS? I just want to say that this is incredible. Has it come to this? What is this culture coming to? ARE YOU INSANE?"
Another shill marches up. "Look, dude, this is the 21st Century so get on board or get out of the way. You're either with us or against us. How do you think people make a living today? I've sold adspace on my grandma's forehead!"
The notion that you can sell intimate emotions to corporations is debated by the shills, while the lovers sit in the center of it all. Maybe you'll be lucky and a Joni Mitchell love song will come over the Starbucks sound system
Once we had a little old man speak up. He was the kind of nondescript fellow who might haunt the back pages of a Carson McCullers southern diner. A person who is always quietly there in the back -- with his newspaper and careful napkin and fork. I noticed him, and I thought we must be annoying him. Suddenly he put his paper down and called out -- "Did you read the one about the desperate couple who offered to name their child Wal Mart Lowest Prices Always Johnson? They were demanding a million dollars. Imagine that - growing up with that name. 'Hello who are you?' "Oh my name is Wal Mart Lowest Prices Always Johnson!' I mean what would you call such a child at home? 'Wally?' Yes that's probably what they had in mind. Drop the advertisement in the middle and just stick with Wally but meanwhile get out of town with that Wal Mart money. Yes, I'm sure of it, that's what they were thinking, that young couple. Oh well, his name is probably Harold now, something like that. Probably Harold Higby Johnson, after some deceased Uncle Harold Higby or some such. Oh well."
He brought down the house.