Report by Maxwell McConnell Man Cave: A One-Man Sci-Fi Climate Change Tragicomedy This piece written by Timothy Mooney is not about some room with a discrimination policy as it could be inferred from what is typically referred to as a ‘man cave’, but rather, describes what is going on; there is a man in a cave. The main character is written as Tim, because the author said he uses his own name to strip away any barrier between himself and the character, but may be changed to the name of anyone who wishes to act this out in order to best relate to the character, as well as changing the email, Tim@Tmail.co, to any ‘ridiculously simple’ email address to suit. The artist in me suggested that I simply performing this one man show as it is written for my presentation, but I figured that not only would it run much longer than my allotted time, but it would be rather inappropriate to give a dramatic presentation in my boxers, or any other uncomely attire as the stage directions suggest. The stage is setup simply, a man (or woman, but from here on out for the sake of the report I will refer to the main character as Tim, as it is written) alone in a room sitting in a swivel chair parked in front of a small table on which rests a microphone and computer. Tim is, or at least believes that he may very well be, the last living man on Earth. Following the climate change trends, he has purchased land, burrowed into a hillside in Canada and fashioned it into an airlocked and somewhat climate-controlled apartment to live out his final days, which he spends broadcasting his thoughts out to anyone he hopes might tune in, in search of any response giving him the comfort of knowing that he is not entirely alone. He is vocally thankful for the Wi-Fi and radio tower still in working order. The entire show takes place on August 17, 2028 (however the show notes indicate that when performed the date should be exactly ten years from the day it is being performed) and consists entirely of him broadcasting his thoughts and opinions until he retires for the night and heads to bed, unsure if he will be getting back up again. Throughout the show, he goes on about his quality of life and how he found himself in the situation he is in, and how much longer much longer it might last. He talks about his diet of Campbells soup, the weather, how 110 degrees is a nice day, and how 105 degrees is a breezy evening. A fair deal of the show is spent criticizing human behavior and political policies of the past, some from our present time, and suggesting what could have been done better, if anything could have been done at all. A key question raised is ‘will our technology always outrun our maturity?’ and there is much time spent criticizing the hubris of our species. He also asks many questions; some aimed towards those who may still remain on Earth, some for those who managed to escape the planet to head for Mars, and he even addresses any aliens who might be listening though he knows he will probably never hear an answer. He even asks questions for himself, that he does not know the answers to; like how long until his water supply expires, or how long until his generator gives out. Near the end of the show, after a tangent of questions for any foreign species that may be listening, including questions of if they even understand, or if his words are like that of a God to them; he takes on an imaginary role of God and lays out ten of his own commandments. He later admits that they were not rules that he, nor humans as a species really followed to a tee, saying that “all that stuff I said, was just stuff I said.” I could go on about the specifics of it all, but I would be recommend simply sitting down and read it for yourself, the show might last about an hour if that, the script is about thirty pages, and is very much so worth the read. The audience is given some hope at the end, but nothing concrete, just as there is nothing concrete about our current situation regarding climate change. Quiz • 1: Who was the author of this piece? • 2: How far in the future is the piece supposed to take place? • 3: Where is Tim hiding out for the rest of his days? • 4: What was one of Tim’s Ten Commandments? Discussion Questions -Could you imagine living on nothing but Campbell’s soup, crackers, and water for the rest of your life? -If the climate crisis reaches this point in your life time, how would you like to think you would react? -How do you feel about Tim’s Ten Commandments? Are they rules we should be applying to ourselves currently? -Do you think this dystopian reality Tim is living in is a remotely accurate description of the direction of our future is heading?
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