I see figures, strange figures, weird figures*

Let's start at the beginning.  Here's how the new idea for my next play is emerging.

I heard another news article on NPR about Henrietta Lacks.

As a former Sci-Fi fan, the idea of immortality has resonance.  One of the early books I read was A Princess of Mars about an eternal warrior.  I read The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock.  I read Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein.  Some of my favorite books growing up.  I read and re-read these over and over.

Then there was Asimov's R. Daneel Olivaw.  Loved all these books.  Read and re-read.

I've also been doing a little research about Alan Turing.  I guess this comes from my study of automata and Jacques de Vaucanson.  I wrote a play last spring titled "The Canard of Vaucanson."

And I've been involved with computers since I was a boy (sometime in the 60's, nerd before there was nerd) and visited the computer at Denver University that was housed in a large building that had a special cooling system.  I could only see the huge computer through the glass and the only interaction was punch cards on a terminal outside in the foyer of the building.  I took Fortran at UT using punch cards.  Never saw the computer.  ( I wonder if it's still there. Hmmm. Maybe there's some way to work this in.) Anyway, my first personal computer had a four inch orange screen and used the second generation of floppies (5 1/4 inch.)  My wife transcribed my first novel onto the first generation floppies (8 inch) which are still in a suitcase with some of my old writing.

Why did this all get mashed together in my brain? <shrug>

Oh yea, then there's classic Greek mythology.  In this case, Pygmalion.  G.B. Shaw.  I love reading Shaw.

And then there's my love of Aristophanes.

So, I know the likely title.  "Piggies."

So the play will need a chorus of... wait for it... Pigs.

I only have a page and a half of notes so far, but I'm thinking three characters. A clone, a robot, and an inventor/scientist.

There's other stuff too.  I love obscure art movements.  The Letterist morphing into the Letterist Internationale morphing into the Situationists.  And then there's Sturm und Drang.

And did I mention Mouseburger, Harriet Beecher Stowe, or Zombie's?

More research is required.


*Groucho, Animal Crackers