Mind Over Matter?

By Kendra Cui on behalf of Starlit Voice © 2019

Performed by the students of St. Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese Secondary School

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Opening scene: Medication
Interior of mental asylum in the 1970s. The asylum is more prison than treatment facility.

Two guards enter.

Guard 1: I don’t know why the governor chose today of all days to schedule a visit to the asylum.

Guard 2: Everyone here just had to pick today to go crazy. Violent outbursts, fights—one of the
patients even tried to jump off the roof. We’re never going to manage all of them with the other
guards off shift.

Guard 1: Comes with the job when you’re watching over lunatics, I guess.

Captain enters.

Captain: Look sharp! As you know, the governor is here today to examine the asylum and make sure
everything is running smoothly. This asylum is his investment, and it’s his money that keeps us in our
jobs. Therefore, today must be absolutely incident-free. Do you understand me?

Guard 1 and 2: Yes, sir!

Captain: Don’t let me down like last year, when that lunatic patient #031 tried to attack the
governor. Keep an eye out for him.

Politician and doctor enter.

Politician: (Chuckling.) No need to be so uptight, captain. How is everyone? I trust everything has
been running smoothly.

Captain: Yes, of course, sir.

Politician: You might be wondering why I dropped in today. Well, I’m here to observe this new
treatment the doctor has proposed. With it, we should be able to take in even more patients, and
double profits at the institution.

Doctor: Yes, we’ll be administering a new type of sedative to the patients today. As long as these are
administered on schedule by the guards every day, they should be enough to keep the patients
drowsy. We’ll keep them drugged, make them less violent, and get more patients in.

Doctor sets up his kit with oral sedatives.

Doctor: Bring the first patient in please.

One of the guards accompanies patient #074 in, an old man. The guard keeps his baton ready in case
the old man lashes out.

Guard 1: Sit. Open your mouth.

#074 does so, and the doctor administers the medication.

Guard 2: Get out of here.

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#074 shuffles out slowly.

Guard 2: Quickly! Next.

#074 is escorted out of the room, and #027 enters. He is a man in his thirties.

#027: I’m perfectly capable of walking without being threatened with a baton, thank you.

Guard 1: Sit. Open your mouth.

#027: What’s this for?

Guard 2: Be quiet and do as you’re told.

#027 raises an eyebrow at the guard, but obliges.

Guard 1: Get out now.

After #027 is escorted out, #004 enters, a middle-aged man.

Guard 1: Sit. Open your mouth.

#004 does as he is told.

Guard 2: Next.

#004 leaves and #055, a man in his early 20s, enters.

Guard 1: Sit. Open your mouth.

#055: Could you use a plastic spoon?

Guard 1: (Threatening with his baton.) Be quiet.

Doctor: Just open your mouth.

#055: I’ll do what you want. I just don’t want a metal spoon, I want a plastic one!

Guard 1: Do you want to be thrown into solitary confinement?

#055: No, please, I can’t!

#055 knocks the spoon of the doctor’s hand, causing a commotion. As the guards and captain move
to restrain #055, they become preoccupied. #031 bursts into the room with a knife, lunging for the
politician.

#031: You ruined my life! You stole my future wife!

Politician: You again!

The politician takes out a gun that he aims at #031. The bullet grazes #031’s arm, and he drops the
knife in pain. The captain restrains #031, and the guards rush over to help him.

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Politician: How could you let this happen again captain? The exact same mistake, two visits in a row.
I told you I never wanted to see his face again.

Captain: I’m so sorry sir, it won’t happen again.

Politician: It’d better not. Any more blunders today and I’ll be looking for someone to replace you.

Captain: Yes, sir. No, no more mistakes sir.

#031 is dragged out of the room by the guards. The politician turns towards #055, who is staring
fearfully at the knife which has landed by him in the commotion.

Politician: Doctor, let’s finish with him. I need a break.

The captain grabs #055 by the arm, and forces him into the chair.

#055: No, not a metal spoon, please!

The doctor administers the medication despite #055’s pleas. When the medication has been
administered, the doctor, captain and politician exit the room, leaving #055 behind.

Scene 2: A plan
#074 has been waiting outside the room and steps back in.

#074: (To #055.) Are you OK?

#027 comes back into the room as well.

#074: (Pointing to the knife.) Don’t let them see it!

#027: (Waving the knife in front of #055.) Why? Scared of a little blade? (#055 shrinks away.)

#074: Put that away!

#027: What’s he so scared about a knife for?

#074: You don’t know why he’s here? The man was stabbed by a debt collector a year ago. Almost
got killed. He’s not been able to look at a knife or metal object since without breaking down.

#027: Ah. Poor fellow. Well, I’ll just hold onto this for now. (He pockets the knife.) You never know
when this might come in handy.

#074: (In a cautious tone.) What are you thinking? Don’t do anything rash with it.

#027: Rash? Don’t tell me what to do.

#074: If you’re thinking about escaping again, I wouldn’t—

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#027: What would you know about escaping, old man? You may have given up in the twenty-five
years that you’ve been here, but I still have a life ahead of me.

#055: Escape? If you’re escaping, take me with you!

The others ignore #055.

#074: I’m telling you—they’re watching your every move. Guards in the trees, hidden in the walls. I
hear their voices threatening me all the time. Sometimes they can even send you secret messages in
your sleep. They’ll torment you if they catch you!

#027: What’s this crazy nonsense you’re talking about?

#055: Yes, let’s do it right away, right now! Come, let’s go! (Grabs the others’ arms.)

#027: We need to make a plan first!

#074: No, I can’t! I hear voices on the radio and in the walls; they’ll kill me if they’ve found out I’ve
left this place! Ever since I killed my neighbor, they’ve been telling me I don’t deserve to be happy,
and they’re right! I’ve been here twenty-five years, and I deserve to stay here!

#027: Well, you can stay here for all you want, but I’m getting out. You might’ve given up, but I’m
not like the rest of you. I’ve been here my whole life! I was born here and I don’t intend to die here! I
deserve to see what life is like outside these four walls.

#074: Alright, but if you must leave, you can’t let them catch you! They hide in the trees, so you can’t
run across the field. Meet me outside my room tonight. I’ll help you get out.

#074 exits.

#055: Will you take me with you then? I can’t stand this any longer!

#027: Fine! But if you slow me down, I’m leaving you behind!

Scene 3: Uncomfortable alliances

#004: (To himself) Got off the left side of the bed today… folded my clothes exactly five times… ate
three pieces of bread for breakfast… yes, nothing will go wrong…

#031 enters.

#031: What are you muttering about?

#004: Nothing...

#031 searches around the room.

#031: You haven’t seen a knife around here, have you?

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#004: Knife? No… I haven’t seen a knife…

#031: Look, if you’re hiding a knife around here, you’d better give it back. I don’t want to cause
trouble, but I need it for something very important.

#004: Well, I did see my roommate speaking to someone earlier who had a knife.

#031: Will he be around?

#004: I’m not sure… he should be returning from the medical ward soon…

#031: Soon? (An idea strikes him.) Quick, hide behind this closet.

#004: What? Why?

#031: I need to know what they’re doing with my knife.

They hide. #055, #074 and #027 enter.

#055: ...You’re sure that this is safe?

#074: Yes. The voices in my sleep and the radio tell me it is, and they’ve never been wrong.

#027: Enough about this “voices” nonsense.

#074: It’s this secret tunnel in the next corridor. All you have to do is exit between the guards’ shifts.

#055: How do you know about this?

#074: I’ve used it a few times.

#027: What? And you chose to come back?

#074: I can’t leave… I’ll never survive out there. The voices on the radio tell me I don’t deserve
freedom. And they’re right.

#027: No one in their right mind would ever consider staying here. I can’t believe you.

#004 jumps out of the hiding spot, exposing himself and #031.

#004: (To #074) You’re leaving?

#074: This isn’t what it looks like…

#031: (To #004) Great, now you’ve blown my cover!

#004: You can’t leave! If you do, I won’t be able to go on without you!

#074: I’m not leaving!

#004: Liar!

#004 runs out.

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#055: He’s gone to tell the captain, right?

#027: OK, we have to escape! Now! (To #074) You’ll have to come with us. If the captain finds out
you’ve helped us, it’s over for you.

#031: Excuse me, but I believe that’s my knife.

#027: This is my only chance to get out of here and I’m not giving it up!

#055: Come on, let’s go!

#031: Well, I’ve got plans with that knife. The governor and I have a score to settle.

#055: Let’s go! Quickly!

#027: Why don’t you just come with us? You’ll have the freedom to carry out whatever plans you
want once we’re out. Look, we don’t have much time.

#031: Why should I come with you? What’s to stop you from turning me in and betraying me? Just
like everyone else who hates me and betrays me? Like my girlfriend, my parents and my so-called
friends! You just want to ruin me like your crazy friend who just ran off!

#055: No one is turning anyone in!

#027: What’s your deal? We’re offering you a way out so you can do whatever it is you want to! You
can either accept our help or leave it! If you’re going to be this paranoid, you can forget about our
help!

#031: Fine! I’ll join you. But only if I get to hold the knife.

#055: (Nervously) Who says that you get to hold the knife?

#031: How do I know that you won’t kill me with it?

#027: Must you be so suspicious about everything?

#031: If you won’t give me the knife, then I’ll ruin this whole escape plan for everyone! I don’t care if
they catch me again, as long as you all are trapped here!

#074: Just let him hold the knife; we’ve already wasted enough time. We’ll get caught.

#027: OK, fine! Here you go.

#055: I have a bad feeling about this…

#027: Can’t you just—

Doctor: (Offstage) OK, tell the governor I’ll meet him in the captain’s office.

The patients freeze as they hear the doctor’s voice.

#055: Oh no, he’s coming this way! What do we do? He’s going to blow our cover.

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#074: I warned you all about doing something rash!

#031: Quiet! Let me handle this! A hostage is just what we need…

#055: What?

#031 points the knife at the doctor as the doctor enters.

#031: Come with us now.

Doctor: Are you threatening me? (Silence.) Don’t be unreasonable. Why don’t we go to the medical
room and we can find some medicine to calm you down?

#031: I don’t trust your medication!

Doctor: If the voices in your head are bothering you, I can help you to—

#031: No! I am not delusional. I’ve never been thinking more clearly in my life. Now, come with us
unless you want this to end badly.

#027: OK, let’s move! Quickly!

#074: Before the voices find us!

#027: Enough about your voices!

They exit.

Scene 4: Backstory
Politician: Weren’t we supposed to meet with the doctor half an hour ago before he left for the day?
This isn’t like him.

Captain: Any of you see him around?

Guard 1: No sir!

Guard 2: Sorry, sir. I haven’t either.

Politician: You two go search for him. After the incident earlier today, we can never be too careful.

Guards 1 and 2 exit.

Captain: Governor, if I might ask, why did that patient target you this morning? It seemed like he had
a specific motive going after you.

Politician: I put him in here. He deserved it.

Captain: Why? Did he do something to you?

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Politician: Well… We knew each other back in high school. He always followed me around, and tried
to be my friend. It was a little annoying actually. I could tell he looked up to me. He had a crush on
this girl that lived across the street from us. The girl and I spent a lot of time together working on
school projects. He then started to get suspicious of me. His crush turned into an obsession. He said I
was stealing her away from him when she never liked him in the first place.

Captain: And did you?

Politician: Like her? No. Definitely not. She’s married now.

Captain: I see.

Politician: We had an argument about her, about our friendship, about many things. One night his
father abandoned his family. He burned down my house that night, so I sent him here.

A pause.

Captain: Probably for the best.

Silence.

Politician: The guards have been taking a while. Where are they?

#004 rushes in.

#004: They’re leaving! They’re leaving through the tunnel!

Captain: What are you talking about? Who’s leaving through what tunnel?

#004: That way! A knife! He has a knife!

The politician and captain glance at each other, recognizing who #004 is talking about.

Politician: Come on! We’re going after them.

Politician and captain exit.

Scene 5: Ultimatum
The four escapees enter with the doctor as their hostage, and check around for guards. #074 is visibly
struggling to keep up: the medication from earlier today has worked on him, but not on the other
patients, who are stronger physically.

#074: You’ll have to go on without me.

#055: We can’t leave you now!

#074: I’ll just be slowing you down. The medication—it’s making me sleepy… I can’t…

#027: Old man, just come with us! Push through it! Wake up!

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Doctor: Looks like the medication is doing its job after all…

#031: You be quiet!

#074: No. You will leave without me. How do you expect me to start a new life once we escape? My
body has been beaten up more times than I can count by the guards, and the voices are never going
away. It’s better I meet my end here.

#027: Are you crazy?

Captain: (Offstage) You two go that way! We’ll go this way! Find them!

Guards: (Offstage) Yes, sir!

#074: Go! Now!

#031: No! This is my chance to end the governor! I should’ve killed him when his house burnt down!
I should’ve been a hero by freeing the world of his evil influence!

#027: Are you mad? We’ll get captured!

#031: No! It’s my turn to be a hero! The voice in my head tells me it’s my time!

While #027 and #031 argue, the doctor slowly backs away and makes a break for it.

#027: Look what you’ve done! We’ve lost our hostage! Go! Go!

#027 pushes #031 off with him. #055 follows. The old man remains, as the captain and politician
catch up to him.

Captain: You! Where did the others escape to?

The old man remains silent.

Captain: Speak, you old fool!

The old man still refuses to speak.

Captain: Say something! Are you deaf?

The politician points his gun point-blank at the old man.

Politician: You’re going to tell me where they are, old man.

The old man remains silent.

Politician: Tell me!

#074 remains silent, stepping forward so that his chest is directly in contact with the barrel of the
politician’s gun, and daring the politician to shoot him. Pause.

#074: I can’t go on with these voices in my head anymore… you might as well just end me here…

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Guard 1 enters.

Guard 1: Captain! Sir! They’re making a break across the back yard!

Captain: Go! After them!

The guard and captain run out after the escapees. The politician lowers his gun, stares down the old
man, and turns to leave. At the doorway, he turns around, coldly gazes at the old man still in the
corner.

Politician: Do you know why I lock up people like you? That man I’m chasing burned down my house
and killed my mother. My mother died in a fire because he believed I had stolen his future wife.
Dangerous people like him should not walk free.

Silence.

Politician: Now, will you tell me where they are?

The old man says nothing. The politician raises his gun. He fires, and the old man collapses.

Final scene: New beginnings?

Guard 1: (Offstage.) Where did they go?

Captain: (Offstage.) I thought I saw them go this way!

Politician: (Offstage.) You fools! You let them get away!

The voices fade away.

#055: Are we out? Are we free?

#027: I think we’ve done it!

#055: We’ve made it?

#031: We’ve made it!

Silence as the patients contemplate their newfound freedom.

#027: So… this is what the world outside of the asylum looks like… Well, I’ve got too much of the
world to see, and I’ve got to get on with it.

#027 extends his hand to #031, who shakes it. #027 then turns to #055, but #055 is wary of shaking
his hand. #027 then turns to leave, but #004 suddenly rushes out at him.

#004: Where is he? Where did you take him?

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#031: (Wielding his knife) Back off! You sold us out!

#004: Where’s the old man?

#055: (To #031) How did he follow us?

#031: I have no idea! (To #004) We didn’t take your friend! He chose to stay behind. Silly choice if
you ask me.

#004: You don’t understand! They shot him then took him somewhere! I won’t be able to survive
without him! (Pause. Turns to #027) This is all your fault! Why did you have to ruin things when they
were alright?

#004 runs at #027, but #031 steps in with the knife.

#031: Get lost. Now.

#004 contemplates his odds, then turns and runs off .Pause.

#027: As I was saying, need to see the world.

#027 exits.

#031: (To #055) Well, you’re on your own too. I’ve got my own plans…plans for revenge against the
governor.

#055: Wait! But what do I do now? Who will take care of me?

#031: Take care of yourself! Here, do you want this?

He thrusts the knife at #055. #055 shrinks back.

#031: Fine. Suit yourself.

#031 walks off with the knife.

#055: What shall I do with myself? Where shall I go?

#055 turns to the audience.

#055: Who will help me?

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