As the actors take their places and don masks, you settle down to watch the action.*
Spark whispers to you,
I wish there was a confectioner that sold candied apples!
The music starts the play, as Paul takes center stage and addresses the audience.
Welcome to Our Tale,
A tale so true to life.
'Tis a tale of tragedy
A man has lost his wife.
But the story need not be sad
When The Fellowship is here.
The Triad of Inner Strength
Gives one no cause to fear.
Dustin takes the stage as Paul moves away. Meryl lies on the ground in front of him and assumes a death-like pose.
'Tis doom!
'Tis despair!
'Tis death!
My beloved wife is gone!
Disease has taken her away
And left me with but a song.
Dustin puts his head in his hands and mimes sobbing. As he sobs, Meryl rises from her "death" in a ghost-like fashion, then addresses Dustin.
Mine husband, my love!
Do not despair!
'Tis not doom!
Thou shalt rise above
All this melancholy and gloom!
Who doth speak to me?
Could it be she?
Or have I indeed gone mad?
But who else -could- it be?
Mine husband, thou must listen.
Thou hast thy comfort within thy grip.
Thou must only seek them out --
Those that can help -- The Fellowship!
Meryl drifts off stage, leaving Dustin alone.
The Fellowship, she said?
But what do I need with it?
I have mine eight virtues and mine healers
With these nothing else will fit!
Paul enters the stage with Meryl, who now wears a different mask.
But that is where thou art wrong!
The Fellowship exists to help thee!
The Triad of Inner Strength is here
To give thee a sense of unity!
Join us now and thou wilt see.
Join thy brothers and our plan
To promote the tenets of our group --
Thou wilt be a better man.
At this point, an elaborate mimed sequence reveals how Dustin joins The Fellowship, receives his medallion from a "branch leader", portrayed by Paul, and receives congratulations from Meryl.
Strive for Unity at all times,
And Trust Thy Brother through all ill,
For Worthiness Precedes thine own Reward
Hark to our words -- it surely will!
I shall give half my wealth to thee!
I shall do thy bidding and then wait.
My reward shall come one day
And free me from mine awful fate.
Dustin mimes giving Paul some money. Paul exits, then Dustin lies down on the stage and mimes going to sleep. After a moment, Meryl enters the stage, dances around Dustin's body, sprinkling some kind of sparkling dust on him.
Iolo whispers to you. "I am particularly enjoying the visual effects. The script is a little weak, dost thou not think?"
Meryl leaves the stage and Dustin 'wakes up'. Lo and behold, he finds a bag near his place of sleep. Upon opening it, he finds a bundle of gold!
By Lord British I declare!
'Tis my reward! From the air!
The voice I heard at night was right
About my wretched life I will not care!
The voice came to me in a dream
'Twas mine 'inner' voice, so fair.
I now have a companion and provider,
And a master about whom I care.
You are jarred by the actor's choice of words -- 'companion', 'provider', and 'master'. You realize you have heard them before.
This is really awful.
Paul and Meryl join Dustin on stage and they all hold hands.
The Fellowship can give thee purpose
To join is thine only choice
Commit thyself to our just cause
And find thine inner voice.
At that point, the actors bow, and you realize it is the end. You give them polite applause.
What do they mean about the voice? I am not sure I understand. 'Twas a confusing play. I did not like it at all. We have wasted our time and money! That is the last time that I let thee decide how best we entertain ourselves!
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