Scenes 1-7
PROLOGUE
TEASER We're listening to a recording.
The sound is filtered, but not too aggressively - we'll be listening to these tapes quite a lot throughout the play. The recording begins with mic bumps, and the first words are much too close and distorted. Then things settle down.
CHARLIE (tape): Hello? Hello, hello. (He gathers his thoughts) My name is Charlie Gordon. I am 37 years old and two weeks ago was my birthday. Miss Kinnian says I shud say about what I think and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont know why but she says its importint so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me. Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. I have nuthing more to say now.
A moment or two of tape hiss and room atmosphere. More mic bumps. Then a clunk as the recording ends. Music. Opening announcements.The music fades into...
SCENE 1: Dr Strauss' room at the hospital.
We are listening to the end of Charlie's tape.
CHARLIE (tape):. . . maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. I have nuthing more to say now.
DR STRAUSS switches off the tape.
MISS K Well, doctor?
DR NEMUR I don't know.
MISS K Dr Strauss?
DR STRAUSS How long did it take him to learn to work the recorder?
MISS K Not long.
DR NEMUR How long, Miss Kinnian?
MISS K Three sessions.
NEMUR looks at some notes.
DR NEMUR IQ, sixty-eight . . . Muscular co-ordination?
MISS K Average for his development. Perhaps slightly above.
STRAUSS also consults notes.
DR STRAUSS I'd like to do some basic tests before we finally decide.
DR NEMUR I'm not in favour.
DR STRAUSS We'll do some tests.
Out.
SCENE 2: Another, smaller room.
CHARLIE waits, humming tunelessly to himself. Finally, the door opens. He jumps a little.
BERT (Approaching): You must be Charlie.
BERT dumps a pile of cards on the table and sorts through them briskly.
CHARLIE I'm Charlie.
BERT My name's Bert.
CHARLIE How do you do, Bert?
This unexpected formal politeness makes BERT stop his shuffling and look at CHARLIE properly for the first time.
BERT I'm very well, thanks. Now, Charlie — are you ready? I want you to look at these cards.
Out.
CHARLIE (tape): I had a test today. I think I faled it, and I think that maybe now they wont use me. What happind is a nice young man was in the room and he had some white cards with ink spilled all over them. He sed Charlie what do you see on this card. I was very skared even tho I had my rabits foot in my pockit because when I was a kid I always faled tests in school and I spilled ink to.
I told him I saw a inkblot but he wantid me to say what was in the ink. I dint see nuthing in the ink . but he said there was picturs there. Other pepul saw some picturs. I couldn't see any picturs. I reely tryed to see. I said please let me try agen. Ill get it in a few minits becaus Im not so fast somtimes. Im a slow reeder too in Miss Kinnians class for slow adults but Im trying very hard.
I dont think I passd the test.
SCENE 3: DR STRAUSS' room.
DR STRAUSS Charlie, hello.
CHARLIE Hello.
DR STRAUSS I'm Dr Strauss and this –
CHARLIE (memorising): Dr Strauss . .
DR STRAUSS And this is Dr Nemur.
CHARLIE Nemur . . . How do you do?
DR NEMUR Sit down please.
CHARLIE Right . . .
He sits.
DR STRAUSS Now, we have the results of the test you took yesterday . . .
CHARLIE I couldn't see the pictures. I'm really sorry.
DR STRAUSS It doesn't matter.
CHARLIE There was ink all over the cards when he gave them to me. I didn't spill it.
DR NEMUR Tell us about the night school you go to.
CHARLIE Miss Kinnian never gives me tests like that one.
DR SIRAUSS How did you find the night school, Charlie? Did someone tell you to go there?
CHARLIE No. I asked people where I should go to learn to read and spell good. And they told me there.
DR STRAUSS Miss Kinnian tells us you're her star pupil.
CHARLIE stares blankly at him.
DR NEMUR Her best pupil. (A moment) Why did you want to learn to read and to spell?
CHARLIE Because all my life I wanted not to be stupid. Are you going to use me?
DR STRAUSS Do you know that it will probably be temporary?
CHARLIE Yes. Miss Kinnian told me. I don't care if it hurts.
Out.
CHARLIE (tape): Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur said that maybe they will still use me. They said that Miss Kinnian told them I was the bestest pupil in her class becaus I tryed the hardist and I reely wantid to lem. They said lye got to go bak tomorrow and do some more tests. Praps Ill meet my frend Bert again. This time Ill try reely hard to see the pictures.
SCENE 4: A corridor at the hospital.
CHARLIE and BERT walk along, steps echoing.
CHARLIE Where are we going?
BERT Don't be scared, Charlie.
CHARLIE I'm not scared. Will Miss Kinnian be there?
BERT Not today. I'm taking you to meet Algernon.
CHARLIE Al-ger-non.
Out.
SCENE 5: A laboratory.
BERT There he is.
CHARLIE laughs.
CHARLIE Al-ger-non.
BERT Algernon.
CHARLIE Algernon.
BERT That's right. You and Algernon are going to play a game.
CHARLIE laughs.
CHARLIE How can he play a game? He's just a mouse.
Out.
CHARLIE (tape): The game wasnt reely a game. It was like a race. Bert put Algernon in a box with a lot of twists and turns like all kinds of walls and then he gave me a pencil and a paper with lines and lots of boxes. On one side it said START and on the other end it said FINISH. Bert said it was amazed and that Algernon and me had the same amazed to do. I dint see howe we could have the same amazed if Algernon had a box and I had a paper but I dint say nothing. Anyway there wasnt time because the race started.
Bert had a watch he was trying to hide so I woudnt see it so I tryed not to look and that made me nervus. Anyway that test made me feel even worser than the other one because we did it over 10 times with difemt amazeds and Algernon won every time. I dint know that mice were so smart. Maybe thats because Algernon is a white mouse. Maybe white mice are smarter than other mice.
SCENE 6: DR STRAUSS' room.
DR STRAUSS What have you got against him?
DR NEV1UR I just don't think he's the right candidate.
DR STRAUSS Oh, that's a very scientific argument.
DR NEMUR Look, we're making history here. If the operation succeeds . . .
DR STRAUSS If it succeeds, you'll have your place in the history books whoever the subject is.
DR NEMUR You think that's all I care about?
DR STRAUSS I know Charlie isn't exactly what you had in mind for the first of your new breed.
DR NEMUR New breed! You make me sound like some kind of Frankenstein. Look, all the indications are for a tripling of base intelligence at the very least. I simply don't think he'll be able to cope with it.
Out.
CHARLIE (tape): Their going to use me! Im so exited. Dr Nemur and Dr Strauss had a argament about it first. I heard them from outside the door. I dint get all the words and they were talking to fast but it sounded like Dr Strauss was on my side and like the other one wasnt. Dr Strauss mustav wun. Their not here now. They've gone. Im waiting for Miss Kinnian to take me home. I like Miss Kinnian becaus shes a very smart teacher.
SCENE 7: A street. Night.
MISS K Well, Charlie. You're going to have a second chance. How do you feel?
CHARLIE I'm scared. I never had an operation before.
MISS K Dr Strauss is a very fine surgeon. You'll be in good hands.
CHART E What about Dr Nemur? He doesn't like me.
MISS K Now I'm sure that's not true. But he can't operate on you, Charlie. He's a psychologist.
CHARLIE Psy . . . ?
MLSS K He's a doctor who knows about how you think.
CHARLIE If he knows how I think, he knows I don't like him either. I'm scared.
MISS K Oh Charlie, don't be scared. You've done so much with so little. I think you deserve this more than anybody.
Out.
CHARLIE (tape): Dr Strauss said I had something that was very good. He said I had a good motor-vation. I never even knew I had that. I felt proud when he said that not every body with an eye-q of 68 had that thing. I dont know what it is or where I got it but he said Algernon had it too. Algernons motor¬vation is the cheese they put in his box. But it cant be that because I didnt eat any cheese this week.
