Troika to Utopia Part 3: A Docu-Drama in Three-Quarter Time

By Louis A. Coppola

Troika is a docu-drama about the Russian revolution, the romance of freedom, and the eternal dream of utopia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481760713

Louis A. Coppola

Louis A. Coppola is a produced playwright. He has written for BENSON, prime time ABC/Television; performed on THE LUCILLE BALL SHOW; and directed for THE LIEUTENANT, MGM/television. He has been published by Samuel French, produced in Equity Showcase, and is a member of the Dramatists and Writers Guilds of America. His other works include Essay-fiction Books: Homecrest Avenue, Silhouettes of An Accidental Family; C.B.S, The Chucklehead Broadcasting System, Celebrating 44 Years of Glorified Insignificance. Television: Checkmate, ABC/TV, The Benson Series. Plays: Chiaroscuro (Published by Samuel French); a Russian trilogy Troika to Utopia, (A docu-drama In Three-Quarter Time): Part One, Two, and Three. In 1986 he and his wife Ann, founded The After 3 Theatre Co, Inc., a not-for-profit children’s theatre, website: after3theatre.org. Louis performs for seniors with anecdotal experiences Behind the Scenes. He holes up in the New York Metropolitan area with his wife Ann the original Green Mother Goose.

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© 2013 by Louis A. Coppola. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/12/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-6070-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-6071-3 (e)

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Contents

Characters

Part 3

Prologue

Act 1

Act 2

Echoes From the Future

Glossary

CAUTION: Professional and amateurs are hereby warned that TROIKA is subject to royalty. It is fully protected under copyright laws of the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, including Canada, and all other countries of the Copyright Union. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion pictures, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, electronic storage, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. In its present form the play is dedicated to the reading public only.

TROIKA may be given stage presentation by amateurs upon payment of royalty of TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS for the first performance, and TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS for each additional performance, payable, one week before the date when the play is given, to Louis A. Coppola: [e-mail].

Royalty of the required amount must be paid whether the plays are presented for charity or gain and whether or not admission is charged,

For all other rights, including stock, than those stipulated above, apply to Louis A. Coppola: [e-mail].

Particular emphasis is laid on the question of amateur or professional readings, permission and terms for which must be secured in writing from Louis A. Coppola.

Law strictly forbids copying this book in whole or in part, and the right of performance is not transferable.

Whenever the play is produced the following notice must appear on all programs, printing and advertising for the play: Produced by special arrangement with L.A. Coppola and The After 3 Theatre Company, Inc.

Due authorship credit must be given on all programs, printing and advertising for the play.

  

Anyone presenting the play shall not commit or authorize any act or omission by which the copyright of the play or the right to copyright same may be impaired. No changes shall be made in the play for the purpose of your production unless authorized in writing. First printed by The After 3 Theatre Co, Inc. 1990, and 2009

Also by

Louis A. Coppola:

Essay-fiction

Homecrest Avenue, Silhouettes of an Accidental Family

C.B.S, The Chucklehead Broadcasting System

Plays

Chiaroscuro

Troika To Utopia, Part One

Troika To Utopia, Part Two

Troika To Utopia, Part Three

(A Russian Trilogy Docu-drama In Three-Quarter Time)

Television

Checkmate, ABC/TV, The Benson Series

Mamushka, that you

Again

Us

We

Still

Another day

An hour

Here we go

Whatever

Doesn’t matter

Never did

We thought otherwise once

Lots once

When it was spring

Yes

Come down to this

A wistful wrinkled

Crab apple

Waiting on

The big one

The crimson one

The silken ghost

Who eats desire

Hope

And imagination

Characters

(Some doubling of characters)

Coachie, 50’s; guide; quasi-repentant liar; wears blue suit with yellow shoes.

Archivist, young girl; the conscience of mankind.

Mamushka—ageless, Mother Russia, can double as Nadya and Natalya.

Anya, late 30, 40’s; a gulag prisoner.

Dimitri, member of Secret Police

Major Vostokov, MD, Camp Commandant; doubles as Mercador and Tsar.

Feodor, an old guardist; doubles as Farmer and Citizen prologue.

Trotsky, 50’s; fallen party leader; assassinated 1940.

Natalya, 40’s, his wife.

Stalin, 50’s; d, 1953; dictator 1927-1953; ambitious; vindictive, devoid of conscience.

Lenin, 50’s; d, 1924; leader of Bolshevik Party.

Nadya Krupskaya, 40’s; his wife; confident and amanuensis.

Inessa Armand, 40’s; Lenin’s lover and amanuensis.

Zinoviev, Grigorii Eseyevich, 40’s, close Lenin associate.

Bogdanov, 40’s; a Menshevik.

Lunacharsky, 40’s; a Menshevik.

Tsar, last Romanov.

Mercador, 30’s, Trotsky’s Assassin.

Farmer, 40’s.

A Citizen, (Prologue)

Gallery Voices: haunts, damaged souls of victims.

MUSIC: Roses From The South; Emperor’s Waltz; Beautiful Dreamer by Steven Foster (waltz tempo sometimes distant and plaintive. Verdi, Nobucco, Act 3: Va, Pensiero, Chorus of Hebrew Slaves, and/or Pavarotti with Zucchero followed by choral singers. Exiles’ Café, Igor Stravinsky (written 1940), pianist Lara Downes, Tango In D Minor, runs 3:20 minutes. Curtain call to Roses From the South with a ballerina performance tinged with mocking elegance.

Director’s note: Docu-drama in limbo; characters lapse into interior thought. Stalin grows more Frankenstein-like toward the end basically a scary inhuman being. Suggestion as to movement: The Tango is lines, a metaphorical bull fight between the sexes, the outward expression of violent inner passion, guttural, dirty, full of animal grunts, sharp turns, visceral exchanges, spirited riffs, strutting, hairsplitting, a polemic duel. Characters entice, skirt each other, attacking, retreating only to return for another cheek to jowl confrontation.

Part 3

First Trial of the Soul, Lamentation and the Legacy of Red Death

Prologue

Citizen: When I was 10 years old in Russia I believe communism good idea: for everybody what is his ability to everybody whatever he needs. Wonderful! I have needs. My brother has needs. We go to candy store take what we need, candy, cookies, cakes. Communism very good idea. So I wait for communism. At 16 I think, where is communism? I don’t see. (Looks around.) If I take what I need I go to jail. If everybody gets what they need who’ll work? In North Korea is communist but people are starving. So I think communism is good idea for children who like fairy tales. When I was soldier in Siberia. My God! Sibirskiy moroz! So cold spit turns to ice before hitting ground. First day I guard military dump in minus 40º. Next day was warmer minus 39º. I double up on clothes so heavy if enemy comes I can’t move. Thick gloves. I can’t get my finger on the trigger. Then I laugh. Idiot! Enemy is not coming to Siberia in bikini. Tfu! I go to America. In bar my brother says, Look on wall hundreds of bottles. In Russian bar is one bottle. Vodka. Communism is good? Democracy is better. We work, we eat, sleep in bed with clean sheets. Is good. Now Russia is better. We have food stamps and coupons. A painter made a living painting coupons. Every month longest line