What is Dada? An Anti-Dada Play
Introduction
What is Dada, what does it mean, and what does it mean to be a Dadaist? No one fucking knows, and that's the best part about it. This play is meant to express my love for the art movement that inspired me to write my own poems and stories. The dialogue is based on quotes taken from the various writings of the historical figures depicted in this play.
Characters:
Hugo Ball
Tristan Tzara
Walter Serner
Richard Huelsenbeck
Setting:
In a back room of the Cabaret Voltaire, our characters Hugo Ball, Tristan Tzara, Walter Serner, and Richard Huelsenbeck are sitting around a table discussing the nature of Dada.
Hugo Ball: (Serious tone) Dada is the world soul, dada is the pawnshop. Dada is the world's best lily-milk soap.
Richard Huelsenbeck: (Nods head) Dada hurts. Dada does not jest. Dada is German Bolshevism.
Tristan Tzara: (A flower grows from his left nostril as he speaks) I am neither for nor against and I do not explain because I hate common sense.
Walter Serner: (Lights up a cigarette and blows a puff of smoke at Tzara's face) To be sure, the world wants to be deceived. And it becomes truly malevolent if you don't oblige.
(Tzara coughs from the smoke.)
Hugo Ball: (Sarcastically) How does one achieve eternal bliss? By saying Dada. How does one become famous? By saying Dada.
Richard Huelsenbeck: (Spits on the table and speaks angrily) For a while my dream had been to make literature with a gun in my pocket. (Pulls a pistol from his pocket and places it on the table.)
(Everyone is unfazed by Huelsenbeck's actions.)
Tristan Tzara: (Pulls the flower from his nose and lets it fall to the floor) The true Dadas are against DADA!
Richard Huelsenbeck: (Spits back at Tzara) Take Dada seriously!
Walter Serner: (Takes another puff from his cigarette) Worldviews are word salads. A dog is a hammock.
Hugo Ball: (Sarcastically again) Dada Tzara, dada Huelsenbeck, dada m'dada, dada m'dada dada mhm, dada dera dada, dada Hue, dada Tza.
Walter Serner: (Puts his cigarette out on his tongue then eats it) The world is ruled by people playacting. This alone is a sign that victory has been achieved. Thus, never fight for anything. Perform for — yourself.
(Richard Huelsenbeck grabs his gun from the table and shoots Tzara three times in the chest but doesn't die. No reaction from the others.)
Tristan Tzara: (Speaks calmly while pulling the bullets from his chest) We are circus directors whistling amid the winds of carnival convents bawdy houses theaters realities sentiments restaurants HoHiHoHo Bang. (Puts the bullets in his mouth and spits them out one by one at Huelsenbeck)
Hugo Ball: (Sings) Gadji beri bimba glandridi laula lonni cadori.
The Curtain falls
The End