Our Patron Saint on Plays

Donald Barthelme, our patron of patrons and saint of saints on Plays, Bombs, Operas, Politics.

"Sir Percy Plangent has writ a new opera attacking Arthur!"

"It is called The Grail, and in it the Grail is a bomb that will make everyone happy forever!"

"A bomb that will make everyone happy forever! Is this the same bomb that the Blue Knight was speaking of, some time ago?"

"In the opera the device does not use cobalt, as the Blue Knight projected, but bold euphonium!"

"What is euphonium?"

"It's a compound of europium and eurekium. In Act One, it is discovered. In Act Two, it is refined. In Act Three, it explodes!"

"In the first act, everybody denounces Arthur for not having a wonderful bomb like this. In the second act, everybody decides that something must be done. In the third act, the bomb goes off!"

"A powerful parable of political praxis!"

"Precisely! The bomb is a metaphor for the unhappiness of those groaning under the yoke!"

"Who is groaning under the yoke?"

"The folk are groaning under the yoke!"

-- Donald Barthelme, The King