Аннотация: The Grain Deal Extension. A play in three acts.
The Grain Deal Extension. A play in three acts.
ACTING PERSONS:
I. An influential person in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the North country.
A woman, a subordinate to an influential person. She is in charge of connections with press and of public relations.
II. High official. His assistant. Woman, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of a European country.
An Envoy from a vast Eastern country.
III. Head of the Main International Organization.
Members of the African Delegation for Peace.
LOCATIONS OF ACTS:
I. Office of an influential person in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the North country.
II. A small meeting room in one of the European countries
III. The office of the Administrative Head of the Main International Organization.
Act I.
An influential person of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads and signs business papers.
A woman, a subordinate to an influential person, enters office-room (she is in charge of connections with press and of public relations):
- 'Urgently need your instructions! How and what to say about the grain deal?'
- 'Say that until all our conditions are met, we will not participate in the deal!'
- 'Our southern neighbors want to settle accounts with us in their currencies, but our Ministry of Finance says that we do not need their currencies in significant volumes.'
- 'It has nothing to do with the deal.'
- 'African countries, to which we planned to carry agricultural products free of charge, made up a peaceful delegation. This delegation travels to North America and Europe.'
- 'We have to read their ideas, written on paper. It has nothing to do with the grain deal.'
- 'A variety of countries are interested in a grain deal. Countries from different regions and with different economic weight.'
- 'I recently visited my native school, talked with students, recalled how in my youth I helped my father in the field and my uncle - as a sales assistant - in my uncle's little shop. It would more useful to you, not to me - to go and to talk about all this. We should not think about trifles, to be engaged in calculation of political benefits. We must think about the historical reputation of our country.'
- 'I understood everything. I will give information that until all our conditions are met, we will not participate in the deal!'
The woman leaves the office.
The influential person shakes his head in annoyance and goes to the rest room.
Act II.
A small meeting room in one of the European countries. A portrait of Charlemagne hangs on the wall.
A high official is talking to an Envoy from a vast Eastern country.
The Envoy continues to express his thoughts:
- '... You and I almost do not find points of agreement in anything. But here's another suggestion. We propose to adopt a Humanitarian Declaration.'
- 'What is its meaning?'
- 'The concepts of "area of active military operations" and "territory outside the area of active military operations" will be introduced. On the "territory outside the area of active hostilities" will be allocated regional centers within their current administrative boundaries. In such regional centers, the use of any weapon without exception is prohibited, except for small arms.
- 'We need to think about this...'
- What suggestions do you have?'
- 'We consider it expedient to extend the grain deal. What are the views of your leadership on this topic?
- 'We would consider the extension of the deal useful.'
- 'It's very well! We are completing our negotiations with an agreement on one of the issues! Please pass me the text of your proposal for the adoption of the Humanitarian Declaration.'
- 'Here is a copy of the draft Declaration you with an explanatory note attached.'
- 'Thank you. We'll consider. I will ask the assistant to prepare a draft record about the support, approval (by parties of negotiations) of the grain deal.'
- 'I don't mind.
The high official presses the button. The assistant enters.
- 'Prepare a draft record about support for the grain deal by the negotiating parties.'
- 'Will be done.'
The assistant leaves the office.
A high official politely asks the Envoy:
- 'What are your future plans?'
- 'I intend to visit a number of capitals and discuss various issues related to the current situation.'
A woman, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of a European country, enters the office and whispers loudly to a high official:
- 'Information about the support of the parties (of the negotiations) of the grain deal has spread through all the media!'
The Envoy gets up.
- 'I have to hurry! Send the draft protocol to me into the train!'
The negotiators shake hands.
They leave the office. A woman comes out with them, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Act III.
The office of the Administrative Head of the Main International Organization includes members of the delegation of African countries for the achievement of peace.
The shaking hands of members of the delegation and of the owner of the office.
One member of the delegation says:
- 'Our task is to achieve peace! But we took the opportunity to visit you to express our gratitude to you for your ideas, plans and efforts in the grain deal!'
- 'The grain deal is the result of the efforts of many countries. Our role should not be exaggerated. But I affirm that our task is to achieve the benefit of all.'
- 'Thanks to the arrival of additional batches of grain on the world market, food prices have stabilized. And this had a positive impact on the food supply of the broad masses of the population.'
- 'We express our support for the extension of the grain deal.'
Another member of the delegation enters into the conversation:
- 'It's not just the people who benefited. Some relief was felt not only by people, but also by specially protected animals. Our country has the largest elephant on the planet. His name is Big Ellis. He asked me to give you his portrait (as a gift)."
A member of the delegation with a smile passes to the owner of the office a large photograph (framed) depicting a huge elephant.
The owner of the office with a smile accepts a portrait of a huge elephant:
- 'Thank you. And in response, I will allow myself to give the members of the delegation brochures from the exhibition of photographs. These photos were taken during my trip to the grain growing areas. I hope you enjoy these photos.'
The owner of the office gives the members of the delegation brochures from the exhibition of photographs.
- 'Thank you and wish you success! We must move on!'
- 'I wish success to your delegation. I'll walk you a little. And I will ask technical staff to hang a portrait of an elephant on one of the walls.'
The owner of the office (together with a portrait of an elephant) and members of the delegation leave the office.
Translation from Russian into English: 19 мая 2023 г. 07:29
Владимир Владимирович Залесский ' Продление зерновой сделки. Пьеса в трёх действиях '.
{ 3304. Продление зерновой сделки. Пьеса в трёх действиях. - 19 мая 2023 г. 06:35
MMMCCLXXV. The Grain Deal Extension. A play in three acts. - May 19, 2023.
Vladimir Zalessky Internet-bibliotheca. Интернет-библиотека Владимира Залесского. }