a play about cross-cultural communication:

burner – played by someone who is part of the burningman community.

non-burner: played by someone who is not.

– – –

burner: OMG! the man burnt early!

non-burner: what?

burner: have you ever heard of burningman?

non-burner: hmm… looks like some crazy festival in the desert?

B: yeah. they also burn a statue of a man. that’s why they call it burningman.

NB: well, i don’t really get the point of that but…ok….

B: so someone set it on fire last night. and now everyone’s all upset.

NB: i thought you said they’re supposed to burn it.

B: no… this was arson!

NB: what’s the difference?

B: well, first of all, it’s not supposed to get burnt until saturday night.

NB: what do you do with it before then?

B: nothing, really, you look at it, and ride by it and stuff.

NB: can you climb on it?

B: not recently.

NB: so it’s just a decoration basically?

B: well, i mean, it’s someoen’s ART.

NB: oh damn! who’s the artist?

B: the burningman organization.

NB: so it’s kinda like… corporate art? dude, i don’t know… there’s some tacky shit up in the lobby i wouldn’t mind…

B: hey! just because it’s produced by the burningman organization doesn’t mean it’s not someone’s creation.

NB: you’re right… that’s true. it is pretty crummy that someone burnt it.

B: yeah at least they caught the guy… you wanna see a mugshot?

NB: oh my god! that guy looks CRAZY!

B: well….

NB: what?

B: well, he kind of… a lot of people wear crazy outfits and makeup and stuff there.

NB: so this guy, he… fits in there?

B: well…i mean… yeah….

NB: i dunno…. if there’s a bunch of crazy tattooed people all running around in war paint and stuff–

B: hey! this whole thing is ABOUT “radical self expression!” that’s the whole idea…

NB: but… doesn’t what he did then… doesn’t that kinda count as pretty radical expression?

B: what? NO! look, radically self expressing means like… like… i spend the whole time there wearing a tutu and a cowboy hat simultaneously. ok? i don’t take away something from everybody who comes to the event just to see the man burn. that waits for this all year long.

NB: but they destroy the thing anyway!

B: you can’t destroy it until they say so!

NB: you know… all these rules sound really complicated and confusing.

B: it’s really not. it’s really all just about art. you know, people spend so much time and energy creating amazing art to bring out there and share with everyone, and this guy just–

NB: wait…you think maybe this was his art?

B: what?

NB: well, i bet this took a good deal of planning beforehand, and it’s certainly a statement–

B: what the hell kind of statement does it have?

NB: i don’t know… maybe something like, about culture jamming or somethig? it seems like there’s a message it’s trying to get across maybe, and it–

B: that is ridiculous. that isn’t art with a message! THIS is art with a message:

NB: oh. hm…. how much fuel you think it took to trasnport and construct atll tha?

B: ok. you know what…. i have to go finish packing now.

NB: ok. see ya. have fun!

B: thanks!