A CONCERTO FOR 28 PILLOWS AND A SUNSET

Place: A NATURAL NEUTRDROME* - a flat terrain 10000 by 10000 metres, free of buildings and trees, not too distant from a large town;

Season: early autumn;

Required Conditions: fine weather, light breeze;

Other Elements of the Concerto:

a) natural - the above field, sun, breeze;
b) adapted:

1) a wind direction indicator;
2) a wind force indicator;
3) 28 pillows, cushions, etc (preferably filthy) or size ranging between 70 by 35 metres, filled with hydrogen, each with an explosive charge and a time detonator attached;
4) the text of the “Pillow” treatise, as boring as possible (with “the pillow” as its main theme, although metaphorical interpretation is also allowed), taking 1 h 17 min to read;
5) loudspeakers;
6) fire engine and ambulance sirens;
7) natural pillows;

The Participants:

1) a lecturer reading the treatise;
2) explosives experts and balloon filling specialists;
3) firemen with fire equipment;
4) manned ambulances;
5) the true pillow opponents (equipped with their own, natural pillows used to torment and destroy the big ones);
6) several thousand of instinctive pillow lovers and theirs potential opponents;

Description:
The performers and participants are already gathered on the NEUTRDROME. The true pillow opponents drag and carry their pillows and cushions, anxiously glancing at the huge, dingy carcasses of the pillows lying on the ground in the light caress of the breeze.
The red sun almost touches the horizon. There is a faint sound - like a distant wail of an ambulance. Yes, the fire engines and ambulances are approaching. A monotonous voice from the loudspeakers starts reading the PILLOW TREATISE.
The intolerably penetrating sirens draw nearer. There is no doubt: the wailing vehicles are coming closer (THE LECTURE CONTINUES), finally they appear in the distance. Some of them stop and fall temporarily silent. People get out and mess around with their cars. And then they move off again, wailing.
THE SUN HAS SET. A red radiance lingers over the horizon. The cars arrive and fall silent. No one gets out (the passengers are hidden and invisible). THE LECTURE CONTINUES. It is the hour when the day is over but the night has not yet arrived. People notice that the PILLOWS appear to be WAKING UP. They start to move in a disturbingly sluggish way, they loll about and... Look!... Look! Those leviathans really want to sail away!
Yes! Slowly, unhurriedly, one after another THEY RISE and drag their heavy bellies against the darkening sky. They sail a little higher - in fact, still rather low - THEY COVER THE WHOLE HORIZON... the lecture continues. SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN! And it does. One after another, WITH A ROAR AND A GREAT BURST OF FLAME the huge pillows START TO EXPLODE.
The sky is dark now and after each flash it seems even darker. The blazing remnants of the cushions fall on the ground. A few undamaged pillows try to escape but they too are doomed.
Several people with something shapeless and big seem to want to do something. We have forgotten about them, but yes, the TRUE PILLOW OPPONENTS prepare for a final battle with their unwelcome burden. The fight starts, each man for himself.. at first hesitant, they gradually become more determined and bravely destroy the enemy. They are enveloped in growing clouds of feathers and surrounded by a crowd of potential PILLOW OPPONENTS.
THE LECTURE ENDS
THE PILLOWS ARE DESTROYED
THE CONCERTO HAS FINISHED
THE SUN HAS SET

Jerzy Rosolowicz
Wroclaw, 1968

*A NATURAL NEUTRDROME - as opposed to a PROPER NEUTRDROME, is simply a place selected by the artist to perform a so-called ARTISTIC MANIFESTATION according to the principles of a neutral action or to prepare such an action by predicting its necessity.

Remarks: The true pillow opponents should be selected from among INTREPID AND SREADFAST OPTIMISTS, who in spite of everything manage to believe that if not for them things be much worse; those, naturally, who - despite countless obstacles in their path - are able to present a convincing proof of that fact. We should avoid pessimists who take a dim view of everything, who - to make matters worse - believe that the number of those others is (or may be) greater, who in consequence worry about it and make the others’ lives miserable in a particularly nasty way.

The Pillow Treatise should be written by a well-known poet. An actor should be requested to read it. The technical details require detailed discussion and preparation.