Baron Jiro
by Sherwood Ross
Drama
One Act, 60-65 minutes
3 male, 1 female
Performances $20.00 per, scripts $7.95 each

Set in Pre-WW2 Japan, this play examines the results of a meeting between a forward thinking Japanese industrialist and an all too narrow minded general in the Japanese army who has helped initiate the invasion of China. Conquest of the Chinese isn't all the General has on his mind—he also has plans for the Baron's wife. The historical setting makes for an interesting backdrop to this moving drama.

Contains adult language and themes. #13-004

Sample text:

General: Mercantile concerns are not military concerns. Personally, I find business tedious.

Baron: War is more exciting, until somebody blows your brains out. Then, it's even duller than working in a laundry.

General: Look, once we conquer China, we'll have four hundred million coolies working for us.

(Sayuri folds her arms across her chest in a 'no-work' gesture and shakes her head.)

Baron: These coolies, as you call them, are my customers.

General: They're worthless Chinese. That's all I know.

Baron: Now just consider for a moment how the business approach differs from the generals'.

General: I have no time for a lecture. I came here on business.

Baron: You use my word, business, and you don't even understand what it's all about.

General: (Looks at his watch.) I'm very busy tonight.

Baron: Please, just one moment. When you generals want to conquer a country, you first spread lies about it. You call their people names, compare them to animals. You find fault with their rulers. Utterly negative. We businessmen are positive. We capture a country's wealth through sales and trade. We don't need to subjugate people to cry 'victory!' We don't want enemies for neighbors, we want customers. We listen to their wants and we try to satisfy them with our products. We exalt humanity. When you kill a man, he can't buy from you. The way you've crushed Manchuria, nobody there will ever give you an honest day's work. We businessmen, we may be greedy, but compared to you generals, we are saints. At the end of your day, you measure success counting the bodies of your enemies. We measure success by counting satisfied customers.

This play was developed in the Live Arts Playwright's Lab, and had numerous scenes workshopped at No Shame Theatre in Charlottesville. It had its first public reading at the National Press Club, where the author is a member, and its world premier was in the Live Arts Lab Space on January 30th, 2003. Photos shown are from this production, staring Christopher Carter as Baron Jiro, Chris Patrick as General Ubukata, Rachael Paisley as Sayuri, and Brandon Allison as Soemu.

PRESS:

Daily Progress, Charlottesville, VA "Extra", January 24th, 2003
Daily Progress, Charlottesville, VA "Extra", January 31st, 2003
C-ville Weekly, Charlottesville, VA "Stage", January 28th-February 3rd, 2003