THE PLOT ACT 2 | bolivar

THE PLOT

SYNOPSIS/LIST of SCENES/CAST and CHARACTERS/CHRONOLOGY

Scene 1

1817 Up to their necks: One of his strategies, that, although costing uncounted lives, contributed to SIMON being acclaimed as El Libertador - The Liberator. He is thirtyfour years old.

Scene 3

Later in 1819: the Battle of Boyaca, the creation (at least in name) of the Republic of Colombia, and various campaigns in the south-west. In1822, accompanying his close friend and essential brother-in-arms GENERAL SUCRE, they enter QUITO - SIMON meets MANUELA SAENZ. She is twentyfour - and married to an Englishman. They begin a relationship. RODRIGUEZ applauds.

Scene 4

Whilst SIMON and SAN MARTIN, the General conducting complementary campaigns to the South, discuss military and leadership problems, two NATIVE WOMEN of low socio-economic status discuss what the so-called 'changes' will mean long term - at the end preparing one of their children ( the BOY from SIMON's dream - Act One, Scene Twelve ) to be an arms bearer in the battles that are to finally 'rout Spain'.

Scene 2

1819 - aged 36 he is elected President of Venezuela; he is widely acclaimed, widely despised, widely looked upon askance. RODRIGUEZ tries to spread an interest in Native Studies, and egalitarian ideas, setting up experimental, secular schools that take in children of the poor.

Scene 5

1824 - the battles of Junin, and SUCRE's victory at Ayacucho rout all of the so-called Spanish forces. Still, the result for most people is Horror, Death and Privation on a vast scale, which is going to take decades to ameliorate.

Scene 6

1827 - 1828: Years of trying to hold the diverse and incompatible elements together, plus failing health, are taking toll on SIMON - age fortyfour. MANUELA, at twentynine, is just getting into her stride. She expresses more her dissatisfaction at the lot accorded women. SIMON and RODRIGUEZ appear to be the only men who allow women any status. With duplicity and connivance all about, SIMON relies on her frankness and consistency of friendship more than ever. They are probably amongst their own worst enemies: finding it difficult to dissemble and connive along with the best of them. SIMON breaks with his Vice President, Santander. In Bogota, at their modest residence, The Quinta, another assassination attempt is made on his life - MANUELA saves him.

ACT TWO

Scene 7

Late 1829: SIMON has been on various expeditions about the country; he is briefly in Bogota, and MANUELA, experimenting with Tarot readings, presages the ensuing Doom.

Scene 8

Early 1830: MANUELA is with ANOTHER WOMAN talking about life with SIMON, his health, and their prospects for the future

Scene 9

SIMON is in severe DECLINE, with terminal TB, on another futile expedition - as if enacting the Medieval Tarot character of THE FOOL.

His DOCTORS discuss his prospects, ills, and the contemporary scene.

Scene 10

Still traveling, SIMON's is short of funds and just escapes from another assassination attempt. The loathing with which he is regarded by some adds to his despair. He is often delirious, close to Death.

Scene 11

SIMON reads a letter from MANUELA, who is still in Bogota

Scene 12

1815 - exile in Jamaica; he is inspired by a persistent dream

Scene 13

MANUELA has fled to Paita, on the Peruvian coast near what is now Ecuador; she writes to SIMON, but discards the attempt as hopeless. Tragically separated, she and SIMON reflect upon the mysteries of Life. SIMON DIES - at the Estate of a SPANISH COUNT - which latter becomes FATHER, as SIMON reverts to being the revived SON - one of whose DOCTORS is MANUELA. The spirit of RODRIGUEZ struggles with the SON's faltering idealism.

In a world of facade and deceitful dealings, FATHER's greatest crime might be that he has been observable and blatant - After all : England's Queen Victoria headed the most ruthless, most successful Drug Dealing Empire the world has ever experienced under a façade of morality - but FATHER is no hypocrite! The rapaciousness of the CONQUISTADOR mentality lives on. But there IS Hope: to the bafflement of FATHER, the spiritual essence represented in MANUELA, RODRIGUEZ and BOLIVAR still manages to fight on!