DOI: 10.20375/0000-0011-48db-6
title: Mongopolis – Fisch oder Ente

description: Abstract:
In the distant future, on planet Mongopolis, Dr. Teufel (“devil”) offers to replace ‘defective’ children. While he uses them to create ‘perfect humans,’ God creates Adam and Eve out of two fish. Water becomes scarce, and Dr. Teufel hunts Eve. The ‘perfect humans’ become rebellious. Adam and Eve fall in love. Adam and Dr. Teufel fight in a face-off. 
Details: 
Two-hand puppets argue about what kind of child they want. Finally, one of them announces the ‘perfect birth’ in his clinic, and several couples give birth. In the next scene, they return carrying boxes and say they came for “replacement .” The procedure is carried out by Dr. Teufel, who says it to be God’s replacement, and the parents give the containers to their children. Police inspector XXL investigates the missing children. 
Dr. Teufel tells a couple of parents, the mayor and his wife, that he has the ‘material’ for their goal to create ‘the perfect human’ by ‘selection of genes’, so only ‘perfect humans’ will live in their city. These ‘perfect humans’ then parade over the stage. 
God and the Devil have another discussion through hand puppets. First, God tells the Devil that humans are good the way she made them; he contests that he must make them perfect. Then, God picks up two dead fish, brings them back to life, and names them “Eve” and “Adam.” They reappear as two humans and tell God she cannot die as long as the Devil is alive. 
The production of a TV documentary about the planet “Mongopolis” and its perfect inhabitants, the result of a sensational “experiment,” begins. Police inspector XXL meets the reporter. Dr. Teufel and the mayors present their experiment on galactic television. They say there will only be ‘perfect humans’ in the city. The ‘perfect people’ appear in a parade, are all dressed the same, have an extra pair of arms, and conduct the same robotic movements. The TV producer wonders whether they are humans or machines. The mayor’s wife tells him that they are ‘perfect humans’. However, they have no names. Dr. Teufel says the water is getting scarcer. God appears on a scooter and blows soap bubbles. She draws a pistol at the reporter. The mayor says she always comes by to ‘buy products.’ A woman and a young man of the ‘perfect humans’ are interviewed. The man screams that he has neither a mother nor a father. The mayor and his wife pay the ‘perfect humans’ with water. 
Adam and Eve note that all the fish have died. Adam finds a ‘perfect human’ and cares for it with God. The ‘perfect human’ is Eve. They lay in each other’s arms and kiss. Adam calls her his wife. The reporter says that Adam found Eve, that they have become pregnant with fish, and that the water is getting scarce. 
The mayor’s wife is taking a bath in the fountain of youth. Dr. Teufel says that he has been waiting for Eve for hundreds of years, that she is dangerous for Mongopolis and must be caught.
Another interview is conducted with a ‘perfect human.’ She tells the interviewer that Mongopolis used to be a great city with very kind inhabitants. However, they have gone extinct due to euthanasia, prenatal testing, and pronuclear transfer, a process called “Downhunting.” 
Adam is no longer of use to the mayors. They tell him to go to Dr. Teufel since he can use anything. The doctor examines Adam and asks him if he wants to work, which Adam confirms. When the doctor asks for Eve, Adam tells them he is gay and has no wife. 
The rationing of water is discussed. The ‘perfect humans’ of the parade are paid fewer water rations. 
A new character, Downhunter, is introduced. He hunts and kills ‘imperfect’ people and steals their organs. He says that there have also been more ‘weaker specimens’ in Mongopolis recently. The workers are desperately searching for water. Several ask the reporter to take them away from Mongopolis. 
Adam retrieves Eve and finds a big box. They engage in intimacy while Dr. Teufel is searching for Eve. God finds Adam and Eve in the box. Adam escapes. After a chase, Dr. Teufel finally opens the box and finds God there. Dr. Teufel vows to catch Eve. 
The mayors and Dr. Teufel conclude they cannot continue like this. People are dropping like flies. Dr. Teufel says they have to get rid of the weak. So they plan a party to find out who is the weakest, to have a ‘selection.’ 
Adam takes off Eve’s extra pair of arms and undresses her. Nevertheless, unfortunately, the other ‘perfect humans’ are also undressing each other. The Downhunter investigates what has become of the ‘perfect humans’: they have shed their skin, they dream, they want a name and a mother, they are thirsty and dream at night. 
The planned party takes place. Everyone is served a double ration of water. The mayor’s wife drops dead. She is ruled the “weak specimen” by the Downhunter. Dr. Teufel and the Downhunter examine the body as ordered by the police inspector. They have no further use for the body. God brings the mayor’s wife with water and a duck back to life. She quacks like a duck. 
The inhabitants of Mongopolis keep looking for water. They scream, and some of them die. Finally, the ‘Downhunter’ says that they are, despite everything, ‘only human.’ The water is only enough for three. Therefore, he and the Mayors choose the three most ‘valuable’ people – a human, Adam, is supposed to make the selection. Adam first picks every single ‘perfect human’ and takes off their remaining perfect hats. Next, Adam brings along the fountain of youth filled with water. Adam and Dr. Teufel fight in a face-off. Finally, the group drowns the doctor in the fountain of youth. The crowd cheers. Police inspector XXL and the Downhunter state that this is perhaps the crime they have been looking for and decide to discard him in the organic waste dump. The play ends with a sequence of water, fish, and ducks.