Eavesdropping and How Future Humans Are Too Good For It

So I thought it had only been about a week since I posted but apparently it's actually been much longer. Where did the time go?

I'll tell you.

You know how I do this Shakespeare thing every year? Well, this year has been more hectic than ever and when I contacted the people who usually host our camp I found that between budget problems and scheduling issues, they wouldn't be able to give us use of their space. I scrambled. I spent about a solid week trying to strike a deal with local spaces that might be appropriate for us. Finally, with help from a parent, we had a space. Then I realized that production just about a month away.

Planning a week-long Shakespeare event from three-thousand miles away isn't even a little bit easy. But, throwing in a new format (did I mention we're completely changing our format) and a completely new rehearsal and production space that we've literally never seen in person, it all seems like a completely ridiculous thing to do. Still, I spent the last week ironing out the details, going over our cut of the script, and creating materials for auditions.

Anyway, Much Ado About Nothing is pretty much about love, honor, and marriage. But, as I went through the script again and again I realized that it's really about people achieving their goals through eavesdropping. Literally in the eaves. "I will hide me in the arbor," is a real line. Every other scene features one of the primary characters overhearing conversations which propel the plot into further realms of ludicrous misunderstandings and intentional deception.

Reading it, I thought it would be a cool idea for me to write a post about all the times characters in Star Trek eavesdropped on conversations. You'd think that in 726 episodes and 12 feature films and a very recent viewing of every single one of them, I'd be able to come up with many, many examples.Unfortunately I could only think of two. And one was just an attempted eavesdropping.

Of course the TNG characters are far too noble and sophisticated to do crap like this but at least a couple of DS9's intentionally more cynical (for Trek) characters see no problem with listening in.

1- Garak/Bashir in "Past Prologue"
In this one Kira's loyalties come into question just as the freaking Duras sisters show up. Garak summons Bashir to his shop and then pushes him behind a curtain so the doctor can conveniently overhear the sisters' plans.

2- Quark in "Crossfire"
When Shakaar comes aboard DS9 Quark is antsy to get information about what he's up to and plants an eavesdropping device in a bowl of fruit. Of course, Odo finds it and thwarts his plans.

There are, of course, lots of times when characters dress up as natives to learn about their culture but it's not straight-up eavesdropping in... or maybe it is.

Anyway, back to the grind. Now that the script is cut and the ad materials have been sent out, I'm back to promoting the book (guest blogs, interviews, and giveaways are coming up soon!) while working on the new one and making Shakespeare preparations.


Basically A Year Ago: A Tribute To Troi