Using the tale of 'Peter and the Wolf' as a point of departure, 'How Soon Is Now?' explores the tension between the needs of the individual and the demands of society, specifically the hypocrisy inherent in the idea of suppressing violence with more violence. The piece begins where Peter and the Wolf leaves off, with a triumphant mob stringing the wolf up on a pole and carrying him off in a victory parade. The crowning moment of the glorious celebration is to be the beheading of the wolf. The bulk of the play explores what is contained in that single moment of hesitation when Peter finds himself unable to let the axe fall thus ending the life of the violent and unpredictable wolf.
Added by Upcoming Robot on April 19, 2009