“Laughter under the Bombs”
by Sharif
Abdunnur
Synopsis
The setting a local
café with a giant TV screen in the back.
Actors are all wearing T-shirts with words actor and their number on
it. The director sits in the audience with
the same type of T-shirt. The actors
start tot ell the tales of their lives and what happening to them – but the
problem arises that many of the actors are missing so audience members are
selected at random and brought on to the stage where they have to improvise the
roles – and create a live dialogue during the playa bout the current
situation. While the insane director
keeps screaming instructions at his actors and audience volunteers to redo
lines and change acting styles….
Actors
11 Actors each with a
brief monologue & 1 experienced Actor to play the role of the Director
(this person has to control the audience participation and improvisation
scenes). The other 11 actors can be very
young or adults (its preferable to have a mixed
group).
The play will also have about
10 actors from the audience who are selected at random. All actors are referred to by number in the
script and the roles are not gender specific so feel free to switch things
around.
Setting
The setting is minimal. Bare
stage, the stage should look barren and abandoned. Although I encourage director’s to interpret
it in which ever way they like. There
are 10 chairs on the stage, a small podium to represent the TV, a microphone
made from paper.
Costumes
All actors have a number
which is written on their white T-shirts.
That is all the costumes. This is
in order to separate the actors from the audience members that will join them
on stage.
Acting Style
The style is realistic the
play should resemble a rehearsal… the audience gets to watch a play in progress
with the actors developing and the plot and style being altered in front of
their eyes.
Director’s Notes:
It is important to
remember that this is a skeleton script and is made as a launching ground for
the actors controlled improvisations and the director’s malleability during the
actual show. The show is not really about the trained actors but rather about
the audience. The aim of the play is for
the audience to get a chance to voice their own opinions and get to try what it
feels like to be an actors and share with the larger group.
Rights and Royalties
In general, my policy is to grant permission with out royalties – but nonetheless permission should be obtained for performance from Sharif Abdunnur sa18@aub.edu.lb, or sabdunnur@yahoo.com (what I require is usually simple that you give credit and mention the origin of the script and project as well as send a copy of the actual performance to me later on with the publicity material articles or reviews written and such records for archival purposes).
I also use your material to show the kids now and later on that the world shares their sentiment. Later on in my work as school teacher and university teacher of theater arts I try to show my students how different cultures agree on the core of what it means to be human and how each will interpret and present the same work in their own unique way.
If you would
like to donate your profits to the children or relief aids in
Original Performance
The play was rehearsed and
performed in July- August of 2006 during the Israeli aggressions against
The roles of the actors where played by children from the age of 5 to 15… with myself as the Director. We had 8 days of intensive work to rehearse and to teach them acting from scratch.
The play evolved out of two drama workshops I was giving. The first was 3 hours each day including weekends (since war knows no holidays) from 9 am to 12 with 35 to 47 kids ages 4 to 13 . This workshop will hopefully develop into another play called “The suitcase”.
The second workshop in drama was from 12 to 3 pm with about 30 to 45 teens and young adults from ages 14 to 27. Followed by rehearsal for this play each day from 5 to around 8 pm every night (since after that we help the families resettle into the theater since there are more than 350 displaced people living in the theater).
I would have
included a cast list but several of them did not want to be mentioned by name –
so out of respect for their privacy and dignity I did not. Its not easy when
the media constantly refers to you as the downtrodden masses: refugees, and
victims, most of these participants have a lot of pride and I respect that.
Scene 1:
The
Arrival
After the audience is seated,
actors walk in from the audience doors, complaining and ranting as they walk to
the stage – as if they are coming for a long night rehearsal
They bring out several
chairs while still mumbling complaints and curses about the early and day long
rehearsal hours and the horrible director. They arrange the chairs as a large semicircle
facing the audience.
1): (to fellow actors
on stage) Good evening
2): yeah right – good – sure – good evening!
3): how are you number 8
and you number 6 and number 4
6): hell… this sucks
10): what’s the problem
number 6?
7): like you don’t know
what the problem is
4): its
all from that big bag of wind
1): that pain in the ass
10): who – who are you
speaking about?
5): who else?
8): that cursed director
2): some director!
9): that pain in the ass
4): you can say that again
3): boy
are you right he isn’t just a pain the ass he is just one colossal ass
5): (getting up and
miming it) one day he makes us run like idiots
7): (miming it while
seated) the next he has us jumping up and down in place
6): aren’t we ever gonna get rid of him
10): that long haired
freak
5): the man doesn’t know a
stage from a barn, he cant tell his elbow from his ass
9): (imitating the
director walks to center stage and screams at audience) “okay everyone
quite now, we are going to start over, again! Scene Six,
everyone places and quite.”
(all
actors laugh at the imitation)
2): he walks around like a
stuff turkey
3): (imitating an
exaggerated cartoon-like bodybuilder) with his chest all puffed out
1): that not even is real
chest – he pads it with tissue
9): on the outside its shiny and God only knows whats
on the inside
6): everybody walks on two
except he walks on all fours
4): oh if just wasn’t as
big as bear and as bad tempered as one I would have –
5): (looking at the
audience) good evening actors
5): why don’t you answer –
we are all actors here
8): didn’t you get it yet
– everyone here is an actor
7): that’s what happens
during rehearsals – everyone gets a chance to act
10): no one knows who will
get to be in the final cast
9): and who gets to be a
stand-by
3): or gets cut out
completely
1): so don’t think you
better than us – just because you get the comfy seats
2): tonight we all get to
act
4): and we all get treated
the same
6): yeah we get treated
badly
3): you got that right
1): so lets
try it again: good evening actors
(audience
replies in a faint voice – here the actor needs to improvise until the audience
speaks loudly and actively – its important to get them involved and active at
this point so as to build a ground for later improvisations. Once the audience replies then all the actors
reply back)
All): and good evening to
you too
2): and God help us to
deal with our great director
(sound
of horn – honk)
3): here he comes
4): the siren
(honk
- honk)
6): the assistant director
5): the devils right hand
man
(honk)
1): I hate that horn – its
sounds like a deranged goose during mating season
9): here comes the omen of
sorrow
Assistant Director): (honk) come on everyone places
(actors
drag their feet and mumble to each other)
AD): (honk) come on
move… lets go… shake a leg… number 7, 4, 10, 9, 1 and 2 all of
you spit your gum out
(All spit them out on
stage and smile sarcastically)
AD): (honk) oh very
funny – (honk)
pick’em up and throw them away. (honk)Just
because we are being bombed doesn’t make us animals – come one we still have our
rules
1): yeah too many rules
AD): (honk) they
are there for a reason… (honk) we agreed to
them before you started
2): okay okay
AD): (honk) okay
set the stage for scene 2: The Café an evening during the war
(Actors set-up for chairs
on stage right – actors all leave and sit on down stage left, visible to the
audience – as if they are now members of the audience)
Scene 2:
The Café an
Evening During the War
Actor 8 walks down stage
as if strolling around.
8): oh God, everyday same same, news news news, airplanes come in for an air strike,
and then news news news…
I hate this. But we wont
give up, we wont surrender, this my home, my land, I wont leave, I was born and
I will stay no matter what. Its my right to be here? God is with me… even if many are
not…
8): (to audience)
whose land is this?
(audience
replies faint voice)
8): I want a louder voice:
whose land is this?
(audience
replies – the reply should get louder and the actor should provoke them to get
it even louder)
8): I still cant hear you – whose home is this?
(audience
replies)
8): that’s better – now
louder: whose land is this?
(audience
replies)
8): are we gonna give up?
(audience
replies)
8): are we gonna leave?
(audience
replies)
8): will we survive?
(audience
replies)
8): you bet we will… this
our land, our home… no matter what… so let those who are
deaf hear you… let the so called United Nations and World Powers hear you…
let me hear you scream it out with all you have got: this is my home!
(audience
replies)
8): again this is my home
– louder!
(audience
replies)
8): this is my home and I
am not going to leave!
(audience
replies)
8): good – now I can sit
down (he sits)
8): God help us all… and
God protect all our children and loved ones… God save all
those in the South of Lebanon, in
8): I am actually really
late I was supposed to meet my friend here three hours ago… its
good he is late… at least now he wont bitch and moan about how I am always
late… (waits
and hesitates – then looks at far stage left and speaks)
8): speak of the devil and
he appears – here comes our friend now!
(He mimes waving hello at
the stage entrance – he gets up and shakes hand, kisses his invisible friend on
the cheeks and sits down again)
8): where have you been man?!
I have been waiting all day for you… its really
unacceptable! You can just leave me like this… so where
have you been?
(silence
as he looks at empty chair as if hearing a response)
8): so why where you late?
(again
same reaction)
8): so they tell me you
have been abroad –
(interrupted
by the Director who has been sitting with the audience the whole time with his
script in his hands watching)
D): (yelling)
aren’t you cute! What the hell are you doing ? talking to an empty chair?
8): b-b-b-b but…
D): don’t but me – you
know I hate that – well what do you think you are doing
8): what am I supposed to
do – actor 12 is not here
D): assistant director!
(honk )
D): where in actor number
12?
AD): (proudly and
confidently) he isn’t here
D): well I know that but
why isn’t he here
AD): he wont
be here
8): he cant
come anywhere
(awkward
silence)
D): oh, okay I understand (change
in attitude) well its okay. The show
goes on, life must
go on… we have many of his brother and sisters here (looking at audience
smiling menacingly) we are gonna have fun
tonight. (selecting
someone from the audience – pointing at him) Assistant Director
(honk
- honk)
D): take this man and
prepare him for the scene
(honk
– AD runs up into the audience and escorts the Audience 1 down to the stage –
and explain that he should and relax and just lay back on the chair)
D): (after seeing
audience member get really cozy on his chair) oh well don’t we look
cute tonight – you all snug and comfy… we would you like back rub
or something.. get the hell up! Sit up
straight! Actually stand up –who told you to sit! Your
not on stage to look cute and pretty – you are here to act… now remember we are
all actors – so Assistant Director
(honk)
D): take him to his place
– actor number 8 from the start of your speech – Assistant cue
the new actor for his entrance
(Actor 8 get up and walks back towards his seat)
8): Finally I got here I
am actually really late I was supposed to meet my friend here three
hours ago… its good he is late… at least now he wont bitch and moan about how
I am always
late… (waits
and hesitates – then looks at far stage left and speaks audience member is cues
and enters)
8): speak of the devil and
he appears – here comes our friend now!
(He walks over shakes
hand, kisses his ‘old’ friend on the cheeks and sits down again)
8): where have you been
man?! I have been waiting all day for you… its really
unacceptable! You can just leave me like this… so where
have you been?
(audience member should
reply – if not he the Director needs to improvise lines to help him reply, sit
right, look t the audience, project, basically direct within the show – this
may at times even require you to physically stand behind the audience actor and
move his head or limbs in the right directions – lots of fun but requires a lot
of controlled improvisation – as if this is not carefully controlled then it
will quickly get out of hand)
8): so why where you late?
(audience
member replies)
8): so they tell me you
have been abroad ?
(audience
member replies)
8): they tell me you
traveled around the world before you came back?
(audience
member replies)
8): so where did you go?
(audience
member replies)
8): and where else?
(audience
member replies)
8):they
tell me you went to
(audience
member replies)
8): so what did you do
there – you bastard you?
(audience
member replies)
8): come on tell us the
truth – what did you do there?
(audience
member replies)
8): they tell me they
actually kicked you out of the country – right?
(audience
member replies)
8): you must have done
some pretty nasty things to get kicked out of kinky little place
like that!
(actors 10 and 9 walk in –
they are brother, actor 10, and younger
sister, actress 1, – actor 10 walks in and greets both warmly – shaking hands
and kissing on the cheeks – little girl waves shyly from behind her brother)
10): how the hell have you
been? We missed you
(to audience actor)
8): you know he just came
back from his travels
10): right, right you went
around the world – you nut!
9): (to her older
brother – pointing at audience actor) isn’t that the guy you said I am not
allowed to ever ever speak to –
10): (puts his hand
over her mouth) ssshh – sorry you know kids –
crazy little brats
9): but I am right – you
said – I should never let him come near me – cuz they
caught
doing very bad thing to the neighbors dog (10 tries to shut her up but she
continues) and he is a peeping tom – he is always climbing up trees to look
into windows (10 catches her and hugs her and puts one hand around her and
the other on her mouth)
10): sorry she is always
like that (he closes her ears) but tell me what dog did you attack
so they kicked you out of the country? or where
you up a tree doing your famous squirrel impersonation – Mr
Peeping Tom!
8): so tell me what did
you see when you where there?
10): I am starting to get
the shakes
8): why what’s wrong?
10): I am suffering from
withdrawal –
8): what the hell are you
talking about?
10): the news I am talking
about the news – I haven’t heard a news bulletin in 10 minutes
– I can’t go on like this – I have to listen to the news
8): oh come on, what do you want to hear… it the same thing… bombs here and bombs
there, the
invasion continues – more aircrafts bla bla bla more kids killed… more
civilian cars blown up – and that poor guy who got hit with a rocket while
riding his bicycle out of town (sarcastic laugh) and we are still here –
you cant kill us all… and what they don’t understand is the reason this is
happening is because when you kill someone one and when you destroy there house
– you killed one and created a new breed of kids that will grow wanting justice
and revenge..
10): come on please I have
to listen (itching like he is suffering from drug withdrawal)
(Director interrupts)
D): okay very good very
good, that was very good, (clapping for them) now lets move on
to scene number three.
(he shakes hand with the
audience actor – the AD helps move the chairs they all walk over to right stage
to watch the TV – actress 9 walks with them then turns away heads to down
center stage faces the audience and in loud voice with tears in her eyes she
says)
9): They think because we
are small kids we don’t understand and that we don’t know. I
want to tell you we know and we understand maybe better than anyone. We aren’t kids anymore – there are no more
kids here… We might be small, but we aren’t kids anymore… and I want to tell them – I am not
going to leave… I am going to go back to my home – we will never run away – and
we aren’t afraid anymore… and I am going to go live in my house with the roof missing - I don’t
care… I wont run away… in my house I will be the hero…
I will win!
Scene 3:
The
News
(actress
number 9, goes back and joins the group, they unfreeze and continue – Reporter
is actress number 6 standing behind a podium speaking the news but in a very
low faint voice)
10): raise the volume I cant hear a thing
(actor
8 raises the volume and actress 6 slowly raises her voice)
6): Good evening, the
invading armies have retreated on land after their failed attempt to
invade two villages this morning. They
in return have continued non-stop air strikes on all the town and villages in
the south, west and south of the capital.
The resistance fighters have fought valiantly and struggled to maintain
their ground. Many have died
senselessly… again. In other news, the
United Nations have decided to hold, as we speak an urgent meeting concerning
the current war. The meeting so far has
discussed one proposal to stop the war and 24 other proposals involving what
meals will be served for lunch during the meeting. The NATO forces have sent a referendum
demanding certain types of wine to be served during their meetings or else they
will not meet. We now got to our
reporter in field for more updates on this important meeting.
(actress
number 3, is standing on the other side of the stage near the backstage door –
pretending to hear news from inside as if eavesdropping)
3): The first request made
was for a complete and immediate cease-fire which was
accepted by all nations – except two: The Invading Force and the
6): what about the other
requests what was discussed?
3): well out of the
remaining 24 – 20 of them where concerned with conflicting opinion
of what type of food should be served at these meetings. And I can tell you this discussion unlike the
peace initiative was discussed with great emotion and conviction among the
participating power. War nearly broke out
at the meting over the appetizers.
6): what about the last 4
decisions?
3): two of them where
about the wine list a hot topic as well and the last was to decide
when the next
meeting would in which the sole discussion would be when to hold the meeting after
in which they will discuss and hopefully come to an agreement about the lunch
menu after which they hold yet another meeting to decide if they will have
another meeting in which they may
discuss another peace intiative during their lunch
6): thank you for the
update we will come back to you once we have anything new to
report
Scene 4:
The
Friends
D): okay that was very
good, very good, now scene four, assistant director
(honk
honk)
D): call actors 1, 7, 12,
15, 17
AD): (honk) No
D): (surprised and
furious) what do you mean NO!
AD): (honk) I mean
I can’t they didn’t come
D): so who did come?
AD): (honk) 12 is
absent, (honk) 14 is absent, and 15 is (honk) only 1 and 7 are
here
D): well set up the five
chairs get them in their places I will find some other actors.
(turning towards the audience) we have lots of actors here. This is gonna be
fun. Okay Assistant Director get me him
the one hiding in the corner, (honk as he runs up to ask the audience member
to join them on stage) and those two
girls over there that are pretending not to so me looking at them. (honk – honk)
(it is recommended to
always pick on the shy audience members as usually once coaxed they are more
entertaining – usually audience members that are eager to act – will get stage
fright once up on stage or will over act)
D): now that we are all on
stage let me explain a few things:
(the director starts to speak
insanely
fast – all of this should be in one breath) this play is a new old type of show,
its experimental, tragic, comic, social and abstract, it contain everything and
has really nothing, except you, it is life without meaning and yet all that
means anything (takes a deep breath) now that you don’t understand what
I mean let us continue. The scene is a
bunch of friends getting together, so I want you all to tell me about
yourselves – just your name, where you come from and what you do and why you do
it… just talk but make it interesting.
(as
each audience member starts to speak – about themselves the director gives
comments and direction –about speed, tone, voice. Once all 5 have done a brief introduction one
time, now is time to have fun: the director starts to ask each to develop some
odd quirks, twitching while speaking, stuttering, saying everything as if it
was a rude sexual innuendo… the scene should not go on for more than a very
maximum of 10 minutes it really depends on the audience interaction and the
director’s improvisation. The actors are
placed within the audience volunteer to encourage them. The idea is that with each request the
director pushes the envelope a little further – trying to get them to do more
and more outrageous characters).
Scene 5: The Love Scene
D): okay that was great,
excellent, we move on to the next scene in the play… each play needs a love
scene, so this will be our romantic love scene. Assistant Director!
(honk
honk)
D): get me actress number
4! And set up 6 chairs down center stage
(actress
4 sits down very coy and trying to be cartoonishly
sexy)
D): okay now each play
needs some love and romance, we need some heat, we need a
change for our
mood… so I need some volunteers… we need volunteers to court the young lady, or
come on to her… lets hear your fanciest lines and your corniest ones… who knows
maybe one will work… and maybe we will all learn something.
(select
volunteers from the audience to try from one and up to five pick-up lines. From our experiences so far kids around the
ages of 10 o 14 tend to be the most outspoken and are very cute when attempting
to pick up a much older lady. The
actress needs to be responsive and play along.
The Director needs to be on stage standing right behind them in case it
gets to be too much so he/she could quickly step in to control the
situation. Again this should not go on
for more than 10 minutes although it is one of the favorites of the audience.)
Scene 6:
The
News
D): alright good now that
I wrote all that down, we go back to the play back to the news
6): Good evening, today in
the news, is the same as it was yesterday, the invasion
continues, the air-strikes continues… greed and stupidity still run
the world, blood
is still being spilt… kids are being sacrificed for the sake of the mighty
dollar… its amazing that one deluded idiot has the power to destroy the world..
and no one seems to be willing to stop him. The United Nations meet yet
again, in order to do nothing much more than spend the world’s money on their
frivolous egocentric lifestyles.
As they live out the rich and the famous session of yet another
pointless meeting. More money more
meeting more fancy lunches more pointless decisions… all we get is pointless
hot air and a waste of precious oxygen spent on these puppets in suits meet to
do nothing more than play out their pointless roles. And now we go to our reporter in the field,
actress number 3.
3): I am here in a local
café with many local celebrities and analysts.
(she turns to the
first character) We are here with the
famous thinker, political analyst and philosopher, actor number 7.
7): I thank you for this beautiful introduction
3): so what can you tell
us about the current situation
7): (he speaks very
calmly and objectively) In God’s name, may the lord bless me and
you and all your listeners. I thank
you again for your introduction. To
understand what is happening we must look at the history of the area from the
horrible treaty of before till today. We
respect all religions and we welcome them – we have always lived in peace with
these religions. Our conflicts
is not religious but political.
We are a proud people that want all our lands free with no foreign
interference or intervention. This our history and the
right of all people. But I just have one
question, one important question: (he starts to rave like a mad man in a
very high pitched voice) how could the most powerful nation in the world be
ruled by shrub, the man is an insult to the human race, I just do not
understand how you can allow a cartoon character to become a president, and he
cheated and you still let him win, the man alone has managed to launch the
equivalent and what looks like world war III, and this time there is no real
enemy he is chasing his own tail, creating enemies out of victims, pushing
everyone into a corner until they are forced to fight back – I just cant understand
(he goes to pieces and just continue to mumble to himself)
3): okay thank you for
that we now move on to our next famous character and you are
(to
actor number 5)
5): a citizen
3): okay – well then what
do you want to say to us?
5): as the famous unknown
local poet – that’s me – says
(he stands and delivers his
poem)
Oh time what has become of
us
Days pass
and each day there are less of us
We thought we where in a time of peace
But it seems
greed does not rest
We have no
house but we have the lease
And now we
know that democracy has failed the test
Oh time what
has become of us
Days pass
and each day there are less of us
Oh Bush and
Blair
Oh what
flair
For death
and despair
Oh what a
pair
Dumb and
dumber move aside
The true
idiots
Have come to
reside
3): Thank you for your
words… we now move into the audience to see if they have
anything to say.
(she moves into the
audience with the mic in her hand and takes comments
and opinion from audience members – this goes on for about 10 minutes).
D): okay great – now that
we have all bonded together its time for us all
(all actors stand
and come to the apron of the stage) we are going to play a game together
– I clap you wait 1 second and I want you to do the same clap
(various
theater games can be played at this time – this is the final ritual of the
night – it is meant to bring the audience together at the end.)
--------
Curtain Call
Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network
www.Theatroedu.gr , e-mail: theatro@TheatroEdu.gr
EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL
November 2006