“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 Lebanon or anywhere else in the world that is in need this would be greatly encouraged.  But what I am truly hoping for

 

Original Performance

The play was rehearsed and performed in July- August of 2006 during the Israeli aggressions against Lebanon.  The play was rehearsed in the basement of buildings with the children and young adults from the displaced families. 

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 Palestine and in Iraq, May God protect all our children… even our enemies… no child deserves to die.  For that matter n one deserves to die… but life just isn’t that easy… (takes a deep breath and sighs)

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 Amsterdam (nudge nudge)?

(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 United States of America.  It seems Bush doesn’t think the world has seen enough bloodshed yet. 

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 Reunion

   

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.)

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Curtain Call

Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network

www.Theatroedu.gr , e-mail: theatro@TheatroEdu.gr

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

November 2006