SKSS 2014 Remembrance
Day Assemblies MASTER SCRIPT
Choir sings "O Canada"
Stage is covered in dead bodies
Kathy Ever since the beginning of time, it has been death’s job to end the cycle of life. Nature has most often taken its own course, but throughout the centuries, man’s involvement in violent conflict has brought about a significant increase in the number of lives we’ve taken.
Quinn (DR) is crawling upstage towards Kathy (death) who walks towards him (from UL)
Kathy Between 1899 and 1902, some 7,000 Canadians fought in the South African war, and we ended the lives of 300 of them.
Kathy takes Quinn’s hand (LX beam from above) he dies, and she drops hand.
Kathy …and then, exactly one hundred years ago in 1914, came “the Great War.”
Kathy and bodies exit. Crew sets tables for enlistment scene.
Recorded V/O (Jacob) The date is June 28, 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire's throne, is shot and killed in Sarajevo. This assassination will set off a chain of events that will lead to the start of World War I.
V/O (Kathy) For the next four years, death will be kept very busy.
VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT
V/O (Jordan) Canadians met the call to war with enthusiasm, courage, and pride. Men of all ages volunteered to serve, and came out in huge numbers to enlist.
We see two tables (Makenna and Paige) each with a line of people who are there to sign up.
NEWSPAPER MOVEMENT SCENE ("Over There" and "After the Storm")
Seated four: Lanni, Cole, Carmen, Paige
Women with kids: Brianna and Shae-Lynn, Rachel and Shiana, Sydney and Jordan, Brooklyn and Shea, Megan and Aly
Men: all guys except Cole
Women without kids: Cameron, Teghan, Kathy, Makenna, Andrea, Abby
Lone kid with baseball glove: Avie
CONSCRIPTION
V/O (Megan) By 1917, voluntary recruitment was failing to maintain Canadian troop numbers, so conscription through the Military Service Act made all male citizens between the ages of 20 and 45 subject to military service, if called, for the duration of the war.
Carmen (nervous and reluctant) comes onstage from L but pauses before she hands over her document
Teghan (believing a mistake has been made) also enters from R and stays for the duration of the scene
Megan (proud) enters L
Cameron (resigned, accepting) enters L
Gage remains in audience until Reid and Colton bring him to stage R
FRENCH CANADA AND ENGLISH CANADA REACT TO CONSCRIPTION
V/O (Makenna) When the first world war began, it was met with enthusiastic patriotism in much of English Canada. In stark contrast, French Canada felt removed from Britain's plight and viewed the Canadian army as an almost entirely English Canadian institution. While some English Canadians opposed conscription, nowhere was the outcry greater than in French Canada.
LX up on SR. Shea and Teghan are seated at a table. Reid enters with a letter
Reid It’s here. My call to war has finally arrived.
Teghan What is it dad?
(They all look at the open letter)
Cross fade LX up on SL. Carmen and Avie are at the table and Quinn enters angrily.
Quinn La voila. La letter qui decrit mon future.
Carmen C’est quoi ca, mon cheri?
(Quinn slams the letter onto the table)
Cross fade LX resumes on SR
Reid My conscription letter. Listen, I know I said I wouldn`t enlist and instead stay here and look after the two of you, but I think this conscription is for the best – for this country and for this family.
Shea Oh honey, I couldn’t be more proud to have a soldier in the family. Just think how smart you`ll look decked out in your uniform.
Reid I`m not saying it will be easy, but I will leave you all the money I can spare. It should last you, and I`ll be back before you know it.
(Reid reaches to hug Shea, and Teghan joins them in the embrace)
Crossfade LX resumes on SL
Carmen La letter de conscription!
Avie (runs around the table to hug Quinn) Mais non! Tu ne peux pas partir! Cèst toi qui ma promis que tu ne partiras jamais. Tu ma promis!
Quinn Je sais ma petite, mais parfois il ne reste aucun choix que d`obeir la loi peu importe son injustice.
Carmen C`est degoutant qu’es-ce qui font, le gouvernement. Je ne peux pas croire qu’il nous force de combattre dans cette guerre qui nous concerne pas!
Quinn Croix moi, tu ne doit pas me convaincre que cela est une guerre pour les Anglais!
(Quinn tears up the letter and throws pieces on the table)
TRENCH WARFARE AND MUSTARD GAS SCENE
We see parallel lines of light representing trenches, and we hear battle sounds. There is movement depicting battle on two sides.
Teghan 3 Aly 1
Quinn 2 Avie 1
Shae 1 Shea-Lynn 3
Cameron 5 Carmen 4
Sydney 5 Paige 1
Abby 1 Jordan 4
Makenna 2 Megan 3
Andrea 3 Lanni
Brooklyn 2
boys
1=shoots fired L/R
2=grenades R
3=shots fired L/R
4=grenades L
5=shots
Plane overhead – bomb
Survivors slowly help each other up and begin moving upstage until “Gas! Gas!” when they turn towards audience
Dulce et Decorum Est
Rachel Bent double,
Shea like old beggars under sacks,
Cameron knock-kneed,
Lanni coughing like hags,
Boys we cursed through sludge,
R till on the haunting flares
B we turned our backs
and towards our distant rest
began to trudge.
S Men marched asleep.
C Many had lost their boots
L but limped on, blood-shod.
B Gas!
Gas!
Quick, boys!
R An ecstasy of fumbling,
S fitting the clumsy helmets
C just in time;
L but someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
R and flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
S Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
C as under a green sea,
girls I saw him drowning.
Brianna (death) enters and touches Jacob and he dies. All the dead rise and follow her off.
Shae-Lynn They lined them up in one big line. He was so nervous, yet excited to finally be part of the Canadian army. The general pointed at them and whoever was picked went with him. There were no questions asked, they just followed the general into the next room. None of them were told why or what they were doing, and they just stayed silent. They were part of an experiment, were exposed to a poisonous gas and withheld medical treatment for 2 weeks. It was the most painful experience of his life. After the two weeks, his entire first layer of skin peeled off, most of his second layer, and parts of his third layer. When he was finally able to go home, before they left they all had to sign a paper basically saying that everyone had to swear to tell not a single soul. Years later, he found out that he had been exposed to mustard gas, and had developed asthma, and cancer because of the poisonous gas. The pain was unbearable, and every breath he took hurt. Many other people from his unit died from rare forms of cancer. Although he was proud to be a part of the army, no one deserves a lifetime of pain.
This is the true story of my great-grandpa John Moleschi, a private in the Canadian armed forces. He died September 2005 partially due to the poisonous gas.
VETERANS SCENE
(lights come on to 5 veterans, sitting in semi-circle)
Quinn (L) Training in Quebec was pointless all we did were jumping jacks and yoga: did they really think that would prepare us for war or even England training. Do you remember when we went to England, and we found out how strict they were? Some things we ridiculous, like cartwheel crucifixions if you didn’t salute properly.
(death come on stage holding white cross, puts hand out for 1st veteran who takes hand. Death places cross where soldier was and the two walk off stage. )
Cole (R) Our trenches that were supposed to keep us safe were filled with rotting corpses, water and mud. The corpses were used to reinforce the walls of the trenches. The stench as they decomposed would rise up through the mud reminding us what was down there. But the worst part was what the water in the trenches did to our feet. They were always numb, and with no way to warm or dry them, and they began to freeze and rot. Some men whose feet had turned black had to have them amputated before the gangrene could spread.
(death comes on stage holding white cross, etc.)
Colton (CL) Some of the most nerve racking moments in the war had to be the fear that your rifle would jam when you were face to face with an enemy and you didn’t know what to do.
(death routine again)
Gage (CR) When the Canadian battalion went to Vimy Ridge, that battle was the start of Canada’s reputation as a military force. Being able to push the enemy out and capture prisoners…knowing the British couldn’t do it… a pride swells in your chest that will never be forgotten.
(death again)
Reid (C) The hardest part of the war was after it ended…… coming home to see all the smiling faces waiting to see you, and knowing who was left behind on that battle field. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars, but for the ones who survived - the war never left us.
(death is waiting on edge of stage)
V/O (Andrea) World War One ended with the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, and it wasn’t until John Babcock died in February of 2010 at the age of 109, that Canada said goodbye to its last surviving world war one veteran.
(death routine one more time)
WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST
V/O (Andrea) The world knew peace for a mere twenty-one years until the start of World War Two in 1939.
AIR RAID SCENE
(We hear an air raid siren and people run out onto stage from the house and from the wings. Someone lifts the trap door and people go into it until we hear a bomb blast, and those not in the trap are killed.)
V/O (Joey) It is difficult to imagine the constant fear of living in a war zone, and it’s even harder to comprehend the cruelty and horrors of the Holocaust.
Tegan At first, I was really confused. Me, my family and most of my friends were all told to wear the star. I didn't understand why we had to wear them. Then, I overhear father telling mother that he was no longer allowed to work. Again, I was confused because I knew that my father was one of the best doctors around. But soon, my confusion rapidly transformed into fear because one day, when me and mother and father were all at home, all of these men came barging into our house; they didn't ring the doorbell or anything. One of them grabbed my arm so hard, I thought it was going to break. They dragged me outside and I got thrown into the back of a truck with a bunch of other kids and all I could think was “where is my mother?” When the truck stopped and we unloaded, there they were: the trains. They called them the trains to hell, but honestly, hell would've been better than their destination.
V/O (Cameron) The Nazis began shipping large numbers of Jews from all over Europe to Auschwitz in the middle of 1942.
(We hear the sound of a steam train. LX up on a square of people crammed into a small train car. They move as one to suggest the train’s movement)
Paige Mommy I’m hungry.
Gage Nothing will ever be the same.
Teghan I am not an animal!
Carmen Is he dead? I think he’s dead.
Shae-Lynn It feels like we’ve been in here forever.
Brianna I lost my son! Have you seen my son?!
Quinn Let this train derail and end this hell.
Sydney Get me out of here. I can’t breathe.
(We hear the sound of the train coming to a stop, and the people lurch)
Paige (after a few seconds) Where are we Mommy?
(Sydney, Jordan and Cole enter. Sydney and Jordan mime opening the train car doors which floods the space with light and the people react as if blinded by the brightness. Cole yells for them to line up, then instructs them to move to either the right or the left)
Kathy and Joey don’t want to be separated, but are forced to go in opposite directions. There are three bodies left behind as they died during the trip. Death stands with them for a moment, then they rise and leave with Death.
(change in LX)
The lines move together to form a large cluster, and Sydney leads them towards SR and then upstage and around to the front again as if on a forced march. They end in a line DS with their backs to the audience.
V/O (Carmen) Those who were not selected for work crews and forced marches were immediately gassed. The group selected to die included almost all children, women with small children, all the elderly, and all those who appeared after a brief inspection not to be completely fit. Some others became the subjects of medical and scientific experiments…
EXPERIMENTATION SCENE
(R) Teghan – cold water exposure (C) Brooklyn/Shea – twins (L) Reid – eye colour
The line of people starts digging until machine gun fire is heard and they all fall into the pit they have just dug. Two people aren’t dead, and are shot by Cole.
V/O (Paige) The prisoners assigned to be gassed were told they were to take a shower. They were stripped of their belongings and herded into the air-tight gas chamber. A cyanide-based pesticide was then dumped into the chambers through special openings in the ceiling.
A tableau in the gas chamber is formed (LX from above)
V/O (Paige) The Zyklon B pellets, when exposed to the air, would vaporize and when breathed in, would combine with a person’s red blood cells and deprive the body of vital oxygen, causing a slow and excruciating death.
People come off the pile and back into a group formation as if they are huddled in the shower. Death remains above the others.
Andrea We thought we were going for a shower (all echo: shower shower shower)
JORDAN’S CONCENTRATION CAMP CONTRASTING SCENE: Time
V/O Jordan – child in a concentration camp
V/O Gage – camp commander
V/O Brianna – reads times
Brianna 6:46
Jordan I am awoken by the sirens and bells. We were brought here late last night. They took us from the Kraków ghetto. My mother and I were separated from my father. I don’t know where we are. I don’t know what we did wrong.
Brianna 7:31
Jordan Our crowded room is dark and silent; no one dares to speak a word. I whisper as quietly as I can to ask my mother where we are. She looks me straight in the eye and shakes her head very slightly.
Brianna 8:22
Jordan The man lines us up and yells loudly at anyone who doesn't cooperate.
Brianna 9:34
Jordan Another man comes through and pulls all of the children from the line. As he approaches me, I try to hide behind my mother. He pulls my arm. My mother screams. I try to resist but he only throws me to the ground.
Gage I watch my prisoners from the window of my house. The newcomers are all screaming as their children are ripped from their grasp.
Brianna 10:19
Gage I watch my servant prepare my cup of coffee. Her hand trembles and the cup rattles against the plate. The coffee spills and the girl gasps. I will deal with her later.
Brianna 1:27
Jordan All I can think about is food. I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten since yesterday.
Gage I've just finished my lunch, there was more food than I could ever imagine.
Brianna 2:54
Jordan There's a boy not far from me who's stopped working. I feel bad for this boy. Does he not know there will be punishment? He's not much younger than I am, probably 8 or 9.
Gage I see a boy who's not working. None of my officers have seemed to notice. I guess I'll have to deal with him instead.
Brianna 3:08
Jordan The man points the gun to his head and the boy trembles. I close my eyes. I can't dare to look.
Gage I approach the boy. A single tear runs down his face. I pull the trigger.
V/O (Cole) Despite the horrors and bloodshed of war, there were moments in both world wars that demonstrated the depths of opposing soldiers' humanity.
CHRISTMAS TRUCE SCENE
Four groups do two battle tableaux each, then Eric enters playing “Silent Night” and the four tableaux melt and the two sides come together with each shaking the hand of an enemy. Kathy walks downstage sending each pair to either the right or left.
Kathy It was Christmas Eve, and Christmas spirit was a rarity in the heat of the 2nd world war. Captain Bordon Cameron of the Seaforth Highlanders made the unusual suggestion of a Christmas dinner truce with the hopes of both sides coming together amiably for one meal. The idea was met with enthusiasm, and a field kitchen was set up behind a bombed church. Germans and Allies who were trying to kill each other hours before, laid down their weapons to scrounge for tablecloths, candles, or anything that could be contributed for a break in the heartbreaking destruction that the war provided. This is the true story of my grandfather: Captain Bordon Cameron
END OF WWII
V/O (Abby) The second World War finally ended in August of 1945 with the dropping of two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through two world wars, the Korean conflict, numerous peace keeping missions, and the war in Afghanistan, our Canadian Forces have contributed significantly and heroically to preserve freedom itself. As horrible as their experiences must have been, those who came home weren’t always able to leave the battlefield behind.
PTSD MONOLOGUES COMBINED
Cole It’s something I will never forget. I relive it over and over again.
Avie When he came home, all I could feel was relief. I remember thinking that everything could finally go back to the way it was.
Shiana I was diagnosed with soldier’s heart. Some call it battle fatigue or post-traumatic stress disorder. Call it whatever you want, but nothing is worse than fearing you will never be able to feel normal again.
Cole I remember the cold winter wind and crisp, dry air. I remember the sound of gunshots and bullets whistling past our numb, frostbitten ears. I remember… more than I can handle.
Makenna It’s surreal. When he came home, I was expecting too much. I wanted him to be the man whose face lit up when he saw me come down the aisle in my wedding dress.
Shiana I feel like my emotions blur into one another; I’m not able to decipher whether I feel anguish or happiness, excitement or anger.
Cole I remember the day my best friend and I entered the battle of our lives, fighting for our country. We knew that we could count on one another. I remember the day, the exact hour, minute and second that my life changed.
Makenna At first he pretended everything was okay…like I didn’t know he was having the nightmares, but he woke up the baby with every scream. I couldn’t take it. The baby crying – my husband screaming.
Shiana Sleepless nights only fuel the flashbacks. Not only do they leave me exhausted, but they make me even more irritable and paranoid. My friends and family feel the need to pity me, but what they don’t know is that they make it worse.
Avie Never does a night go by that I’m not woken up by him thrashing, crying or even screaming in his sleep. I want to pretend that none of this is happening to him, to us…but I can’t.
Cole We were in the trench, and the gunfire was all around us…soldiers were being hit...falling to the ground beside us. The one shot still rings in my head and I see his face.
Shiana They tell you that you can return to your normal life, once you get back, but they don’t know what it’s like to see your best friend blown to pieces.
Makenna. He would yell at me and say that I didn’t understand the stress. I hated the man he had become.
Avie I just hold him and I talk. I tell him how happy I am to have him home with me. Then morning comes, and we would act as if nothing happened.
Cole I see him fall right towards me and I catch him. I feel something wet soaking through my gloves. The sound of him coughing up blood as he dies.
Avie I see the dazed and lost look in his eye, but he just assures me that he’s fine. I know he isn't, though. The sleepless nights prove that.
Shiana They see me as just a face among the rest of the returning soldiers. They don’t know my pain, or my story. My life will never be normal again – the war will haunt me forever. This is my new reality.
Cole I wanted the two of us – my best friend and myself – to see the battle through to the end. To see our nation defeat its enemy. But he died before that day could come…on the battlefield on that cold day. And so did I.
Makenna He told me he was scared – that he didn’t think he could take it anymore. I begged him to think of our child. Didn’t he see that I was scared, too? But that didn’t stop him from taking his own life.
Lanni (death) That’s what war did to him: it killed him long before the blade ever did.
PARENT GOING TO AFGHANISTAN SCENE
Aly (child): Please don't go. I can't just have one parent! I'm supposed to have two! That's just how it works!
Cameron (Mom): Don't worry sweetheart, everything will be okay.
Colton (Dad): ....Yeah... Everything will be okay. Go to bed now and we can talk about this more in morning...
Child walks off stage
Mom: (pacing) I worry about what this is doing to her… to our family? It’s supposed to be our job to protect her, but I feel helpless.
Dad: I can’t make her understand why this is happening.
Mom: It’s so hard. I just wish there was some way we could change things, but we can’t. A soldier’s job is to serve – to go when called – to try and save lives.
Dad: But what about our lives? What about our family? What if something happens over there? Her life will never be the same.
Mom: I just hope that one day she’ll understand. I’m going to do everything I can to stay safe and come home. But I have to go. It’s my job.
WEDDING MONOLOGUE
Sydney This is the third time I've caught myself calling him Adam...and on our wedding day too.. Why? Why can't I just forget about him? I don't want the past to affect the relationship that I'm going to have with Tom in the future. He’s such a lovely man and treats me with such a heart. But who am I kidding, I can never really love anyone as much as I loved Adam. Love Adam. We were together for 4 amazing years before he told me he was off to war...He couldn’t stand by and let the terrorists win. They were the hardest words I'd ever heard, until the military police arrived at my door exactly seven months later. Missing in action. I waited 2 whole years for him to come back...spending my spare time staring at the door just waiting. Waiting for the only man that I ever cared about to come home. And then my friends introduced me to Tom. They thought it had been long enough - that I should be ready to move on. Why did he have to promise me that he would come back? Why did he tell me that we could have the fairy tale… the happily ever after? It’s a lie that I can’t let go of. And today I'm supposed to walk down the aisle with Adam...I mean Tom. I still want you back….
POPPIES PERSONIFIED
(we see poppies drop onto the stage from above)
Reid I am the only beautiful thing in this wasteland. My existence is almost ironic, as this place would seem to be the home of the devil. Fields of oblivion would be more pleasant – more survivable. My beauty cannot mask the destruction, as my mask has been smothered by the blood of young men. The blood of soldiers shot, mangled, and slaughtered. My skin tattooed with the scarlet ink that once coursed through their bodies There is no water, my growth solely depends on the sweat and tears of those here before me. The sun hides behind the dark clouds, as if it was afraid of what it might see, or maybe afraid it would see nothing at all. But we are here, thousands of us. We cover this barren land standing gurard for those who cannot stand anymore. Here, thousands of us, bring beauty to something that has no beauty at all. Thousands of us, in Flanders Fields.
Jacob 1914 was the start of the First World War. It’s crazy when you realize all that has been done and accomplished over the past hundred years. Most days go by without as much as a second thought for those who have lost their lives fighting for us. That’s human nature. Even today, many brave Canadian men and women are risking their lives, around the world and even right here in our nation’s capital, to protect our way of life. Spending everyday thinking about those who sacrifice everything for us would be overwhelming. We wouldn’t be able to function. But the soldiers who fought and died for us, and those whose fight continues today, are the reason we can live our free and happy lives.
So today, and on November 11...
All actors ...we thank you. And we remember.
Student Air and Army Cadets come onstage.
Alex (on trumpet) plays “Last Post," there is a minute of silence, and Alex plays “Reveille”
Choir sings "O Canada"
Stage is covered in dead bodies
Kathy Ever since the beginning of time, it has been death’s job to end the cycle of life. Nature has most often taken its own course, but throughout the centuries, man’s involvement in violent conflict has brought about a significant increase in the number of lives we’ve taken.
Quinn (DR) is crawling upstage towards Kathy (death) who walks towards him (from UL)
Kathy Between 1899 and 1902, some 7,000 Canadians fought in the South African war, and we ended the lives of 300 of them.
Kathy takes Quinn’s hand (LX beam from above) he dies, and she drops hand.
Kathy …and then, exactly one hundred years ago in 1914, came “the Great War.”
Kathy and bodies exit. Crew sets tables for enlistment scene.
Recorded V/O (Jacob) The date is June 28, 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire's throne, is shot and killed in Sarajevo. This assassination will set off a chain of events that will lead to the start of World War I.
V/O (Kathy) For the next four years, death will be kept very busy.
VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT
V/O (Jordan) Canadians met the call to war with enthusiasm, courage, and pride. Men of all ages volunteered to serve, and came out in huge numbers to enlist.
We see two tables (Makenna and Paige) each with a line of people who are there to sign up.
NEWSPAPER MOVEMENT SCENE ("Over There" and "After the Storm")
Seated four: Lanni, Cole, Carmen, Paige
Women with kids: Brianna and Shae-Lynn, Rachel and Shiana, Sydney and Jordan, Brooklyn and Shea, Megan and Aly
Men: all guys except Cole
Women without kids: Cameron, Teghan, Kathy, Makenna, Andrea, Abby
Lone kid with baseball glove: Avie
CONSCRIPTION
V/O (Megan) By 1917, voluntary recruitment was failing to maintain Canadian troop numbers, so conscription through the Military Service Act made all male citizens between the ages of 20 and 45 subject to military service, if called, for the duration of the war.
Carmen (nervous and reluctant) comes onstage from L but pauses before she hands over her document
Teghan (believing a mistake has been made) also enters from R and stays for the duration of the scene
Megan (proud) enters L
Cameron (resigned, accepting) enters L
Gage remains in audience until Reid and Colton bring him to stage R
FRENCH CANADA AND ENGLISH CANADA REACT TO CONSCRIPTION
V/O (Makenna) When the first world war began, it was met with enthusiastic patriotism in much of English Canada. In stark contrast, French Canada felt removed from Britain's plight and viewed the Canadian army as an almost entirely English Canadian institution. While some English Canadians opposed conscription, nowhere was the outcry greater than in French Canada.
LX up on SR. Shea and Teghan are seated at a table. Reid enters with a letter
Reid It’s here. My call to war has finally arrived.
Teghan What is it dad?
(They all look at the open letter)
Cross fade LX up on SL. Carmen and Avie are at the table and Quinn enters angrily.
Quinn La voila. La letter qui decrit mon future.
Carmen C’est quoi ca, mon cheri?
(Quinn slams the letter onto the table)
Cross fade LX resumes on SR
Reid My conscription letter. Listen, I know I said I wouldn`t enlist and instead stay here and look after the two of you, but I think this conscription is for the best – for this country and for this family.
Shea Oh honey, I couldn’t be more proud to have a soldier in the family. Just think how smart you`ll look decked out in your uniform.
Reid I`m not saying it will be easy, but I will leave you all the money I can spare. It should last you, and I`ll be back before you know it.
(Reid reaches to hug Shea, and Teghan joins them in the embrace)
Crossfade LX resumes on SL
Carmen La letter de conscription!
Avie (runs around the table to hug Quinn) Mais non! Tu ne peux pas partir! Cèst toi qui ma promis que tu ne partiras jamais. Tu ma promis!
Quinn Je sais ma petite, mais parfois il ne reste aucun choix que d`obeir la loi peu importe son injustice.
Carmen C`est degoutant qu’es-ce qui font, le gouvernement. Je ne peux pas croire qu’il nous force de combattre dans cette guerre qui nous concerne pas!
Quinn Croix moi, tu ne doit pas me convaincre que cela est une guerre pour les Anglais!
(Quinn tears up the letter and throws pieces on the table)
TRENCH WARFARE AND MUSTARD GAS SCENE
We see parallel lines of light representing trenches, and we hear battle sounds. There is movement depicting battle on two sides.
Teghan 3 Aly 1
Quinn 2 Avie 1
Shae 1 Shea-Lynn 3
Cameron 5 Carmen 4
Sydney 5 Paige 1
Abby 1 Jordan 4
Makenna 2 Megan 3
Andrea 3 Lanni
Brooklyn 2
boys
1=shoots fired L/R
2=grenades R
3=shots fired L/R
4=grenades L
5=shots
Plane overhead – bomb
Survivors slowly help each other up and begin moving upstage until “Gas! Gas!” when they turn towards audience
Dulce et Decorum Est
Rachel Bent double,
Shea like old beggars under sacks,
Cameron knock-kneed,
Lanni coughing like hags,
Boys we cursed through sludge,
R till on the haunting flares
B we turned our backs
and towards our distant rest
began to trudge.
S Men marched asleep.
C Many had lost their boots
L but limped on, blood-shod.
B Gas!
Gas!
Quick, boys!
R An ecstasy of fumbling,
S fitting the clumsy helmets
C just in time;
L but someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
R and flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
S Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
C as under a green sea,
girls I saw him drowning.
Brianna (death) enters and touches Jacob and he dies. All the dead rise and follow her off.
Shae-Lynn They lined them up in one big line. He was so nervous, yet excited to finally be part of the Canadian army. The general pointed at them and whoever was picked went with him. There were no questions asked, they just followed the general into the next room. None of them were told why or what they were doing, and they just stayed silent. They were part of an experiment, were exposed to a poisonous gas and withheld medical treatment for 2 weeks. It was the most painful experience of his life. After the two weeks, his entire first layer of skin peeled off, most of his second layer, and parts of his third layer. When he was finally able to go home, before they left they all had to sign a paper basically saying that everyone had to swear to tell not a single soul. Years later, he found out that he had been exposed to mustard gas, and had developed asthma, and cancer because of the poisonous gas. The pain was unbearable, and every breath he took hurt. Many other people from his unit died from rare forms of cancer. Although he was proud to be a part of the army, no one deserves a lifetime of pain.
This is the true story of my great-grandpa John Moleschi, a private in the Canadian armed forces. He died September 2005 partially due to the poisonous gas.
VETERANS SCENE
(lights come on to 5 veterans, sitting in semi-circle)
Quinn (L) Training in Quebec was pointless all we did were jumping jacks and yoga: did they really think that would prepare us for war or even England training. Do you remember when we went to England, and we found out how strict they were? Some things we ridiculous, like cartwheel crucifixions if you didn’t salute properly.
(death come on stage holding white cross, puts hand out for 1st veteran who takes hand. Death places cross where soldier was and the two walk off stage. )
Cole (R) Our trenches that were supposed to keep us safe were filled with rotting corpses, water and mud. The corpses were used to reinforce the walls of the trenches. The stench as they decomposed would rise up through the mud reminding us what was down there. But the worst part was what the water in the trenches did to our feet. They were always numb, and with no way to warm or dry them, and they began to freeze and rot. Some men whose feet had turned black had to have them amputated before the gangrene could spread.
(death comes on stage holding white cross, etc.)
Colton (CL) Some of the most nerve racking moments in the war had to be the fear that your rifle would jam when you were face to face with an enemy and you didn’t know what to do.
(death routine again)
Gage (CR) When the Canadian battalion went to Vimy Ridge, that battle was the start of Canada’s reputation as a military force. Being able to push the enemy out and capture prisoners…knowing the British couldn’t do it… a pride swells in your chest that will never be forgotten.
(death again)
Reid (C) The hardest part of the war was after it ended…… coming home to see all the smiling faces waiting to see you, and knowing who was left behind on that battle field. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars, but for the ones who survived - the war never left us.
(death is waiting on edge of stage)
V/O (Andrea) World War One ended with the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, and it wasn’t until John Babcock died in February of 2010 at the age of 109, that Canada said goodbye to its last surviving world war one veteran.
(death routine one more time)
WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST
V/O (Andrea) The world knew peace for a mere twenty-one years until the start of World War Two in 1939.
AIR RAID SCENE
(We hear an air raid siren and people run out onto stage from the house and from the wings. Someone lifts the trap door and people go into it until we hear a bomb blast, and those not in the trap are killed.)
V/O (Joey) It is difficult to imagine the constant fear of living in a war zone, and it’s even harder to comprehend the cruelty and horrors of the Holocaust.
Tegan At first, I was really confused. Me, my family and most of my friends were all told to wear the star. I didn't understand why we had to wear them. Then, I overhear father telling mother that he was no longer allowed to work. Again, I was confused because I knew that my father was one of the best doctors around. But soon, my confusion rapidly transformed into fear because one day, when me and mother and father were all at home, all of these men came barging into our house; they didn't ring the doorbell or anything. One of them grabbed my arm so hard, I thought it was going to break. They dragged me outside and I got thrown into the back of a truck with a bunch of other kids and all I could think was “where is my mother?” When the truck stopped and we unloaded, there they were: the trains. They called them the trains to hell, but honestly, hell would've been better than their destination.
V/O (Cameron) The Nazis began shipping large numbers of Jews from all over Europe to Auschwitz in the middle of 1942.
(We hear the sound of a steam train. LX up on a square of people crammed into a small train car. They move as one to suggest the train’s movement)
Paige Mommy I’m hungry.
Gage Nothing will ever be the same.
Teghan I am not an animal!
Carmen Is he dead? I think he’s dead.
Shae-Lynn It feels like we’ve been in here forever.
Brianna I lost my son! Have you seen my son?!
Quinn Let this train derail and end this hell.
Sydney Get me out of here. I can’t breathe.
(We hear the sound of the train coming to a stop, and the people lurch)
Paige (after a few seconds) Where are we Mommy?
(Sydney, Jordan and Cole enter. Sydney and Jordan mime opening the train car doors which floods the space with light and the people react as if blinded by the brightness. Cole yells for them to line up, then instructs them to move to either the right or the left)
Kathy and Joey don’t want to be separated, but are forced to go in opposite directions. There are three bodies left behind as they died during the trip. Death stands with them for a moment, then they rise and leave with Death.
(change in LX)
The lines move together to form a large cluster, and Sydney leads them towards SR and then upstage and around to the front again as if on a forced march. They end in a line DS with their backs to the audience.
V/O (Carmen) Those who were not selected for work crews and forced marches were immediately gassed. The group selected to die included almost all children, women with small children, all the elderly, and all those who appeared after a brief inspection not to be completely fit. Some others became the subjects of medical and scientific experiments…
EXPERIMENTATION SCENE
(R) Teghan – cold water exposure (C) Brooklyn/Shea – twins (L) Reid – eye colour
The line of people starts digging until machine gun fire is heard and they all fall into the pit they have just dug. Two people aren’t dead, and are shot by Cole.
V/O (Paige) The prisoners assigned to be gassed were told they were to take a shower. They were stripped of their belongings and herded into the air-tight gas chamber. A cyanide-based pesticide was then dumped into the chambers through special openings in the ceiling.
A tableau in the gas chamber is formed (LX from above)
V/O (Paige) The Zyklon B pellets, when exposed to the air, would vaporize and when breathed in, would combine with a person’s red blood cells and deprive the body of vital oxygen, causing a slow and excruciating death.
People come off the pile and back into a group formation as if they are huddled in the shower. Death remains above the others.
Andrea We thought we were going for a shower (all echo: shower shower shower)
JORDAN’S CONCENTRATION CAMP CONTRASTING SCENE: Time
V/O Jordan – child in a concentration camp
V/O Gage – camp commander
V/O Brianna – reads times
Brianna 6:46
Jordan I am awoken by the sirens and bells. We were brought here late last night. They took us from the Kraków ghetto. My mother and I were separated from my father. I don’t know where we are. I don’t know what we did wrong.
Brianna 7:31
Jordan Our crowded room is dark and silent; no one dares to speak a word. I whisper as quietly as I can to ask my mother where we are. She looks me straight in the eye and shakes her head very slightly.
Brianna 8:22
Jordan The man lines us up and yells loudly at anyone who doesn't cooperate.
Brianna 9:34
Jordan Another man comes through and pulls all of the children from the line. As he approaches me, I try to hide behind my mother. He pulls my arm. My mother screams. I try to resist but he only throws me to the ground.
Gage I watch my prisoners from the window of my house. The newcomers are all screaming as their children are ripped from their grasp.
Brianna 10:19
Gage I watch my servant prepare my cup of coffee. Her hand trembles and the cup rattles against the plate. The coffee spills and the girl gasps. I will deal with her later.
Brianna 1:27
Jordan All I can think about is food. I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten since yesterday.
Gage I've just finished my lunch, there was more food than I could ever imagine.
Brianna 2:54
Jordan There's a boy not far from me who's stopped working. I feel bad for this boy. Does he not know there will be punishment? He's not much younger than I am, probably 8 or 9.
Gage I see a boy who's not working. None of my officers have seemed to notice. I guess I'll have to deal with him instead.
Brianna 3:08
Jordan The man points the gun to his head and the boy trembles. I close my eyes. I can't dare to look.
Gage I approach the boy. A single tear runs down his face. I pull the trigger.
V/O (Cole) Despite the horrors and bloodshed of war, there were moments in both world wars that demonstrated the depths of opposing soldiers' humanity.
CHRISTMAS TRUCE SCENE
Four groups do two battle tableaux each, then Eric enters playing “Silent Night” and the four tableaux melt and the two sides come together with each shaking the hand of an enemy. Kathy walks downstage sending each pair to either the right or left.
Kathy It was Christmas Eve, and Christmas spirit was a rarity in the heat of the 2nd world war. Captain Bordon Cameron of the Seaforth Highlanders made the unusual suggestion of a Christmas dinner truce with the hopes of both sides coming together amiably for one meal. The idea was met with enthusiasm, and a field kitchen was set up behind a bombed church. Germans and Allies who were trying to kill each other hours before, laid down their weapons to scrounge for tablecloths, candles, or anything that could be contributed for a break in the heartbreaking destruction that the war provided. This is the true story of my grandfather: Captain Bordon Cameron
END OF WWII
V/O (Abby) The second World War finally ended in August of 1945 with the dropping of two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through two world wars, the Korean conflict, numerous peace keeping missions, and the war in Afghanistan, our Canadian Forces have contributed significantly and heroically to preserve freedom itself. As horrible as their experiences must have been, those who came home weren’t always able to leave the battlefield behind.
PTSD MONOLOGUES COMBINED
Cole It’s something I will never forget. I relive it over and over again.
Avie When he came home, all I could feel was relief. I remember thinking that everything could finally go back to the way it was.
Shiana I was diagnosed with soldier’s heart. Some call it battle fatigue or post-traumatic stress disorder. Call it whatever you want, but nothing is worse than fearing you will never be able to feel normal again.
Cole I remember the cold winter wind and crisp, dry air. I remember the sound of gunshots and bullets whistling past our numb, frostbitten ears. I remember… more than I can handle.
Makenna It’s surreal. When he came home, I was expecting too much. I wanted him to be the man whose face lit up when he saw me come down the aisle in my wedding dress.
Shiana I feel like my emotions blur into one another; I’m not able to decipher whether I feel anguish or happiness, excitement or anger.
Cole I remember the day my best friend and I entered the battle of our lives, fighting for our country. We knew that we could count on one another. I remember the day, the exact hour, minute and second that my life changed.
Makenna At first he pretended everything was okay…like I didn’t know he was having the nightmares, but he woke up the baby with every scream. I couldn’t take it. The baby crying – my husband screaming.
Shiana Sleepless nights only fuel the flashbacks. Not only do they leave me exhausted, but they make me even more irritable and paranoid. My friends and family feel the need to pity me, but what they don’t know is that they make it worse.
Avie Never does a night go by that I’m not woken up by him thrashing, crying or even screaming in his sleep. I want to pretend that none of this is happening to him, to us…but I can’t.
Cole We were in the trench, and the gunfire was all around us…soldiers were being hit...falling to the ground beside us. The one shot still rings in my head and I see his face.
Shiana They tell you that you can return to your normal life, once you get back, but they don’t know what it’s like to see your best friend blown to pieces.
Makenna. He would yell at me and say that I didn’t understand the stress. I hated the man he had become.
Avie I just hold him and I talk. I tell him how happy I am to have him home with me. Then morning comes, and we would act as if nothing happened.
Cole I see him fall right towards me and I catch him. I feel something wet soaking through my gloves. The sound of him coughing up blood as he dies.
Avie I see the dazed and lost look in his eye, but he just assures me that he’s fine. I know he isn't, though. The sleepless nights prove that.
Shiana They see me as just a face among the rest of the returning soldiers. They don’t know my pain, or my story. My life will never be normal again – the war will haunt me forever. This is my new reality.
Cole I wanted the two of us – my best friend and myself – to see the battle through to the end. To see our nation defeat its enemy. But he died before that day could come…on the battlefield on that cold day. And so did I.
Makenna He told me he was scared – that he didn’t think he could take it anymore. I begged him to think of our child. Didn’t he see that I was scared, too? But that didn’t stop him from taking his own life.
Lanni (death) That’s what war did to him: it killed him long before the blade ever did.
PARENT GOING TO AFGHANISTAN SCENE
Aly (child): Please don't go. I can't just have one parent! I'm supposed to have two! That's just how it works!
Cameron (Mom): Don't worry sweetheart, everything will be okay.
Colton (Dad): ....Yeah... Everything will be okay. Go to bed now and we can talk about this more in morning...
Child walks off stage
Mom: (pacing) I worry about what this is doing to her… to our family? It’s supposed to be our job to protect her, but I feel helpless.
Dad: I can’t make her understand why this is happening.
Mom: It’s so hard. I just wish there was some way we could change things, but we can’t. A soldier’s job is to serve – to go when called – to try and save lives.
Dad: But what about our lives? What about our family? What if something happens over there? Her life will never be the same.
Mom: I just hope that one day she’ll understand. I’m going to do everything I can to stay safe and come home. But I have to go. It’s my job.
WEDDING MONOLOGUE
Sydney This is the third time I've caught myself calling him Adam...and on our wedding day too.. Why? Why can't I just forget about him? I don't want the past to affect the relationship that I'm going to have with Tom in the future. He’s such a lovely man and treats me with such a heart. But who am I kidding, I can never really love anyone as much as I loved Adam. Love Adam. We were together for 4 amazing years before he told me he was off to war...He couldn’t stand by and let the terrorists win. They were the hardest words I'd ever heard, until the military police arrived at my door exactly seven months later. Missing in action. I waited 2 whole years for him to come back...spending my spare time staring at the door just waiting. Waiting for the only man that I ever cared about to come home. And then my friends introduced me to Tom. They thought it had been long enough - that I should be ready to move on. Why did he have to promise me that he would come back? Why did he tell me that we could have the fairy tale… the happily ever after? It’s a lie that I can’t let go of. And today I'm supposed to walk down the aisle with Adam...I mean Tom. I still want you back….
POPPIES PERSONIFIED
(we see poppies drop onto the stage from above)
Reid I am the only beautiful thing in this wasteland. My existence is almost ironic, as this place would seem to be the home of the devil. Fields of oblivion would be more pleasant – more survivable. My beauty cannot mask the destruction, as my mask has been smothered by the blood of young men. The blood of soldiers shot, mangled, and slaughtered. My skin tattooed with the scarlet ink that once coursed through their bodies There is no water, my growth solely depends on the sweat and tears of those here before me. The sun hides behind the dark clouds, as if it was afraid of what it might see, or maybe afraid it would see nothing at all. But we are here, thousands of us. We cover this barren land standing gurard for those who cannot stand anymore. Here, thousands of us, bring beauty to something that has no beauty at all. Thousands of us, in Flanders Fields.
Jacob 1914 was the start of the First World War. It’s crazy when you realize all that has been done and accomplished over the past hundred years. Most days go by without as much as a second thought for those who have lost their lives fighting for us. That’s human nature. Even today, many brave Canadian men and women are risking their lives, around the world and even right here in our nation’s capital, to protect our way of life. Spending everyday thinking about those who sacrifice everything for us would be overwhelming. We wouldn’t be able to function. But the soldiers who fought and died for us, and those whose fight continues today, are the reason we can live our free and happy lives.
So today, and on November 11...
All actors ...we thank you. And we remember.
Student Air and Army Cadets come onstage.
Alex (on trumpet) plays “Last Post," there is a minute of silence, and Alex plays “Reveille”