SKSS Acting 12 Block D REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY SCRIPT 2016
ABI War couldn’t exist without the concept of PEACE,
JASON but the CHAOS of war, which often results from
DALLAS the ignorance and hate of DISCRIMINATIONA
TAMBERLY brings DEVASTATION to the human spirit and the environment where war is waged.
LAUREN The SACRIFICE of the men and women who fight, as well as that of those left behind
SVENJA often outweighs any PROGRESS that comes as a result of war,
ISAAC and FEAR is always present, but none of us matters
SYLAR once DEATH arrives.
1 ASPECTS OF WAR - DEATH PERSONIFIED (Sylar)
Death (SYLAR), Soldiers (ISAAC, DALLAS, JUSTIN, JASON, COLIN)
SYLAR (DEATH stands at C and checks his watch) My job is not one for the faint of heart. People don’t like me much. They spend their entire time on earth trying to escape me. They never do, and at the end they all come to the inevitable realization that I am a patient hunter. (Justin enters USL and signals for others to enter) But these men here, (motions toward the soldiers) they understand. They understand that I can’t be outrun, and they use that to their advantage. (Justin makes some signals and the soldiers slowly move downstage and Death is among them) Where they go I always follow. I stick to them like the mud caked to the bottom of their boots. When they pull the trigger, I get to work. War keeps me busy, and while it’s a messy affair. I’m not one to complain.
(Justin signals for the soldiers to stop)
ISAAC What was that?
DALLAS What was what?
JUSTIN Everyone down!
(The sound of gunfire rings out)
JASON Ambush!
(The soldiers return fire, and eventually one by one each soldier falls, dead, to the ground. During this confusion Death has walked into the middle of the semi-circle of soldiers. He is staring at his watch. As the last soldier drops to the ground he looks away from the watch and back out into the audience.)
SYLAR Right on time. As always.
ISAAC (lunges up and grabs his leg) W-who are you? (coughs repeatedly)
SYLAR Shh, it doesn’t matter now. ( Kneels down beside the soldier.) You did good son, you did good. Now rest.
ISAAC No I can’t, not yet, I can’t, please.
(Death reaches down and touches the soldier and his arm falls off Death’s leg and the soldier goes still. Death closes the man's eyes. Death stands back up and cracks his back. He lets out a long sigh, then proceeds to check his watch as the light black out.)
2 TRICKLEDOWN FEAR SCENE (Dallas)
(Fear enters and addresses the audience, then watches each subsequent scene.)
ISAAC I am FEAR, and war wouldn’t be war without me. I start at the top. I stand with those in power when they make the decision to put their men in harm’s way and enter into conflict. And then I trickle down as one by one, the people begin to realize that everything is about to change.
(Offstage, Colin is playing a military drum pattern on a snare drum. Lights come up on Military officials at SR. SYLAR and the others are standing at a desk looking at a map.
SYLAR It’s official. (He hands Hector a document,)
ELIJAH Is this the right time to make the announcement?
JUSTIN Maybe we should wait until the morning.
HECTOR These are not matters to be discussed at such an hour.
SYLAR I don’t CARE, the announcement goes out tonight! Our nation is officially in a state of war! (Sylar pounds fist on desk, and others salute. Hector takes document to C spot and lights crossfade. SARAH is sitting at a desk in front of a telegrapher’s button. Hector hands her the document.)
SARAH (gasps) Oh, no. It can’t… Oh God, NO. (She puts her head into her hands and sighs heavily before wiping her face, looking up to the ceiling and crossing herself, before proceeding to furiously begin to send a telegraph. Lights crossfade to Oren who is looking at a newspaper he’s taken off the bundle of papers he’s to deliver. He shakes his head, picks up the bundle and moves left as the lights crossfade to SL. Abi takes the newspaper and hands it and a cup of coffee to Jason. He reads the paper.)
JASON (shaking his head) I was afraid it would come to this.
ABI What is it?
JASON It...Honey, I…
ABI What? What does it say?
JASON It’s official. The announcement is in the paper.
ABI They won’t make you go back will they?! They can’t make y-you g-g-go back! (She starts to cry and he stands and embraces her as the lights black out)
(Fear looks at the audience as lights go black)
3 SOLDIER BEING RIPPED OUT OF A SCENE (Elijah and Isaac)
Husband in wheelchair (ISAAC), daughter (SARAH), wife (ABI) , captain (SYLAR), soldiers (DALLAS, JUSTIN)
JASON (standing off to the side) Once the declaration of war is made, the CHAOS begins and for some, it never ends.
ABI How was your day sweetie?
SARAH It was alright. Mary had some bad news.
ISAAC What was it?
SARAH Mary found out her dad has to go overseas to fight in the war.
ISAAC Oh my God. (Fear moves to stand behind him as he starts to remember his experience in war.)
SARAH It’s okay, dad. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.
ABI (grabs Isaac's hand) We know how hard it can be.
ISAAC No, you don’t.
(2 men grab him while in his chair and pull him back out of current scene, while Abi and Sarah continue to look at the chair and have a mime conversation. Soldiers move him to SL where the Captain - Sylar - waits with a gun in hand)
SYLAR What are you doing without a gun solder! (hands him a gun) This is war - you fight or you die now get yourself together! Come on now men we have to push up to that ridge.
(soldiers get into formation)
ISAAC No... what is this... I don't belong here.
(sound of bomb dropping)
SOLDIER Incoming!
(Explosion, gunshots, soldiers taking fire)
SYLAR Alright men we push now or we die! Am I clear?
SOLDIERS Sir, yes sir!
ISAAC No, please God, I’m not supposed to be here.
SYLAR Move men, move!
(Everyone gets up and begins moving R to in front of family at chair, and are mowed down by gunfire. Isaac is shot and falls to his knees.
ISAAC My legs. I can’t feel my legs. (He is right in front of the chair and Abi and Sarah move to him and start to help him back into the chair.)
ABI Help me get him up!
(Isaac fights against them at first, but then realizes where he is)
SARAH It’s going to be okay, dad. It’s going to be alright.
(Isaac puts his head in his hands and cries uncontrollably)
4 WOMEN’S ROLES IN WAR
(Progress joins Fear onstage)
SVENJA War changes the lives of everyone it touches, and in some cases, those changes even lead to advancement and result in personal and societal PROGRESS.
(Lights come up on SL where Karsen is wringing out a cloth at a wash basin.)
LAUREN (enters wiping forehead with rag, has a long drink of water) Well, I’ve finished the plowing, but I’m going to need your help with the hay.
KARSEN So you were able to fix the tractor?
LAUREN Yes, but I’m not sure how much longer it will run. I don’t know how to do all of maintenance your father did to keep it going, but it’s working for now.
KARSEN You’ll figure it out. Dad will be proud of you.
LAUREN He’ll be proud of us all. It’s our job now to look after the crops and the animals. Where’s your sister?
KARSEN She’s gone to the Martin’s farm with some soup and bread. She figured Mrs. Martin would need help with some meals - she’s not doing very well since she got the news.
LAUREN It’s terrible. First her husband, then her son.
KARSEN Do you think she’ll have to sell the farm.
LAUREN I can’t see her managing it on her own, not with two small children.
KARSEN How are they going to live?
LAUREN She’ll have to get a job in town. There are lots of jobs for us now.
(Lights crossfade to SR where two women are working in a factory. Progress watches.)
ABI They hired another girl today.
TAMBERLY That’s good! That’ll take some of the pressure off.
ABI There are now more of us working in the factory than there are men.
TAMBERLY And when Jonathan and David ship out, there won’t be any men left in our section.
ABI I think that we’re actually better suited for some of the precision assembly work because our fingers are smaller.
TAMBERLY (laughs) Don’t tell Jonathan and David that! They’ll be worried they won’t have jobs when they get back.
(Fear moves in behind them and touches them and both women realize there’s a chance the men won’t come back at all)
ABI Please let them come back.
(Lights crossfade to and Sarah writing a letter at C. Progress stands behind her)
SARAH Dear Mom and Dad: I’m all settled in, and am very excited for my flight training to begin. You would be surprised to see how many other women are here. I guess they need us to replace all of the men who have left for combat. Some of the girls are really young, but I think they have to be at least 18. I even met a woman who is almost 40 years old. She used to work with Elsie MacGill at Fairchild Aircraft Limited when she designed the Hurricane combat aircraft. She was the very first Canadian woman to graduate as an aeronautical engineer. Imagine that! But I guess the war is opening up all kinds of new opportunities for us. There are standards we have to meet, though. They sent one girl home when they found out she had a criminal record, and another when she failed her trades test. I just hope I can get through the training to one day become a WREN, which stands for Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service. I sure miss you, but I’m doing really well and I hope I’m making you proud. Love, Elma
5 THE BLITZ SCENE (Dallas)
(FEAR moves towards PROGRESS who takes a few steps back, then exits, leaving FEAR onstage who moves from group to group as the siren sounds and they pull curtains. A square pool of light comes up on SR where Abi and Jason are having a candlelit dinner. A second square pool of light comes up on C where Lauren is seated at a vanity and combing her hair. A third square light comes up on Sylar and Svenja both seated and reading books, while Sarah lays on the floor writing or drawing in a notebook. Suddenly, an air raid siren is heard. The first couple looks at each other, and they are clearly scared. Abi blows out the candle, and Jason mimes closing the curtains. Their area is reduced to a faint blue light, and they sit close to each other at the table. The woman combing her hair puts her hair brush down when the siren starts, and goes quickly downstage to close the window blind. Her area is also reduced to a dim blue. She returns to the chair and slowly, shaking, starts to brush her hair again. While this is all happening, the family also frantically closes their curtain, changing the light to a dim blue. Sylar and Svenja move upstage to have a secretive mimed conversation as Sarah moves to peek through the curtain, resulting in a sliver of light. Sylar grabs her by the shoulder and moves her away from the window and the light goes back to a dim blue.)
SYLAR Margaret! Why did you move the curtain?!
SVENJA Don’t you know how dangerous that is?
SYLAR They could have seen that light and dropped a bomb right on our building!
SARAH (crying) Dad, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to - I just looked out for a second.
SVENJA Maybe they didn’t see it. We’re going to be alright.
(The family huddles together, and all three groups look up as plane sound effect is heard. As it gets louder and closer, they close their eyes, put their heads down, and get closer together. Suddenly, the lights black out, and an explosion sound effect is heard.)
6 FORGOTTEN VICTIMS (Dallas)
(PROGRESS enters. At SR in we see a Romani mother (TAMBERLY) serving dinner to her two children (OREN, HECTOR) who are seated at a table. At SL, we see a gay couple (ISAAC, COLIN) One is seated and the other hands him a cup of coffee.
SVENJA After Germany’s defeat in the first World War, Berlin surprisingly became a hotbed of liberal ideologies. The arts and sciences flourished, gay men and women (gesture to couple) became more accepted by society, and typically disadvantaged cultural groups such as the Romani (gesture to family) gained more tolerance from a typically conservative city.
(DISCRIMINATION enters and upstages PROGRESS who exits reluctantly)
DALLAS This phenomenon was known as Weimar culture, but was stamped out with the rise of the Nazi party.
(Four Nazis - Sylar, Justin, Jason, Elijah - walk into both spotlights and begin grabbing the people and pulling them out of the spotlight)
NAZIS Mitkommen!
OTHERS But, we’re not Jewish!
(The Nazis remove the family and the couple from the stage. Fear exits with them, leaving Discrimination alone onstage as all Holocaust victims are led back onstage by Fear and stand in a line behind Discrimination)
DALLAS Hitler’s Final Solution was designed to exterminate Europe’s Jewish population, but those 6 million people weren’t the Nazi party’s only victims. It’s estimated that 100,000 suspected homosexuals were arrested, and of those, 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. In addition, about 25 percent of the Romani population living in Europe during World War 2 were also killed during the Holocaust.
(We hear machine gun fire and all Holocaust victims fall to the ground.)
7 BOMB DIFFUSION SCENE (Sarah)
(SACRIFICE enters and passes DISCRIMINATION who exits)
LAUREN I am SACRIFICE, and I go hand in hand with war.
(Scene begins with the Captain (SARAH), the Lieutenant (DALLAS) and their troops (JUSTIN, OREN, COLIN, ISAAC, HECTOR, TAMBERLY, ABI) walking into an abandoned building looking somewhat exhausted. Soldiers enter from various openings after the Captain gives them the “all clear.”)
SARAH Alright, let’s rest here for a bit before we move to the next building.
(The troops sit down and engage in various types of business until Justin tips over a cube, revealing an explosive device below.)
JUSTIN Captain.
(Sarah and Dallas stop their conversation to inspect the bomb.)
SARAH (stands up) Everyone out, we don’t have much time. Let’s go! To the southwest quadrant! Go!
(The troops are confused and hesitant but follow the order.)
DALLAS Captain, what’s going on?
SARAH You gotta get going, Robinson. When the bomb moved, the detonation sequence was triggered. We might only have minutes before this place crumbles.
DALLAS Can we stop it?
SARAH I’m going to try, but you have to go Lieutenant.
DALLAS What? Why? I can help you.
SARAH No, you can’t. I’ve been trained for this - I’ll disarm this thing.
DALLAS There’s no time.
SARAH I have to try.
DALLAS What are you going to save? A building or two? There’s no one around!
SARAH There are terrified citizens hiding everywhere, Lieutenant! You’ve seen them for yourself, and we can’t just leave it.
DALLAS I’m not leaving without you, Captain.
SARAH Get out of here, Robinson.
DALLAS I said I’m not leav-
SARAH And I said get out of here! That’s an order, Lieutenant Robinson!
(Captain Edwards begins to examine the bomb as, frustrated, Lieutenant Robinson breaks into a run out of the building to find the troops. The lights crossfade to the others)
DALLAS Everybody move! To the southwest quadrant NOW!
JUSTIN Where’s the Captain?
DALLAS (Looks around at the troops) She’s still inside. We are going to take cover and wait.
JUSTIN Everybody move out!.
(They walk a few steps before they hear an explosion, and are thrown to the ground. All have shocked faces.)
DALLAS NO! (Begins to run back toward the explosion.)
8 CHILD’S STORY (Hector)
LAUREN Soldiers are not the only ones who make heroic SACRIFICES in times of war.
(A mom (KARSEN) is putting her child (TAMBERLY) to bed.)
KARSEN It’s bed time
TAMBERLY I don’t want to go bed.
KARSEN What about a story?
TAMBERLY Yeah! I love them!
KARSEN Once upon a time there was a little boy who grew up in a poor family, but he hoped to one day become a doctor. He worked really hard and his dream came true, but soon there was great tension between countries and they started a war. The young doctor decided he wanted to help, so he went to work to help the injured men and women…
TAMBERLY He was so brave.
KARSEN Of course he was. Months and months went by, and the doctor saw many people die, but he was also able to save lots of lives. One day he faced a very hard situation. A woman with terrible wounds was brought to the war hospital.
TAMBERLY What happened to her?
KARSEN A bomb exploded right beside her, and she was really, really hurt and bleeding. It didn’t look like she had a chance to get better unless she got some new blood, and there was only one person in the whole hospital who had the same type of blood as her.
TAMBERLY Was it the doctor?
KARSEN Yes it was, and he gave his own blood to save her. It was a very risky operation because the soldier needed so much blood, but the doctor didn’t care - he wanted to do everything he could to save her.
TAMBERLY And did he?
KARSEN Yes, he did, but he ended up getting really sick because of the all the blood he gave away, so he was sent home to rest and get better. (pause) Okay. I think it’s time for bed now.
TAMBERLY But, do you know what happened to the doctor?
KARSEN Of course I do, and so do you.
TAMBERLY I do? Who is this doctor?
KARSEN He’s your dad.
9 SURVIVOR GUILT SCENE/MONOLOGUE (Svenja)
(SACRIFICE exits and CHAOS enters and stands behind Colin)
JASON For some, the CHAOS of war never really ends, but lingers in the back of the mind, preventing the soldier from fully returning to their lives and loved ones.
Colin is sitting next to the living room window in his small flat. Svenja is at a table folding clothes. Justin enters with model airplane and approaches Colin.
JUSTIN I finished it grandpa.
COLIN (doesn’t respond)
JUSTIN Grandpa. I finished my model. Do you want to see it?
COLIN (gets up and exits right)
SVENJA (walks over to Justin) What’s wrong?
JUSTIN Mom? Why does grandpa hate me?
SVENJA He doesn’t! Why do you think so?”
JUSTIN He does not look at me, he does not respond when I’m trying to tell him something. He doesn’t even talk to you!”
SVENJA (kneels beside him) Your grandpa has seen many terrible things that he will never get out of his head again. (Svenja sits on chair) You remember having that one terrible nightmare when you were a little younger than now? (Justin nods) It scared you so much that you would wake me up whenever you dreamed of that monster (Takes a deep breath) Grandpa has such nightmares all of the time - not only when he is sleeping. And his nightmares are real, they are things he has seen when he was sent over to Europe.
JUSTIN When he was a soldier and fought for our country?”
SVENJA Exactly. The time he had to spend there has made him become a totally different person. War is horrible and I hope that you will never see one. But all you need to know now is that the way grandpa is does not have to do anything with you.
JUSTIN Okay.
SVENJA Come on. You can help me with Grandpa’s laundry.
(They exit left, and grandpa reenters and sits back in his chair)
COLIN (Remembering) Water - water everywhere. I did not even notice that it had started to rain when we were on our way. But now I feel it - I don’t even know why that feels so important - so present. Maybe because it matches the situation so perfectly. I can still feel the raindrops slapping on my face - maybe they try to make me understand. But I cannot - I just can’t…
(Scene transitions to 10 TRIAGE SCENE) (Karsen and Abi)
ABI I didn’t think it rained so much here.
KARSEN Everything’s a little different around here. Where you came from you tend to the patients who look the worst, the ones who look like there's no hope left. Over here you see the people barely hanging on and you are forced to move on to the next patient. No matter how harsh it sounds there is no time to waste.
ABI I thought that once I got here I would see it all and know exactly what to do. I would rely on my training and I would get through this. I feel like I'm not cut out, like I will do more harm than good.
KARSEN Even if you don’t think you’re cut out for it, you're going to have to pretend to be. Now find your station. (Moves to tend to injured on the ground - Dallas, Jason, Elijah)
ABI (walks over to Lauren, talking to herself) I thought I was strong enough for this, but I'm starting to realize I very well might not be.
LAUREN Here’s the list. (Hands her a sheet of paper)
ABI What list?
LAUREN This is a list of the soldiers who didn’t make it. You need to write to their families.
ABI Oh. Of course. I’ll get started on that right away. (Moves to where Isaac is on the ground with his dead brother - HECTOR, and another body - TAMBERLY) Alex? What are you doing here? Are you hurt?
ISAAC No, but Nicholas...he didn’t make it.
ABI (looks at list and gasps) His name is on my list.
ISAAC What list?
ABI I have to write to all these families to tell them their sons and daughters are...gone.
ISAAC I have to be the one to deliver that letter. (He pulls back the sheet, and removes Hector’s ring) His wife would want this.
(Colin has been slowly walking and observing and now enters into scene where Karsen and Lauren are treating the wounded)
COLIN Cold - everything is cold, the air, the nurse’s voice when she tries to make me believe her. (to the girls) Is he going to make it?
LAUREN We’re doing everything we can. (She looks at Karsen and they both shake their heads, but Colin doesn’t see this as he’s put his head back and covered his face with his hands)
COLIN And even I am cold - emotionally frozen. Unable to feel anything - exhausted - I want to go - just walk away from this cruel place. I cannot go home - I don’t know what home is any more. But he (gestures to man on ground) he will never walk again. (Lauren pulls sheet up over his face) He won’t even breathe again! Why him? There are so many (looks around) - so many. Because of me...
(Colin moves away from the triage towards a slo-mo battle that is occurring at SR)
Water - so much water - but a different kind of water now. (wipes away tears) More salty. Not falling down from the dark clouds over me. Deeper - and I feel like I am sinking. (He’s moving through the battle as people are falling dead or wounded all around him) No air - just the smell of gunpowder. (One soldier falls right in front of him) He won’t ever smell anything again. Because I was too slow - I waited too long - I let them down. There were so many - and now they’re all gone It should have been me. (He sits back in the original chair and puts his head in his hands)
11 SCENE ABOUT FAMILY FINDING OUT (Written by Colin, edited by Oren)
(Devastation enters and nods at Chaos)
TAMBERLY The DEVASTATION of war is not confined to the battlefield.
Characters: Mother ‘Mrs. Smithers’ (SVENJA), daugher ‘Mary’ (KARSEN), son ‘Lucas’ (OREN), Soldier ‘Alex’ (ISAAC)
SVENJA Dinner’s ready, kids! (she brings a platter to the table)
OREN Smells good, Mom!
KARSEN Yeah, it does! I’m starving!
SVENJA Mary, would you like to say grace this evening?
KARSEN Yes! (bows head) Thank you for all our blessings, including this food, and please look after dad and let him come home soon.
OREN And Uncle Alex, too.
SVENJA That`s right. That was nice, now let’s eat before it gets cold.
OREN Wait a minute, where’s dad’s chair? We need to have a chair for dad.
KARSEN I’ll get it. (She gets the chair and notices someone outside the window. She puts the chair in the empty spot) There’s a soldier outside.
(Isaac enters)
SVENJA Alex?! What are you doing here? When did you get back? We were just talking about you.
KARSEN Is my dad with you?
ISAAC (pause) No.
OREN Uncle Alex! Are you here for dinner?
ISAAC No, I’m not, Lucas. Thank you, but I’m not here for dinner - I’m afraid that I’ve got some bad news. (He pulls out ring and hands it to her)
SVENJA Oh God, oh no, n-no no no! He can’t be….
KARSEN This can’t be happening. He’s got to come home. I’m graduating this year. He can’t do this to me. I hate him!
SVENJA Don’t you ever say that! (She bursts into tears and exits. Isaac follows her, leaving the kids alone at the table)
KARSEN He’ll never walk me down the aisle, or get to see his grandchildren.
OREN (after a pause) I will walk you down the aisle, if you want me to.
12 HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI JUXTAPOSED WITH CELEBRATIONS (Lauren)
ABI PEACE. I am the calm of a nursing mother, the order and routine of your everyday life, and the serenity of a calm afternoon. I am the purity in the world that spares lives, allows families to grow, the force that lets communities blossom and nations strengthen and unify. Without me, the world would be…
JASON CHAOS. I am the manic adrenaline running through a rioter, the disarray of a war torn country, the feeling you get when your world begins to break down around you. I am the horror in the world that ends lives, rips families apart, the force that weakens communities and brings a nation to it’s knees.
ABI I am sought after, fought for, died for
JASON And I am the fighting, and the dying
ABI I am PEACE.
JASON I am CHAOS.
BOTH And one cannot exist without the other.
(SR has spotlight on Oren, and the projected image of Hiroshima, SL is dark)
OREN This was my home. I ate breakfast over there every morning with my mother, father and younger brother. I used to help my mother make dinner in the kitchen, right here where I am standing. My father would read stories before bed to my brother and I in our bedroom right there. But now our house is gone, I have lost everything.
(SR now dim, spotlight on group at SL with projection of post war celebrations behind)
COLIN It’s over now!
DALLAS Our dedication to the war has paid off.
SARAH The fight is over.
KARSEN The bomb did its job.
(SR lit)
OREN I know that houses can be rebuilt, but my family can’t. They’re gone now. I have no one, my friends, and neighbors, I miss them already. But my mother, my father, my little brother, I need them, I don’t know how I’ll get by without them. But they’re dead now, they aren’t coming back.
(SL lit)
LAUREN Our fathers, brothers, and uncles can all come home now.
ABI We will all be reunited.
SARAH The war is over!
COLIN And we can start to rebuild our future.
(SR spot on Oren)
OREN It got so loud so quickly. The bomb was coming and we had nowhere to go. My mother told me not to worry; we would all be together again soon, but this time in a better place with no war. Then all of the sudden, once the bomb had dropped, it got quiet, dead quiet. It destroyed everything. Absolutely nothing was left standing. The city, our homes, everything I had ever known was in ruins. My future was gone.
13 THE FOUND LETTER (Hector)
TAMBERLY Sometimes, the utter DEVASTATION of war can be a haunting message for generations to come.
Characters : Teenager (JUSTIN) , young grandfather (JASON), old grandfather (COLIN) the friend - Ethan - of the grandfather (DALLAS) .
JUSTIN (Offstage) 3, 2, 1 here I come. (enters) Are you here? (starts looking behind and under things, then pulls a piece of fabric off a pile of luggage and bags) What’s this? (opens canvas bag and finds a letter which he starts reading aloud)
“Hi sweetie, I write to you this letter because a guilt and enormous sorrow afflicts me. The other day (Jason - the young grandfather - enters with a gun and we hear the voice of the grandfather - COLIN - overlap for a second or two then take over the reading) while I was in the trench the night was starred and the moon was shining as never before, but a powder cloud hovered over the battlefield. (Lights change to a dim blue wash) I couldn’t see beyond the end of my rifle. (the other soldier enters, and the two reenact what is described) All of a sudden, I could see the silhouette of a soldier. A fear gripped me as he moved closer, and I pointed my gun at him. At the exact moment that I pulled the trigger, (sound of a gunshot) the light of the shot illuminated the face of the person I was shooting. He was my childhood friend Ethan. We used to play soldiers in the schoolyard, but now it wasn’t a game anymore. With a storm of feelings in me, I knelt close to him without caring if anyone would shoot me. He was still breathing.
JASON Help! Medic! Help! (screams desperately)
DALLAS Is it you? Is it really you? (struggling to breathe) It has been a long time, hasn’t it?
JASON At least 15 years since we were boys in the playground. Medic!
DALLAS I was fed up with war. (cringes in pain)
JASON You’re going to be okay.
DALLAS I only wanted go back home.
JASON Is there anyone waiting there for you?
DALLAS A beautiful wife and two handsome children
JASON I’m so sorry…
DALLAS I forgive you. What about you? Do you have anyone at home?
JASON A girlfriend, I’m going to propose when I - (the friend dies while he is talking) No! No! (cradles and rocks his body)
COLIN (offstage) He was dead...
JUSTIN (takes over and the lights resume) and leaving behind a family. (Colin appears in the doorway as he was listening behind the door) His family who would never get to say goodbye. I write to you just in case I die in this war. I want to say I love you.
COLIN (walks over to Justin) From that day, I never went away without saying goodbye and I love you, and there will never be a day that I don’t remember what I did. (Justin hugs his grandfather)
14 RETURNING SOLDIER’S FEARS (Oren) /SHELL SHOCK (Colin and Jason)
ISAAC The battle may be over, but the lingering FEAR can live on and resurface out of nowhere.
(Soldiers are sitting in line, waiting to board a plane to go home. Elijah is asleep but restless, and Dallas is in a wheelchair)
JUSTIN Finally... (exhausted sigh) the war is over, for now at least.
HECTOR Yeah. What do you think it’ll be like when we get home?
(somebody drops something which startles Elijah who was asleep)
ELIJAH (thinking he’s still in battle) Take cover! We’re pinned down!
JUSTIN Gordon! It’s okay. We’re going home.
DALLAS We’ve got to keep it together! Snap out of it! Come on!
ELIJAH The gunshots… the explosions… We’re gonna die here, aren’t we?
OREN (enters) You’re going to be okay. You’re safe. You’re going home.
(pause as Elijah gets it together and they all sit again - Oren exits)
HECTOR So, how do you think everyone will treat us when we get home?
JUSTIN Like heroes maybe, or perhaps they’ll be sad; no joy comes from war.
DALLAS How can I act, or be the same around my family and loved ones? What this war has done (pause) will haunt me for the rest of my days. (puts face in hands)
ELIJAH How will they look at us and act around us? Knowing what we have done and what we have seen, our scars and permanent injuries.
HECTOR For now all I want is to be in the arms of my family.
OREN (reenters) Time to move! Let's go home.
(Everyone packs up and walks off stage)
15 MEDAL OF HONOUR (Justin)
LAUREN For some returning soldiers, their SACRIFICE is rewarded, but for others it seems society chooses to forget the sacrifice and keep the walking wounded in the shadows.
(Justin, Hector, Dallas, Colin, Oren, et al are lined up to receive medals from Sylar)
SYLAR We honour these brave warriors for their service to their country. They risked their lives to fight for the freedom of others, and we award them with these medals for their sacrifice and their heroism. (He starts pinning medals and the soldiers salute as the scene shifts to a soup kitchen where Karsen and Tamberly are serving, and the soldiers turn and receive a bowl.)
KARSEN Any luck in the job search?
COLIN I guess my experience in the war doesn’t translate to a civilian job.
KARSEN Any luck this week?
DALLAS Not much work for a guy in a chair.
16 HOMELESS VET SCENE (Jason)
DALLAS War doesn’t DISCRIMINATE, but humans do. Men and women are sent into battle to keep us safe, but when we they come home, we turn our backs on the ones who need us the most.
(Battle sound effects and slow motion fighting and falling soldiers - JUSTIN, ELIJAH, COLIN. There is a loud explosion and a flash of light then the stage goes black. The lights slowly come up to reveal Elijah holding up a cardboard sign reading “Homeless and hungry. Please help.”)
17 PTSD (Tamberly)
ISAAC (sitting in a chair) When I first came back from war, everyone was overjoyed. I had done it. I was the hero.
(Scene shifts to him coming home, and the soldier is now Jason)
FAMILY (Wife - TAMBERLY, Sons HECTOR AND OREN) We missed you!!
ISAAC Everything was fine for a while. After the first enthusiasm was gone, everyday life just seemed to go on, and I had to try to find my place. Julie kept her job while I stayed home. She thought it was the best idea for me to stay at home for while, but all I could think of was why was I here? Sitting at home while my brothers are fighting. I am worthless. I am nothing. Then one day, I was home alone with the kids. They were goofing around - running around the house like normal kids do. Then everything changed.
(scene shift to sons playing with toy guns, and they start to fight over one of the guns until one says)
OREN I hate you! I'm going to kill you.
JASON Don't ever say that again. You're not going to kill anyone.
HECTOR We’re just playing, dad. What’s the big deal?
ISAAC Then I see red, everything is a blur.
JASON What’s the big deal? (Grabs gun away from kid and points it at them) I’ll tell you what’s the big deal. You want to know what it feels like. You think it’s fun to kill someone. Have you ever had a gun in your face. (Points gun at kids) How does that feel? Is that fun?!
HECTOR Stop it dad!
OREN Please dad!
TAMBERLY (enters) What is going on? (to Jason) What is wrong with you? Get out of here. Just get out!
ISAAC I haven’t seen my family since. My sons are afraid of me, and my wife wants a divorce.
18 WOMEN’S STORIES OF THEIR MEN RETURNING (Svenja)
TAMBERLY Every day is the same. Since he came back, every part of my life has gotten predictable: everything but him. He is no longer the person he was before the war. We were happy - things were not always easy, but at least I had him - my husband. Our children had a father. But now they barely see him any more. He’s never home.
LAUREN He works all day - even on the weekends. I think he works that hard so that he doesn’t have time to remember. And when he’s not at work, he spends his time with the other vets. He has no time or interest for family activities. We don’t see him any more. I don’t know who he is any more, all the joy and love for us - his family - all gone. I wish I knew how to help him.
SVENJA I don’t understand how everything changed so quickly? He was only gone for six months - not as long as most of the other men. And they’ve picked themselves up. Yes, he found a job, but the pay isn’t great so I have to work too. And I have the house to look after - he doesn’t do anything at home. He hardly talks, and just sits around. If he would at least go back to seeing his friends - but he doesn’t seem to have any friends any more. He has nothing more than his haunting memories. I do my best to keep everything going, but I’m so lonely.
ABI He hardly sleeps, and when he does I can tell he’s having nightmares. We can never have a normal conversation. He’s always so tired, and stressed out, and aggressive. He’ll yell at me for no reason, and when he looks at me, I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never seen such anger. I’ve actually been afraid of my own husband. I try to get him to relax, to calm down, but it just seems to aggravate him. The only thing he ever talks about is going back.
SARAH My brother was always a lone wolf. Throughout high school he never really participated in family activities He really distanced himself from all of us. After he graduated, he went straight into the military. He was deployed to many places, and faced a lot of danger; and when he finally came home, he was different. The wars brought him closer to us. He was no longer distant. He was part of the family.
19 SWEET DREAMS (Hector)
ABI All we can truly hope for, once war has ended, is a lasting PEACE.
(A woman’s voice is heard offstage saying “You’d better get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow.” Karsen enters and tries to go to sleep. She’s tossing and turning)
KARSEN I can’t sleep. (She settles for a second or two, then sits up and her father enters)
SYLAR What’s happening sweetheart?
KARSEN I’m really nervous.
SYLAR You still have problems going to sleep when you’re nervous? And why are you nervous this time? (he sits next to her on the bed)
KARSEN Tomorrow is my wedding.
SYLAR Really? Is he a good guy?
KARSEN Yeah he is. We love each other a lot, but...I just wish you could to be there with me, holding my hand during this important step in my life...like you used to be...
SYLAR No one could ever love you as much as your old dad does…
KARSEN I miss you so much…
SYLAR Me too. There are so many things I wanted to say to you before I died, but I couldn’t. Your life is passing so fast. Remember to give the importance to things that deserve it. I want to apologise for all the mistakes I made as father, that I’m hoping you can forgive. I would like to have spent more time with you, but you must never forget that my last thoughts were about you. Can I hug you for a last time?
KARSEN Yes, but quick.
SYLAR Why?
KARSEN Because I’m going to wake up in a few minutes.
(They hug each other and she lays on the bed, while the father stands up and kisses her on the forehead)
SYLAR Sweet dreams. (He exits)
20 COURAGE (Karsen)
TAMBERLY The most important aspect of war is COURAGE,
SVENJA shown by each of the men and women who have fought for our country.
ABI We could never show how truly thankful we are for the people who risk
their lives to fight for our safety.
JASON No matter the outcome or the aftermath, they show unbreakable COURAGE.
LAUREN Today is a day to remember them.
SYLAR We are fortunate to live in a place like Canada.
DALLAS Our home is safe and secure.
ALL The true north strong and free.
SVENJA Canada is proud of the accomplishments made through COURAGE.
ISAAC We will strive for COURAGE in our daily life.
SYLAR In times of PEACE, CHAOS, DISCRIMINATION, DEVASTATION,
SACRIFICE, PROGRESS, FEAR and DEATH
ISAAC We thank them for their COURAGE.
ABI War couldn’t exist without the concept of PEACE,
JASON but the CHAOS of war, which often results from
DALLAS the ignorance and hate of DISCRIMINATIONA
TAMBERLY brings DEVASTATION to the human spirit and the environment where war is waged.
LAUREN The SACRIFICE of the men and women who fight, as well as that of those left behind
SVENJA often outweighs any PROGRESS that comes as a result of war,
ISAAC and FEAR is always present, but none of us matters
SYLAR once DEATH arrives.
1 ASPECTS OF WAR - DEATH PERSONIFIED (Sylar)
Death (SYLAR), Soldiers (ISAAC, DALLAS, JUSTIN, JASON, COLIN)
SYLAR (DEATH stands at C and checks his watch) My job is not one for the faint of heart. People don’t like me much. They spend their entire time on earth trying to escape me. They never do, and at the end they all come to the inevitable realization that I am a patient hunter. (Justin enters USL and signals for others to enter) But these men here, (motions toward the soldiers) they understand. They understand that I can’t be outrun, and they use that to their advantage. (Justin makes some signals and the soldiers slowly move downstage and Death is among them) Where they go I always follow. I stick to them like the mud caked to the bottom of their boots. When they pull the trigger, I get to work. War keeps me busy, and while it’s a messy affair. I’m not one to complain.
(Justin signals for the soldiers to stop)
ISAAC What was that?
DALLAS What was what?
JUSTIN Everyone down!
(The sound of gunfire rings out)
JASON Ambush!
(The soldiers return fire, and eventually one by one each soldier falls, dead, to the ground. During this confusion Death has walked into the middle of the semi-circle of soldiers. He is staring at his watch. As the last soldier drops to the ground he looks away from the watch and back out into the audience.)
SYLAR Right on time. As always.
ISAAC (lunges up and grabs his leg) W-who are you? (coughs repeatedly)
SYLAR Shh, it doesn’t matter now. ( Kneels down beside the soldier.) You did good son, you did good. Now rest.
ISAAC No I can’t, not yet, I can’t, please.
(Death reaches down and touches the soldier and his arm falls off Death’s leg and the soldier goes still. Death closes the man's eyes. Death stands back up and cracks his back. He lets out a long sigh, then proceeds to check his watch as the light black out.)
2 TRICKLEDOWN FEAR SCENE (Dallas)
(Fear enters and addresses the audience, then watches each subsequent scene.)
ISAAC I am FEAR, and war wouldn’t be war without me. I start at the top. I stand with those in power when they make the decision to put their men in harm’s way and enter into conflict. And then I trickle down as one by one, the people begin to realize that everything is about to change.
(Offstage, Colin is playing a military drum pattern on a snare drum. Lights come up on Military officials at SR. SYLAR and the others are standing at a desk looking at a map.
SYLAR It’s official. (He hands Hector a document,)
ELIJAH Is this the right time to make the announcement?
JUSTIN Maybe we should wait until the morning.
HECTOR These are not matters to be discussed at such an hour.
SYLAR I don’t CARE, the announcement goes out tonight! Our nation is officially in a state of war! (Sylar pounds fist on desk, and others salute. Hector takes document to C spot and lights crossfade. SARAH is sitting at a desk in front of a telegrapher’s button. Hector hands her the document.)
SARAH (gasps) Oh, no. It can’t… Oh God, NO. (She puts her head into her hands and sighs heavily before wiping her face, looking up to the ceiling and crossing herself, before proceeding to furiously begin to send a telegraph. Lights crossfade to Oren who is looking at a newspaper he’s taken off the bundle of papers he’s to deliver. He shakes his head, picks up the bundle and moves left as the lights crossfade to SL. Abi takes the newspaper and hands it and a cup of coffee to Jason. He reads the paper.)
JASON (shaking his head) I was afraid it would come to this.
ABI What is it?
JASON It...Honey, I…
ABI What? What does it say?
JASON It’s official. The announcement is in the paper.
ABI They won’t make you go back will they?! They can’t make y-you g-g-go back! (She starts to cry and he stands and embraces her as the lights black out)
(Fear looks at the audience as lights go black)
3 SOLDIER BEING RIPPED OUT OF A SCENE (Elijah and Isaac)
Husband in wheelchair (ISAAC), daughter (SARAH), wife (ABI) , captain (SYLAR), soldiers (DALLAS, JUSTIN)
JASON (standing off to the side) Once the declaration of war is made, the CHAOS begins and for some, it never ends.
ABI How was your day sweetie?
SARAH It was alright. Mary had some bad news.
ISAAC What was it?
SARAH Mary found out her dad has to go overseas to fight in the war.
ISAAC Oh my God. (Fear moves to stand behind him as he starts to remember his experience in war.)
SARAH It’s okay, dad. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.
ABI (grabs Isaac's hand) We know how hard it can be.
ISAAC No, you don’t.
(2 men grab him while in his chair and pull him back out of current scene, while Abi and Sarah continue to look at the chair and have a mime conversation. Soldiers move him to SL where the Captain - Sylar - waits with a gun in hand)
SYLAR What are you doing without a gun solder! (hands him a gun) This is war - you fight or you die now get yourself together! Come on now men we have to push up to that ridge.
(soldiers get into formation)
ISAAC No... what is this... I don't belong here.
(sound of bomb dropping)
SOLDIER Incoming!
(Explosion, gunshots, soldiers taking fire)
SYLAR Alright men we push now or we die! Am I clear?
SOLDIERS Sir, yes sir!
ISAAC No, please God, I’m not supposed to be here.
SYLAR Move men, move!
(Everyone gets up and begins moving R to in front of family at chair, and are mowed down by gunfire. Isaac is shot and falls to his knees.
ISAAC My legs. I can’t feel my legs. (He is right in front of the chair and Abi and Sarah move to him and start to help him back into the chair.)
ABI Help me get him up!
(Isaac fights against them at first, but then realizes where he is)
SARAH It’s going to be okay, dad. It’s going to be alright.
(Isaac puts his head in his hands and cries uncontrollably)
4 WOMEN’S ROLES IN WAR
(Progress joins Fear onstage)
SVENJA War changes the lives of everyone it touches, and in some cases, those changes even lead to advancement and result in personal and societal PROGRESS.
(Lights come up on SL where Karsen is wringing out a cloth at a wash basin.)
LAUREN (enters wiping forehead with rag, has a long drink of water) Well, I’ve finished the plowing, but I’m going to need your help with the hay.
KARSEN So you were able to fix the tractor?
LAUREN Yes, but I’m not sure how much longer it will run. I don’t know how to do all of maintenance your father did to keep it going, but it’s working for now.
KARSEN You’ll figure it out. Dad will be proud of you.
LAUREN He’ll be proud of us all. It’s our job now to look after the crops and the animals. Where’s your sister?
KARSEN She’s gone to the Martin’s farm with some soup and bread. She figured Mrs. Martin would need help with some meals - she’s not doing very well since she got the news.
LAUREN It’s terrible. First her husband, then her son.
KARSEN Do you think she’ll have to sell the farm.
LAUREN I can’t see her managing it on her own, not with two small children.
KARSEN How are they going to live?
LAUREN She’ll have to get a job in town. There are lots of jobs for us now.
(Lights crossfade to SR where two women are working in a factory. Progress watches.)
ABI They hired another girl today.
TAMBERLY That’s good! That’ll take some of the pressure off.
ABI There are now more of us working in the factory than there are men.
TAMBERLY And when Jonathan and David ship out, there won’t be any men left in our section.
ABI I think that we’re actually better suited for some of the precision assembly work because our fingers are smaller.
TAMBERLY (laughs) Don’t tell Jonathan and David that! They’ll be worried they won’t have jobs when they get back.
(Fear moves in behind them and touches them and both women realize there’s a chance the men won’t come back at all)
ABI Please let them come back.
(Lights crossfade to and Sarah writing a letter at C. Progress stands behind her)
SARAH Dear Mom and Dad: I’m all settled in, and am very excited for my flight training to begin. You would be surprised to see how many other women are here. I guess they need us to replace all of the men who have left for combat. Some of the girls are really young, but I think they have to be at least 18. I even met a woman who is almost 40 years old. She used to work with Elsie MacGill at Fairchild Aircraft Limited when she designed the Hurricane combat aircraft. She was the very first Canadian woman to graduate as an aeronautical engineer. Imagine that! But I guess the war is opening up all kinds of new opportunities for us. There are standards we have to meet, though. They sent one girl home when they found out she had a criminal record, and another when she failed her trades test. I just hope I can get through the training to one day become a WREN, which stands for Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service. I sure miss you, but I’m doing really well and I hope I’m making you proud. Love, Elma
5 THE BLITZ SCENE (Dallas)
(FEAR moves towards PROGRESS who takes a few steps back, then exits, leaving FEAR onstage who moves from group to group as the siren sounds and they pull curtains. A square pool of light comes up on SR where Abi and Jason are having a candlelit dinner. A second square pool of light comes up on C where Lauren is seated at a vanity and combing her hair. A third square light comes up on Sylar and Svenja both seated and reading books, while Sarah lays on the floor writing or drawing in a notebook. Suddenly, an air raid siren is heard. The first couple looks at each other, and they are clearly scared. Abi blows out the candle, and Jason mimes closing the curtains. Their area is reduced to a faint blue light, and they sit close to each other at the table. The woman combing her hair puts her hair brush down when the siren starts, and goes quickly downstage to close the window blind. Her area is also reduced to a dim blue. She returns to the chair and slowly, shaking, starts to brush her hair again. While this is all happening, the family also frantically closes their curtain, changing the light to a dim blue. Sylar and Svenja move upstage to have a secretive mimed conversation as Sarah moves to peek through the curtain, resulting in a sliver of light. Sylar grabs her by the shoulder and moves her away from the window and the light goes back to a dim blue.)
SYLAR Margaret! Why did you move the curtain?!
SVENJA Don’t you know how dangerous that is?
SYLAR They could have seen that light and dropped a bomb right on our building!
SARAH (crying) Dad, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to - I just looked out for a second.
SVENJA Maybe they didn’t see it. We’re going to be alright.
(The family huddles together, and all three groups look up as plane sound effect is heard. As it gets louder and closer, they close their eyes, put their heads down, and get closer together. Suddenly, the lights black out, and an explosion sound effect is heard.)
6 FORGOTTEN VICTIMS (Dallas)
(PROGRESS enters. At SR in we see a Romani mother (TAMBERLY) serving dinner to her two children (OREN, HECTOR) who are seated at a table. At SL, we see a gay couple (ISAAC, COLIN) One is seated and the other hands him a cup of coffee.
SVENJA After Germany’s defeat in the first World War, Berlin surprisingly became a hotbed of liberal ideologies. The arts and sciences flourished, gay men and women (gesture to couple) became more accepted by society, and typically disadvantaged cultural groups such as the Romani (gesture to family) gained more tolerance from a typically conservative city.
(DISCRIMINATION enters and upstages PROGRESS who exits reluctantly)
DALLAS This phenomenon was known as Weimar culture, but was stamped out with the rise of the Nazi party.
(Four Nazis - Sylar, Justin, Jason, Elijah - walk into both spotlights and begin grabbing the people and pulling them out of the spotlight)
NAZIS Mitkommen!
OTHERS But, we’re not Jewish!
(The Nazis remove the family and the couple from the stage. Fear exits with them, leaving Discrimination alone onstage as all Holocaust victims are led back onstage by Fear and stand in a line behind Discrimination)
DALLAS Hitler’s Final Solution was designed to exterminate Europe’s Jewish population, but those 6 million people weren’t the Nazi party’s only victims. It’s estimated that 100,000 suspected homosexuals were arrested, and of those, 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. In addition, about 25 percent of the Romani population living in Europe during World War 2 were also killed during the Holocaust.
(We hear machine gun fire and all Holocaust victims fall to the ground.)
7 BOMB DIFFUSION SCENE (Sarah)
(SACRIFICE enters and passes DISCRIMINATION who exits)
LAUREN I am SACRIFICE, and I go hand in hand with war.
(Scene begins with the Captain (SARAH), the Lieutenant (DALLAS) and their troops (JUSTIN, OREN, COLIN, ISAAC, HECTOR, TAMBERLY, ABI) walking into an abandoned building looking somewhat exhausted. Soldiers enter from various openings after the Captain gives them the “all clear.”)
SARAH Alright, let’s rest here for a bit before we move to the next building.
(The troops sit down and engage in various types of business until Justin tips over a cube, revealing an explosive device below.)
JUSTIN Captain.
(Sarah and Dallas stop their conversation to inspect the bomb.)
SARAH (stands up) Everyone out, we don’t have much time. Let’s go! To the southwest quadrant! Go!
(The troops are confused and hesitant but follow the order.)
DALLAS Captain, what’s going on?
SARAH You gotta get going, Robinson. When the bomb moved, the detonation sequence was triggered. We might only have minutes before this place crumbles.
DALLAS Can we stop it?
SARAH I’m going to try, but you have to go Lieutenant.
DALLAS What? Why? I can help you.
SARAH No, you can’t. I’ve been trained for this - I’ll disarm this thing.
DALLAS There’s no time.
SARAH I have to try.
DALLAS What are you going to save? A building or two? There’s no one around!
SARAH There are terrified citizens hiding everywhere, Lieutenant! You’ve seen them for yourself, and we can’t just leave it.
DALLAS I’m not leaving without you, Captain.
SARAH Get out of here, Robinson.
DALLAS I said I’m not leav-
SARAH And I said get out of here! That’s an order, Lieutenant Robinson!
(Captain Edwards begins to examine the bomb as, frustrated, Lieutenant Robinson breaks into a run out of the building to find the troops. The lights crossfade to the others)
DALLAS Everybody move! To the southwest quadrant NOW!
JUSTIN Where’s the Captain?
DALLAS (Looks around at the troops) She’s still inside. We are going to take cover and wait.
JUSTIN Everybody move out!.
(They walk a few steps before they hear an explosion, and are thrown to the ground. All have shocked faces.)
DALLAS NO! (Begins to run back toward the explosion.)
8 CHILD’S STORY (Hector)
LAUREN Soldiers are not the only ones who make heroic SACRIFICES in times of war.
(A mom (KARSEN) is putting her child (TAMBERLY) to bed.)
KARSEN It’s bed time
TAMBERLY I don’t want to go bed.
KARSEN What about a story?
TAMBERLY Yeah! I love them!
KARSEN Once upon a time there was a little boy who grew up in a poor family, but he hoped to one day become a doctor. He worked really hard and his dream came true, but soon there was great tension between countries and they started a war. The young doctor decided he wanted to help, so he went to work to help the injured men and women…
TAMBERLY He was so brave.
KARSEN Of course he was. Months and months went by, and the doctor saw many people die, but he was also able to save lots of lives. One day he faced a very hard situation. A woman with terrible wounds was brought to the war hospital.
TAMBERLY What happened to her?
KARSEN A bomb exploded right beside her, and she was really, really hurt and bleeding. It didn’t look like she had a chance to get better unless she got some new blood, and there was only one person in the whole hospital who had the same type of blood as her.
TAMBERLY Was it the doctor?
KARSEN Yes it was, and he gave his own blood to save her. It was a very risky operation because the soldier needed so much blood, but the doctor didn’t care - he wanted to do everything he could to save her.
TAMBERLY And did he?
KARSEN Yes, he did, but he ended up getting really sick because of the all the blood he gave away, so he was sent home to rest and get better. (pause) Okay. I think it’s time for bed now.
TAMBERLY But, do you know what happened to the doctor?
KARSEN Of course I do, and so do you.
TAMBERLY I do? Who is this doctor?
KARSEN He’s your dad.
9 SURVIVOR GUILT SCENE/MONOLOGUE (Svenja)
(SACRIFICE exits and CHAOS enters and stands behind Colin)
JASON For some, the CHAOS of war never really ends, but lingers in the back of the mind, preventing the soldier from fully returning to their lives and loved ones.
Colin is sitting next to the living room window in his small flat. Svenja is at a table folding clothes. Justin enters with model airplane and approaches Colin.
JUSTIN I finished it grandpa.
COLIN (doesn’t respond)
JUSTIN Grandpa. I finished my model. Do you want to see it?
COLIN (gets up and exits right)
SVENJA (walks over to Justin) What’s wrong?
JUSTIN Mom? Why does grandpa hate me?
SVENJA He doesn’t! Why do you think so?”
JUSTIN He does not look at me, he does not respond when I’m trying to tell him something. He doesn’t even talk to you!”
SVENJA (kneels beside him) Your grandpa has seen many terrible things that he will never get out of his head again. (Svenja sits on chair) You remember having that one terrible nightmare when you were a little younger than now? (Justin nods) It scared you so much that you would wake me up whenever you dreamed of that monster (Takes a deep breath) Grandpa has such nightmares all of the time - not only when he is sleeping. And his nightmares are real, they are things he has seen when he was sent over to Europe.
JUSTIN When he was a soldier and fought for our country?”
SVENJA Exactly. The time he had to spend there has made him become a totally different person. War is horrible and I hope that you will never see one. But all you need to know now is that the way grandpa is does not have to do anything with you.
JUSTIN Okay.
SVENJA Come on. You can help me with Grandpa’s laundry.
(They exit left, and grandpa reenters and sits back in his chair)
COLIN (Remembering) Water - water everywhere. I did not even notice that it had started to rain when we were on our way. But now I feel it - I don’t even know why that feels so important - so present. Maybe because it matches the situation so perfectly. I can still feel the raindrops slapping on my face - maybe they try to make me understand. But I cannot - I just can’t…
(Scene transitions to 10 TRIAGE SCENE) (Karsen and Abi)
ABI I didn’t think it rained so much here.
KARSEN Everything’s a little different around here. Where you came from you tend to the patients who look the worst, the ones who look like there's no hope left. Over here you see the people barely hanging on and you are forced to move on to the next patient. No matter how harsh it sounds there is no time to waste.
ABI I thought that once I got here I would see it all and know exactly what to do. I would rely on my training and I would get through this. I feel like I'm not cut out, like I will do more harm than good.
KARSEN Even if you don’t think you’re cut out for it, you're going to have to pretend to be. Now find your station. (Moves to tend to injured on the ground - Dallas, Jason, Elijah)
ABI (walks over to Lauren, talking to herself) I thought I was strong enough for this, but I'm starting to realize I very well might not be.
LAUREN Here’s the list. (Hands her a sheet of paper)
ABI What list?
LAUREN This is a list of the soldiers who didn’t make it. You need to write to their families.
ABI Oh. Of course. I’ll get started on that right away. (Moves to where Isaac is on the ground with his dead brother - HECTOR, and another body - TAMBERLY) Alex? What are you doing here? Are you hurt?
ISAAC No, but Nicholas...he didn’t make it.
ABI (looks at list and gasps) His name is on my list.
ISAAC What list?
ABI I have to write to all these families to tell them their sons and daughters are...gone.
ISAAC I have to be the one to deliver that letter. (He pulls back the sheet, and removes Hector’s ring) His wife would want this.
(Colin has been slowly walking and observing and now enters into scene where Karsen and Lauren are treating the wounded)
COLIN Cold - everything is cold, the air, the nurse’s voice when she tries to make me believe her. (to the girls) Is he going to make it?
LAUREN We’re doing everything we can. (She looks at Karsen and they both shake their heads, but Colin doesn’t see this as he’s put his head back and covered his face with his hands)
COLIN And even I am cold - emotionally frozen. Unable to feel anything - exhausted - I want to go - just walk away from this cruel place. I cannot go home - I don’t know what home is any more. But he (gestures to man on ground) he will never walk again. (Lauren pulls sheet up over his face) He won’t even breathe again! Why him? There are so many (looks around) - so many. Because of me...
(Colin moves away from the triage towards a slo-mo battle that is occurring at SR)
Water - so much water - but a different kind of water now. (wipes away tears) More salty. Not falling down from the dark clouds over me. Deeper - and I feel like I am sinking. (He’s moving through the battle as people are falling dead or wounded all around him) No air - just the smell of gunpowder. (One soldier falls right in front of him) He won’t ever smell anything again. Because I was too slow - I waited too long - I let them down. There were so many - and now they’re all gone It should have been me. (He sits back in the original chair and puts his head in his hands)
11 SCENE ABOUT FAMILY FINDING OUT (Written by Colin, edited by Oren)
(Devastation enters and nods at Chaos)
TAMBERLY The DEVASTATION of war is not confined to the battlefield.
Characters: Mother ‘Mrs. Smithers’ (SVENJA), daugher ‘Mary’ (KARSEN), son ‘Lucas’ (OREN), Soldier ‘Alex’ (ISAAC)
SVENJA Dinner’s ready, kids! (she brings a platter to the table)
OREN Smells good, Mom!
KARSEN Yeah, it does! I’m starving!
SVENJA Mary, would you like to say grace this evening?
KARSEN Yes! (bows head) Thank you for all our blessings, including this food, and please look after dad and let him come home soon.
OREN And Uncle Alex, too.
SVENJA That`s right. That was nice, now let’s eat before it gets cold.
OREN Wait a minute, where’s dad’s chair? We need to have a chair for dad.
KARSEN I’ll get it. (She gets the chair and notices someone outside the window. She puts the chair in the empty spot) There’s a soldier outside.
(Isaac enters)
SVENJA Alex?! What are you doing here? When did you get back? We were just talking about you.
KARSEN Is my dad with you?
ISAAC (pause) No.
OREN Uncle Alex! Are you here for dinner?
ISAAC No, I’m not, Lucas. Thank you, but I’m not here for dinner - I’m afraid that I’ve got some bad news. (He pulls out ring and hands it to her)
SVENJA Oh God, oh no, n-no no no! He can’t be….
KARSEN This can’t be happening. He’s got to come home. I’m graduating this year. He can’t do this to me. I hate him!
SVENJA Don’t you ever say that! (She bursts into tears and exits. Isaac follows her, leaving the kids alone at the table)
KARSEN He’ll never walk me down the aisle, or get to see his grandchildren.
OREN (after a pause) I will walk you down the aisle, if you want me to.
12 HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI JUXTAPOSED WITH CELEBRATIONS (Lauren)
ABI PEACE. I am the calm of a nursing mother, the order and routine of your everyday life, and the serenity of a calm afternoon. I am the purity in the world that spares lives, allows families to grow, the force that lets communities blossom and nations strengthen and unify. Without me, the world would be…
JASON CHAOS. I am the manic adrenaline running through a rioter, the disarray of a war torn country, the feeling you get when your world begins to break down around you. I am the horror in the world that ends lives, rips families apart, the force that weakens communities and brings a nation to it’s knees.
ABI I am sought after, fought for, died for
JASON And I am the fighting, and the dying
ABI I am PEACE.
JASON I am CHAOS.
BOTH And one cannot exist without the other.
(SR has spotlight on Oren, and the projected image of Hiroshima, SL is dark)
OREN This was my home. I ate breakfast over there every morning with my mother, father and younger brother. I used to help my mother make dinner in the kitchen, right here where I am standing. My father would read stories before bed to my brother and I in our bedroom right there. But now our house is gone, I have lost everything.
(SR now dim, spotlight on group at SL with projection of post war celebrations behind)
COLIN It’s over now!
DALLAS Our dedication to the war has paid off.
SARAH The fight is over.
KARSEN The bomb did its job.
(SR lit)
OREN I know that houses can be rebuilt, but my family can’t. They’re gone now. I have no one, my friends, and neighbors, I miss them already. But my mother, my father, my little brother, I need them, I don’t know how I’ll get by without them. But they’re dead now, they aren’t coming back.
(SL lit)
LAUREN Our fathers, brothers, and uncles can all come home now.
ABI We will all be reunited.
SARAH The war is over!
COLIN And we can start to rebuild our future.
(SR spot on Oren)
OREN It got so loud so quickly. The bomb was coming and we had nowhere to go. My mother told me not to worry; we would all be together again soon, but this time in a better place with no war. Then all of the sudden, once the bomb had dropped, it got quiet, dead quiet. It destroyed everything. Absolutely nothing was left standing. The city, our homes, everything I had ever known was in ruins. My future was gone.
13 THE FOUND LETTER (Hector)
TAMBERLY Sometimes, the utter DEVASTATION of war can be a haunting message for generations to come.
Characters : Teenager (JUSTIN) , young grandfather (JASON), old grandfather (COLIN) the friend - Ethan - of the grandfather (DALLAS) .
JUSTIN (Offstage) 3, 2, 1 here I come. (enters) Are you here? (starts looking behind and under things, then pulls a piece of fabric off a pile of luggage and bags) What’s this? (opens canvas bag and finds a letter which he starts reading aloud)
“Hi sweetie, I write to you this letter because a guilt and enormous sorrow afflicts me. The other day (Jason - the young grandfather - enters with a gun and we hear the voice of the grandfather - COLIN - overlap for a second or two then take over the reading) while I was in the trench the night was starred and the moon was shining as never before, but a powder cloud hovered over the battlefield. (Lights change to a dim blue wash) I couldn’t see beyond the end of my rifle. (the other soldier enters, and the two reenact what is described) All of a sudden, I could see the silhouette of a soldier. A fear gripped me as he moved closer, and I pointed my gun at him. At the exact moment that I pulled the trigger, (sound of a gunshot) the light of the shot illuminated the face of the person I was shooting. He was my childhood friend Ethan. We used to play soldiers in the schoolyard, but now it wasn’t a game anymore. With a storm of feelings in me, I knelt close to him without caring if anyone would shoot me. He was still breathing.
JASON Help! Medic! Help! (screams desperately)
DALLAS Is it you? Is it really you? (struggling to breathe) It has been a long time, hasn’t it?
JASON At least 15 years since we were boys in the playground. Medic!
DALLAS I was fed up with war. (cringes in pain)
JASON You’re going to be okay.
DALLAS I only wanted go back home.
JASON Is there anyone waiting there for you?
DALLAS A beautiful wife and two handsome children
JASON I’m so sorry…
DALLAS I forgive you. What about you? Do you have anyone at home?
JASON A girlfriend, I’m going to propose when I - (the friend dies while he is talking) No! No! (cradles and rocks his body)
COLIN (offstage) He was dead...
JUSTIN (takes over and the lights resume) and leaving behind a family. (Colin appears in the doorway as he was listening behind the door) His family who would never get to say goodbye. I write to you just in case I die in this war. I want to say I love you.
COLIN (walks over to Justin) From that day, I never went away without saying goodbye and I love you, and there will never be a day that I don’t remember what I did. (Justin hugs his grandfather)
14 RETURNING SOLDIER’S FEARS (Oren) /SHELL SHOCK (Colin and Jason)
ISAAC The battle may be over, but the lingering FEAR can live on and resurface out of nowhere.
(Soldiers are sitting in line, waiting to board a plane to go home. Elijah is asleep but restless, and Dallas is in a wheelchair)
JUSTIN Finally... (exhausted sigh) the war is over, for now at least.
HECTOR Yeah. What do you think it’ll be like when we get home?
(somebody drops something which startles Elijah who was asleep)
ELIJAH (thinking he’s still in battle) Take cover! We’re pinned down!
JUSTIN Gordon! It’s okay. We’re going home.
DALLAS We’ve got to keep it together! Snap out of it! Come on!
ELIJAH The gunshots… the explosions… We’re gonna die here, aren’t we?
OREN (enters) You’re going to be okay. You’re safe. You’re going home.
(pause as Elijah gets it together and they all sit again - Oren exits)
HECTOR So, how do you think everyone will treat us when we get home?
JUSTIN Like heroes maybe, or perhaps they’ll be sad; no joy comes from war.
DALLAS How can I act, or be the same around my family and loved ones? What this war has done (pause) will haunt me for the rest of my days. (puts face in hands)
ELIJAH How will they look at us and act around us? Knowing what we have done and what we have seen, our scars and permanent injuries.
HECTOR For now all I want is to be in the arms of my family.
OREN (reenters) Time to move! Let's go home.
(Everyone packs up and walks off stage)
15 MEDAL OF HONOUR (Justin)
LAUREN For some returning soldiers, their SACRIFICE is rewarded, but for others it seems society chooses to forget the sacrifice and keep the walking wounded in the shadows.
(Justin, Hector, Dallas, Colin, Oren, et al are lined up to receive medals from Sylar)
SYLAR We honour these brave warriors for their service to their country. They risked their lives to fight for the freedom of others, and we award them with these medals for their sacrifice and their heroism. (He starts pinning medals and the soldiers salute as the scene shifts to a soup kitchen where Karsen and Tamberly are serving, and the soldiers turn and receive a bowl.)
KARSEN Any luck in the job search?
COLIN I guess my experience in the war doesn’t translate to a civilian job.
KARSEN Any luck this week?
DALLAS Not much work for a guy in a chair.
16 HOMELESS VET SCENE (Jason)
DALLAS War doesn’t DISCRIMINATE, but humans do. Men and women are sent into battle to keep us safe, but when we they come home, we turn our backs on the ones who need us the most.
(Battle sound effects and slow motion fighting and falling soldiers - JUSTIN, ELIJAH, COLIN. There is a loud explosion and a flash of light then the stage goes black. The lights slowly come up to reveal Elijah holding up a cardboard sign reading “Homeless and hungry. Please help.”)
17 PTSD (Tamberly)
ISAAC (sitting in a chair) When I first came back from war, everyone was overjoyed. I had done it. I was the hero.
(Scene shifts to him coming home, and the soldier is now Jason)
FAMILY (Wife - TAMBERLY, Sons HECTOR AND OREN) We missed you!!
ISAAC Everything was fine for a while. After the first enthusiasm was gone, everyday life just seemed to go on, and I had to try to find my place. Julie kept her job while I stayed home. She thought it was the best idea for me to stay at home for while, but all I could think of was why was I here? Sitting at home while my brothers are fighting. I am worthless. I am nothing. Then one day, I was home alone with the kids. They were goofing around - running around the house like normal kids do. Then everything changed.
(scene shift to sons playing with toy guns, and they start to fight over one of the guns until one says)
OREN I hate you! I'm going to kill you.
JASON Don't ever say that again. You're not going to kill anyone.
HECTOR We’re just playing, dad. What’s the big deal?
ISAAC Then I see red, everything is a blur.
JASON What’s the big deal? (Grabs gun away from kid and points it at them) I’ll tell you what’s the big deal. You want to know what it feels like. You think it’s fun to kill someone. Have you ever had a gun in your face. (Points gun at kids) How does that feel? Is that fun?!
HECTOR Stop it dad!
OREN Please dad!
TAMBERLY (enters) What is going on? (to Jason) What is wrong with you? Get out of here. Just get out!
ISAAC I haven’t seen my family since. My sons are afraid of me, and my wife wants a divorce.
18 WOMEN’S STORIES OF THEIR MEN RETURNING (Svenja)
TAMBERLY Every day is the same. Since he came back, every part of my life has gotten predictable: everything but him. He is no longer the person he was before the war. We were happy - things were not always easy, but at least I had him - my husband. Our children had a father. But now they barely see him any more. He’s never home.
LAUREN He works all day - even on the weekends. I think he works that hard so that he doesn’t have time to remember. And when he’s not at work, he spends his time with the other vets. He has no time or interest for family activities. We don’t see him any more. I don’t know who he is any more, all the joy and love for us - his family - all gone. I wish I knew how to help him.
SVENJA I don’t understand how everything changed so quickly? He was only gone for six months - not as long as most of the other men. And they’ve picked themselves up. Yes, he found a job, but the pay isn’t great so I have to work too. And I have the house to look after - he doesn’t do anything at home. He hardly talks, and just sits around. If he would at least go back to seeing his friends - but he doesn’t seem to have any friends any more. He has nothing more than his haunting memories. I do my best to keep everything going, but I’m so lonely.
ABI He hardly sleeps, and when he does I can tell he’s having nightmares. We can never have a normal conversation. He’s always so tired, and stressed out, and aggressive. He’ll yell at me for no reason, and when he looks at me, I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never seen such anger. I’ve actually been afraid of my own husband. I try to get him to relax, to calm down, but it just seems to aggravate him. The only thing he ever talks about is going back.
SARAH My brother was always a lone wolf. Throughout high school he never really participated in family activities He really distanced himself from all of us. After he graduated, he went straight into the military. He was deployed to many places, and faced a lot of danger; and when he finally came home, he was different. The wars brought him closer to us. He was no longer distant. He was part of the family.
19 SWEET DREAMS (Hector)
ABI All we can truly hope for, once war has ended, is a lasting PEACE.
(A woman’s voice is heard offstage saying “You’d better get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow.” Karsen enters and tries to go to sleep. She’s tossing and turning)
KARSEN I can’t sleep. (She settles for a second or two, then sits up and her father enters)
SYLAR What’s happening sweetheart?
KARSEN I’m really nervous.
SYLAR You still have problems going to sleep when you’re nervous? And why are you nervous this time? (he sits next to her on the bed)
KARSEN Tomorrow is my wedding.
SYLAR Really? Is he a good guy?
KARSEN Yeah he is. We love each other a lot, but...I just wish you could to be there with me, holding my hand during this important step in my life...like you used to be...
SYLAR No one could ever love you as much as your old dad does…
KARSEN I miss you so much…
SYLAR Me too. There are so many things I wanted to say to you before I died, but I couldn’t. Your life is passing so fast. Remember to give the importance to things that deserve it. I want to apologise for all the mistakes I made as father, that I’m hoping you can forgive. I would like to have spent more time with you, but you must never forget that my last thoughts were about you. Can I hug you for a last time?
KARSEN Yes, but quick.
SYLAR Why?
KARSEN Because I’m going to wake up in a few minutes.
(They hug each other and she lays on the bed, while the father stands up and kisses her on the forehead)
SYLAR Sweet dreams. (He exits)
20 COURAGE (Karsen)
TAMBERLY The most important aspect of war is COURAGE,
SVENJA shown by each of the men and women who have fought for our country.
ABI We could never show how truly thankful we are for the people who risk
their lives to fight for our safety.
JASON No matter the outcome or the aftermath, they show unbreakable COURAGE.
LAUREN Today is a day to remember them.
SYLAR We are fortunate to live in a place like Canada.
DALLAS Our home is safe and secure.
ALL The true north strong and free.
SVENJA Canada is proud of the accomplishments made through COURAGE.
ISAAC We will strive for COURAGE in our daily life.
SYLAR In times of PEACE, CHAOS, DISCRIMINATION, DEVASTATION,
SACRIFICE, PROGRESS, FEAR and DEATH
ISAAC We thank them for their COURAGE.