GHASSAN KANAFANI
A GREAT LATE PALESTINIAN WRITER.
"OPPRESIVE LONELINESS"
"CLOSED LIKE THE LINING OF SNAIL ARRESTED."
"INTROVERTED."
"THIS GAZA WAS MORE CRAMPED THAN THE MIND OF A SLEEPER IN THE TROTHES
OF A FEARFUL NIGHTMARE."
HIS NOVEL, MEN IN THE SUN.
"DEFEATIST
DESPAIR
PASSIVITY."
AL-MAKHDUN , A FILM BY TEWFIK SALEH?
"RUBBLE OF MEMORY."
"A LETTER FROM GAZA"
WELL BEING
HAIR:
BIOTIN
IRON
ZINC
FOLIC ACID
GENTLE SHAMPOO
AVOID BLOW DRYER
AVOID DYES
BRUSH GENTLY
BUY SOFTER HAIR BRUSH
FOOD WHICH HAS IRON
DRIED BEANS
DRIED FRUIT
APRICOT
PRUNES
RAISINS
EGGS
LEAN RED MEAT, LIVER, OYSTERS, SALON, TUNA, WHOLE GRAIN,IT C
POTATOES
STRAWBERRIES
TOMATOS
TOFU
MASSAGE HAIR WITH TEA TREE OIL,PUMPKIN SEED OIL
ROSEMARY OIL. BEFORE BED TIME.
AVOID EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STRESS BY DOING THINGS ENJOYABLE TO YOU
1:READ BOOKS
2: WRITE
3: DRAW
4: PERFORM
5: TRY TO BE SOCIAL
6: GO TO A PLACE YOU LIKE TO READ. ST AMBROISE...LAFYETTE
7: LIBERINE BOOK STORE ON 5TH AVE AND 80 ST.
8: MET
9: DISCOVER NEW AREAS, NEW PLACES TO GO TO
10: DRESS BETER
11: TRY TO BE HAPPY
12: DON'T TAKE THE TEASING SERIOUSLY
"PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE"
A NEW PLAY
BY
BINA SHARIF
copyright:binasharif 2023
STAGE:
THREE AREAS DEMARKTED BY LIGHTING, DOWNSTAGE, OTHERWISE EMPTY SPACE EXCEPT TWO CHAIRS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A TABLE IN THE MIDDLE WITH TWO MICROPHONES ON EACH SIDE, UPSTAGE LEFT.
Directions:
Lights going out, Music, (Arabic) coming on...30 seconds
Lights up, a woman standing, dim lightspot on her downstage right
TIME: PAST
The woman is holding a placard with words such as written on it: FIRST IRAQ WAR, 1991
(She begins to recite a war poem)
MY ONLY CHILD
(At the end of the poem, lights fade on her, Arabic music comes on. she moves to another area,
downstage center)
TIME : PAST
Music fades, lights up, focused spot, hazy, bluish, slightly golden light
(She picks up anpther placard with words, AFGHAN WAR, 2003
I AM SILENT (War poem)
(at the end of the poem, Arabic lament comes on, lights fade, she moves to downstage left with a placard
words written on it are: SECOND IRAQ WAR: 2003
TIME: PAST
I
POEM OF IQRA
(At the end of her poem, Arabic music comes on, lights fade, she moves upstage and sits down.
music plays for about 50 seconds.
TIME: PRESENT
INTERVIEW???
(A BRITISH TALK SHOW HOST JOINS HER UPSTAGE LEFT AND SITS DOWN ON ONE OF THE CHAIR AND ADJUST THE MIKE)
PAUL BARTLETT:
Thank you for joining me at the last minute on a short notice
MONA STEVENS
Thank you for having me. (To be written)
( At te end of the scene, lights fade, Paul leaves, music comes on...20 seconds, music fades, lights come up, Mona is still sitting at te same chair...)
TIME: PRESENT
HUMANITARIAN PAUSE
(lights fade, music comes on, music fades, James, ( both roles are being played by the same actor who previously played Paul) stands downstage center, special spot, bright light)
TIME: PRESENT
PEACE MONOLOGUE
(lights fade on James, a different character played by the same actor) music starts, plays for 30 seconds, Mona takes downstage center spot
TIME: PRESENT
MONA'S LAMENT FOR HER SISTER'S DEATH
(The monologue is interupted often by bursts of music, maybe Jhouk jaoon, or Allah's names, lights fade, she moves upstage left and sits. James join her at the table upstage left.
TIME: PRESENT
THIS AND THAT
JAMES
MONA.
(Lights fade, music comes on, James leave, Mona goes back and sit down
MONA
TWO STATE SOLUTION
(James come and join Mona)
TIME: PRESENT
ANOTHER HAPPY DAY
(Lights fade, Paul leaves, Mona moves downstage center, spot light, music fades, lights up)
TIME: PRESENT
DIALOGUE, A.K.A. TO MY MEMORY A LETTER SENT
Mona stands still for a while, trying to open an imaginary door, trie again and again but hesitate at the same time, another woman, Didi comes on singing a lament like dirge and stand next to Mona.)
DIALOGUE:
END LINE, LET'S SLEEP, A LONG LASTING SLEEP, IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY.
(Lights fade, end of play)
END OF PLAY
LAST CHANCE
IT'S GETTING VERY LATE TO TELL YOU THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT
DECIDE
DECIDE ON THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WHAT THE SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT DAY IS GOING TO
BE...
IT'S GETTING DISASTEROUS AND ALMOST A SIN TO WASTE TIME ON NOTHING...
AND THERE IS SO MUCH NOTHINGNESS AROUND
ACTUALLY YOU HAVE SURROUNDED YORSELF WITH NOTHING
SUCH A SHAME
YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO DEAL WITH
AND THE STUBBORN REFUSAL EVERY MORNING TO AVOID REALITY AND DEAL WITH
NOTHING, THE WASTE WHICH YOU HAVE SURROUNDED YOURSELF WITH.
MAKE USE OF THE SINGING BIRDS. YOU HAVE TONS OF STUFF TO DEAL WITH,
NOW DEAL WITH IT.
TRY
TIME IS RUNNING OT
PERHAPS I CAN TRY TO HELP YOU ONE MORE TIME.
NUMBER ONE.
WITHOUT FAIL, UP AND GO TO LAFYETTE WITH THE COMPUTER
NUMBER TWO
CORRECT MISTAKES OF THE STUFF ON SINGING BIRDS STARTING FROM THE CURRENT.
NUMBER THREE.
YEAR BY YEAR DO THE CORRECTIONS
NUMBER FOUR:
PRINT AND BIND THAT YEAR OF STUFF WHICH HAS BEEN CORRECTED.
NUMBER FIVE.
CONTINUE CORRECTING THE NEXT YEAR'S STUFF
NUMBER SIX.
PRINT AND BIND.
CONTINUE THIS WORK TILL ALL EPISODES ARE CORRECTED, PRINTED, AND BOUND.
ANOTHER AREA:
MONDAY-FRIDAY DO THE ABOVE MENTIONED WORK
SATURDAY SUNDAY READ...
TWICE A MONTH ON SUNDAYS...CLEAN APT.
ANOTHER ISSUE.
SEE PLAYS
WRITE REVIEWS
PT
GELL INJECTIONS
BICYCLE
DIET
KEEP YOUR MIND OCCUPIED WITH STUFF WHICH IS BENEFICIAL TO YOU ....
ANOTHER AREA
WRITE THE PLAY WITHOUT WORRYING WHO IT WOULD ANNOY...'
DO THE PLAY JAN 2024
THATS ALL FOR NOW.
BE A GOOD PERSON, A SANE PERSON, A PERSON WITH INTEGRITY, A DECENT PERSON, A
PERSON LOYAL TO YOUR WORDS AND KEEP UP YOUR WORDS FROM NOW ON...
FORGET ABOUT WHAT YOU DIDN'T DO YESTERDAY OR DAY BEFORE OR YEAR BEFORE.
BEGIN FROM TOMOROW...
AFTER ALL TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY....
" INTERVIEW" A.K.A. PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
A NEW PLAY
BY
BINA SHARIF
OPENING THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
JAN 11-JAN 28 2024
SET
A BIG TABLE CENTER STAGE
TWO MICROPHONES ON OPPOSITE SIDES
TWO CHAIRS FACING THE MICROPHONES
SOUND:
DURING THE BLACK OUT THE RECITATION OF ALLAH'S NAME COME ON THE TAPE.
NOTE: THIS TAPE WILL BE HEARD OFTEN DURING THE PLAY.
SCENE ONE: (MAYBE?) ) ACTIVIST, FEMALE
IT'S AMAZING HOW SAD THEY HAVE MADE ME.
MUSIC: RECITATION OF ALLAH'S NAME.
(On a different side of the stage, a writing table, woman is sitting starring at some pieces of paper)
SECOND SCENE...(MAYBE?)
THE EMPTY PAGE
MUSIC...ALDAMMI FALESTINE)
SCENE THREE
STRESS...(With Kevin, Terry, person of conscience)
Music...(Recitation of Allah's names?)
SCENE FOUR
FEMALE:
EVERY NIGHT, I TELL MYSELF
MUSIC: YA DAMMI FALESTEEN
SCENE FIVE:
TIME: PRESENT
INTERVIEW:
MIDDLE EAST HISTORIAN AND WESTERN, BRITISH TALK SHOW HOST) TO BE WRITTEN
MUSIC: RECITATION OR SOME OTHER ARABIC MUSIC
SCENE 6
TIME: PRESENT
HUMANITARIAN PAUSE...(FEMALE)
OR
LET TE CHILDREN PLAY... PRESENT??? FUTURE
MUSIC: SOUND OF CHILDREN PLAYING AND LAUGHING...????
TIME: PRESENT
(ADD ANOTHER SCENE OF, THIS AND THAT, TE SECOND ONE...PLAY YOUR LIFE
RHYTHEM)
IRREGULAR THOUGHTS OF A MIND IRREGULAR
Everything in her life was as important as the excrushiating pain, especially the physical pain.When it finally passes, she doesn't want to remember it and when the feeling comes back to her, she immediately wants to forget it.It would be wasteful to completely dwell in it. That would continue the pain for the rest of her life. Won't it? She should treat all painful memories of her life like that enormous ache one must not dwell in.
---------------------------------------
When one writes, one is quiet. Isn't it?
When one writes, one is silently sitting down. Isn't it?
When one is writing, one is not running around desperatley to calm one's erratic thoughts. Isn't it?
-------------------------------
Listen to other's angst
Eyes and ears, the faculties given to you, use them.
Listen to other's angst.
Watch the oppressed, un-fortunate human beings and do something to ease their anguish.
Observe, watch, look.
Don't tell your story
It's been told a million times
Listen to the story of others
Other's who no one listen to.
Their story has never been written.
Write it down for them.
Never to be questioned
Only to be written
Write them on your own under your own privacy.
-------------------------------
Seeking for listners to hear his story.
No one around
No one is intersted
Hurried masses don't have a moment to hear his story
Every one who has a story should be a writer, not a talker
Be a writer
Write it all down
Don't seek audience
Don't seek sympathy
Don't expect sharing your thoughts with others
Sharing is understanding
No one has the time to really understand you and what you think
They insist on you being obediently paying attention to whatever they need to say to you
Write your thoughts down
Even if there is not a soul to read them
Put your thoughts on a piece of paper
Have a pen or a pencil and a cheapest posible note book to scribble any and all thoughts which are
occupying your soul.
Cheapest note book allows honesty
Very expensive note book will hinder your truth.
Money is a hurdle to the truth.
Go to the 99 cent store and get a notebook and you will be so free
and that freedom will refresh your
scribble.
Then go back to the 99 cent store and buy another note book
I hope you always have 99 cents in your pocket.
You will be lucky if you do.
Sit silently alone in a private space and write about whatever comes to you.
Don't talk to anyone on your way to that secret private space
reserved for your thoughts.
In-fact talk to no one, silence has much more soothing colors.
Be still and silent
Thougts need peace.
----------------------------
I want to awaken my faculties
My eyes and my ears.
They have been comatosed for eternity.
Amaze your listless faculties
and something amazing
has to happen to do that.
Not the usual nonsensical riff raff
Find something amazing to amaze your ears, your eyes.
See a beggar on the street and feel for him
See an oppressed person and try really hard
to free him from that oppression.
Let freedom breathe
Let dignity breathe
Let children play
Let children have no fear
Let children live
-----------------------------
Thank god after so much trauma, so much waste,
so much loss of time,
so much pain
The answer came to you.
Haven't you been looking for the answers for so long?
What's the point of a long,
lost search if some,
kind of an answer doesn't pay any attention to you?
I hope you will stick to those answers
sincerely and diligently.
----------------------------------
It's all absurd
Everything and everyone indulging in their intellectual pursuit
without any sense of respect for the truth.
So sad, that this is no longer a place,
for the expression of truth...
It has to be laced with lies
till it's face is completely hidden,
obliterated, eliminated.
------------------------------------
"Last year I didn't know what to do with myself for happiness."
Chekhov
'Always condescending about my authorship."
Chekhov
'The stress of painful memories, write it down."
Chekhov
"It was stupid, but it was good. It was fun. "
Chekhov
"No cheating clerk,
no faithless wife
has cheated as my fate has cheated."
Chekhov
