NEW PLAY: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE.

 "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

 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....

FIVE QUESTIONS:

 FIVE QUESTIONS: TOPIC FOR INTERVIEW

(TO BE INCLUDED IN THE INTERVIEW)

INTERVIEW" A.K.A. PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE

" 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)