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)

IRREGULAR THOUGHTS OF A MIND, IRREGULAR

 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

Identity Politics

 Identity Politics

I was watching a debate about Identity politics in a session of Intelligence literary debates. After one hour or even more time spent on listening to the for and against experts something occured to me which has never happened before.

My conclusion about Identity, diversity, equality, merit, gender, religion, came to a bit more clarity, (my clarity for myself) was that any one, a person or a group or an institution who can because of their gender, identity, minority status can change your life for better is bullocks,

What need to be done by that indivudal who is part of the group in different part of boxes with different kind of labels stuck on the top will be helped by those institutions, And the reason is any institution or a group trying, (Falsly or honestly) is never going to help you.

Why would any one with great deal of advantages because of many factors would lend a helping hand

towards the downtrodden? The powerful have life long advantages (Color of skin, place of birth, education, class, means, connections, sense of superiority, status, money)  Any one with those extremely important life long advantages is going to help a person or a group who suffers from none of those self powering elements.

Now the question is, should the disadvantaged person wait for an eternity for things to change when his/her box will be opened and the label will be torn into pieces, for that fake promise of diversity and help?  Just forget about it, forget about it for ever. Do something, anything for your self to improve your life and your mental health and  develop a sense of superiority. You deserve it and don't allow a single soul ever to put you down or mock your belief.

Why a person of advantage will give away their advantage to a person of disadvantage? They can keep talking but never giving and why should they? Who gives their Jewels and mansions and status away?

Disadvantage in life is like real physical disability. A person with real physical disabilty is the one who has to go to the ones who are physically able and expert to help . For physiotherapy or accupuncture or whatever else instead of waiting for the ones physically fit running towards you to lift you up.

Advantages and disadvantages are exactly like that. Limping or marathon running.

So, the person with disadvantage (Inequality of all kinds) has to look for ways, different ways, look forsomething else and if that something else doesn't work, look for another area, if that doesn't work, look towards another direction...

Look and look again...keep looking, never stop, look on your own, think on your own, search on your own...you, yourself have the capacity to find advantages for your self with lots of hard work, struggle and perseverance.

No debate, with scholars getting a big check for and against, equality, identity, diversity is going to help you. After the intellectual fake debates,  they all go for champagne lunches and your disability, your  identity, the color of your skin and your source of income hasn't change at all.

Look and learn and do. Action, no matter how little the result might be a debate with your self and is the only promise which will help you. You, searching and searching and seeking and looking is the only decision  whichwill change your position in life. 

Rest is all promises, promises, promises...false promises neverthe less.

Now get up and take care of your disability...

You don't look the same, you don't sound the same, you have no capital, no connections, and the color of your skin is darker than the white skin and before I forget, i want to remind you, the religion you were

born with, practic or no practice is also one of the major cause of your disadvantage/disabilty in life especially when your religion is so widely hated.

One more thing which stands in your way of equality or for sure in-equality is your birth somewhere else.

Darling, wake up, you have so many disabilities/disadvantages and you are waiting for them to come to you because now there is a debate about diversity and equality and human rights...give me a break...

Just get up...and look...and search...and think...and imagine. change your self, not the panel members for these nonsensical so called, "Debates." "In favor or against."  What a ridiculous joke for the idiots.

You are not an idiot, are you? Don't wait for diversity, equality, justice of any kind. Go have a nice coffee

in a nice cafe. Isn't that better than the equality you have been begging for so long...so very long.

Get dressed, wear a bright lipstick, spray some perfume on and go and enjoy the coffee.

By the way take a book of"Flowers of Evil" by Charles Baudelaire and read his marvelous poem,

 "Invitation to a voyage."

DIALOGUE, A SHORT ONE ACT BY BINA SHARIF

 DIALOGUE, A SHORT ONE ACT BY BINA SHARIF: copyright:binasharif 2023

CHARACTERS: TWO FEMALES

ZULEKHA

INJSA

DIRECTIONS:

Dim lights, Injsa enters wearing a long black dress. She stands downstage center. 

She remains silent and still for a moment. Then she tries to open an imaginary door but can't.

The door is locked.

After a few moments, Zulekha enters, also wearing long black dress singing a lament like a kind of dirge.

She stands next to Injsa. They are both silent for a ew seconds. Then Zulekha speaks.

At the end of play, lights dim, Injsa sings, lights dim to black while Injsa still singing.

End of play

ZULEKHA:

DAYS AND NIGHTS OF KARIMA CONTINUES

 TWO

I like your new drawing

It's colorful

Very colorful.

I see, you have decided to do a play

BRAVA

What is it called?

Oh! I see...

It's called,

A WOMAN OF COLOR

I love it

Love the design

Fit the title

I am sure your costume would be amazingly colorful

Fially, the clothes you have in your closets will be of some use...

Now I understand why you were saving your clothes of  many color.

Magenta, gold, red. burgundy, color of the Nile blue, shocking pink, lavender

What a gathering of color would that be?

Can't wait...

Can't wait

Can't wait...

BRAVA, BRAVA, BRAVA KARIMA...

My words were not wasted

You listened

You paid heed

Thank you

Words must not be wasted

Words are like, Time

Once wasted, gone for ever

Never comes back

And words uttered can't be put back into any mouth

Finished, done, done...

"DONE AND DUSTED." As the English say

Must learn from the English

Winners must always be the model of success...

Did they helped you with your title? 

"A WOMAN OF COLOR?"

Or it's your own creation?

My own creation

No influence of the English?

Don't think so...

Maybe of the new world, the free world...

They love to assign titles ...

I don't mind.

I love it...

IT'S A GREAT TITLE.

COLORFUL

ONLY A COLORFUL PERSON WILL THINK OF THIS KIND OF A TITLE...

CONGRATULATIONS

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE SHOW.

DAYS AND NIGHTS OF KARIMA ULLAH

 "DAYS AND NIGHTS OF KARIMA ULLAH"

ONE: 

I have to do exactly what I did before.

I have to live exactly how I lived before

I was happy...just like the wind blowing

I was happy before...

Now I am too much into the past

Past and its mistakes, regrets, anger, fury

about myself and about everyone else.

I have to let go

Just to the wind.

Let it be blown away

Let it disperse into the universe,

No matter how angry the universe maybe?

That's my only object

And yes, universe is also an object,

The object which can handle the fury, the rage, the anger, the pain, the misery,

The regrets, the mistakes made, hurts, suffereing, all the heart aches...

Let it go and let go.

It's all very toxic

You are putting too much toxic elements than need

You are hurting your body with toxic stuff

It's seeping through your soul

Into your bones

Into your brain

Yes, into your brain

You are becoming crazier by the minute

Put a stop to it now

Just full stop.

Period.

Enough

Some time enough is enough.

Blow it out in the wind...

With the present state of affairs

You can't absorb

Can't swallow...

Enough

Enough torture.

You are an artist

Arn't you?

I think you are

You told me so

You told everyone that you are an artist

Now live like one

You are living like a house wife

Not even a fabulous house wife

But an ordinary angry miserable house wife

Happy house wives love to cook

Love to clean

Love to cater to the husband

Do the laundry

Keep the home immaculately clean

Dust the books regularly

Polish the furniture

Polish the china

You don't do that

No, not at all.

But still you have decided to live like one who does all that.

No house hold chores, no house wife, my dear Karima

And the biggest sadness is that you have stopped being an artist.

Artists create

Artists are supposed to be liberal

Artists are supposed to be sensitive

Artists are supposed to be vulnerable

Artists throw their fury in their work work.

Their sense of being and their sense of not being, 

They  still make something out of it...all that despair

Goes into some form of a birth, birth of creation.

But you are creating fury and anger into complaints

About everything right into your boring kitchen without every cooking...

Or on the shitty phone three times a day to a different person

A famiy memeber maybe...

They are not interested listening to your complaints

No matter how just they may be...

What's the benefit?

What do you achieve out of all that?

NOTHING. A BIG NOTHING

Except the guilt and headache you feel afterward

Turn that headache into a painting

"A miserable person having a big headache..."

That will be something

People will rave about it

Now everyone avoid you

Don't complain

Paint...

Literal headche...

Migrain, may be?

"My head hurts."

You often say out loud.

Put your headache into art

Some kind of art

Any kind of art

Or stop calling yourself an artist.

Your conversations on the phone are repetitive

No one is interested in the same complaint of the Century

Your cnversations are one sided

No one is listening

No one  is on the other sid of the line

You are hallucinating

No one is listening to you

Stop it

Stop talking

Stop talking to anyone and everyone

Be aloof, indifferent, less sensitive but polite...

That works

Politeness always works.

Learn from the English

The most polite people on the planet

You are very important

And you have lots of talent

And you have very little time

Don't indulge in nonsense

Don't be so open, friendly, social...

Just be polite and sophisticated

And do your art

All alone by yourself

Your own privacy is of utmost iportance

You did it before

You can do it again...

Be aware of everything.

Be reserve

Always

Don't talk

Write...

Winning strategy...

Create something

Anything

That's your only function

You did it before

You fullfilled your creative instincts

You can do it again

Arn't you tired by the one sided rant every day?

The same nonsense of the hour, of the week, of the month

Arn'tyou tired?

Arn't you embarrased?

Arn'tyou sad ?

That you abandoned your great ability to create?

It's sad, so sad...

You got the talent

God given

Don't waste it...

Do what you did before

What you loved before...

Cherished before...

Go back to it...

Before it leaves you

The gift I mean

The talent I mean

Don't annoy your gods...

Thank them...

Buy some colors and splash them on a canvass

Buy a pen and scribble something on a piece of paper

Understand your function in life

No one understand you

But you must understand your self

Your function...

Your function is to create...

For your own benefit

For your own joy

For your own pleasure

For your own laughter

Which comes with a sense of accomplishment of doing what you love

Have you stopped loving your artistic ability?

Please don't say you have

I will be so sad

So very sad...

Be above all silly, useless headaches

Be above it

Be above it all

Be classy

Be educated

Be sophisticated

Be forgiving

Forgive everything

Forgive everyone

Forgive yourself

Yes, the most important

FORGIVE YOURSELF

FORGIVE AND FORGET.

You have thought about it many times before but haven't forgiven yourself

Do that today

Right now...

Promise that you will end this devastatingly wasteful activity today

Right now...

It's getting out of control

It will soon go so far away that it will be beyond your control

Watch it

Its dangerous

All the positive energy and instincts going into a basket of waste...

Avoid at all times this kind of behavior...

Bad for your health

Your soul

Your spirit

your well being

 

Respect the soul of an artist

And you are an artist

Say that you are an artist

Say that you are still an artist

You were once an artist

I know that

I saw your art

It was very good

You know that much at least

That you art was very sensitive, very informitive, very unique...

Save your soul

Save your spirtuality

Your art was very spirtual

It had movement

Movements, forward moving movement.

It had joy, grief, pain, pleasure, humor

Humor, the most important element in any kind of serious art...

Humor takes care of the tragic aspect of the art

And you had lots of tragic element in your art

You had a tragic life

and you dealt it with humor

Not many people are blessed wth that abilitity

With that sensitivity

You were blessed

Bring it back

You are still blessed

Bring it back,

That vulnerbilityof pain, loss and times gone by...

Try to be like yourself, like you were before 

You were happy beside your pain

You were creating something out of your loss

You were happy with and beside your loss

Inevitable loss....

That was the only difference between then and now

Now you just have pain and tremendous sense of loss

But you are not putting it into any form of creativity

That's a shame

Such wasste of precious instincts...

Every other superficial definition was the same in the past

Career, money, distance...

All was the same...

Neighborhood was the same

Apt was the same

But you were different

You kept creating

Under all odds

All those elements of obstruction were the same

What's so new that is bothering you that you stopped your art?

No new change in the circumstances

But for sure a huge change in you

And time is passing

Soon the time will stop

It won't exist any more...

It will just stop

And you will be no more....

Before that happens

Just bring your passion back

Forget about everyone else's problems

Problems which bothers you.

Problems which you think about

Without really understanding what their problem is...

You are not a psychiatrist...

And their problems should stay with them...

They shouldn't bother you...

You don't know their past lives...

Every one has a past

Every one has a problem

Don't make them yours

Thats all....

You don't know people so intimately

You don't even know your relatives intimately...

Your sophistication demand that you must have only formal contact

Formal polite relationship

No complaints, none...

No accusations, no impolite conversation of the past

Past is past

It's gone for ever

Watch out

Don't let your ability to create like you did before evaporate

And that's happening rapidly...

Under all odds and under all pressures

You shoul be sophisticated in all your encounters

With starangers and loved ones...

Don't hurt any one's feelings because once they hurt you...

All gone, all finished...

Get out of the trap you created for yourself Karima

Get out of the trap...

Its a very deep well

Which will swallow you...

Be careful

Please be careful at all occasions

At all occasions, I said

Be aware of it...

Be aware of it at all times...

Be aware...

That you are still an artist

Like you were before

Do what you did before...

Be who you were before...

I don't like the new you...

I want you to laugh with happiness

With joy

With a sense of accomplishment after the end of the day

When you finish a piece of writing, finish a poem.

Finish a drawing...

Rest is all a waste...

Don't waste yourself

You are too precious to be suddenly wasted.

Be what you were before

An artist

Who created day and night

Day and night, Karima

You created for years

During your days

During your nights

Bring those days of Karima back

Bring those nights of Karima back....