Rehearsal for Scenes

Sorry about the words that appear in the middle. hahaha used this software to compress the video files :)

Hey guys,
Check out this interview with Haresh Sharma.

http://www.fifo.sg/post/show/126

http://kadmusarts.com/forum/index.php?topic=1366.0

http://www.inkpotreviews.com/2007reviews/1107,good,kk.xml ** read this

Info about Necessary Stage: http://www.necessary.org/#/company/

Some questions for thought? :)

• Is it really bad to take drugs if it’s for a good cause, e.g. to make those last days of life for the dying all that more bearable and dignified?

• Is it still murder when the murderer requests for it (isn’t it more like a kind of assisted suicide)?

• Who decides how long one stays in a hospice for the dying and what happens if one, well, overstays one’s welcome?

• Why does anyone want to work in a hospice anyway when all you see everyday are dying and dead people?

• Does the death penalty matter when one is dying soon anyway?

• What is religion and how does it influence our actions?

• Why does one pray and how often should one do it?

In a sense, this play is about asking questions rather than feeding answers.

Introduction (Synopsis) - 2 mins

First activity:

Morality versus Law (adapted Act II Scene II)

The activity would be the facilitator will engage the participants in a dialogue about the issues in the section of the play that they have just seen.

Second activity:

"Forum Theatre" style

Facilitators will act out the scene once. Then the participants will be asked to "affect" the scene that they have just watched by either suggesting different dialogue or taking on the roles themselves. Miguel's character will be a constant. Participants will only assume the role of Radha and Yati. Sharon and Ely will take notes of how the participants interpreted and changed the play.

Short powerpoint presentation on the themes discussed in the play. Followed by the presentation on TNS.

Synopsis

Act I

A patient who has been diagnosed with cancer, Radha, and is being brought to a hospice that is being run by a stoic doctor, Miguel. She is taken care by a nurse named Yati. As colleagues, Miguel and Yati do not see eye to eye. Yati disagrees with the way Miguel runs the hospice, preferring Sister Dolores'(her previous boss) way over his while Miguel on the other hand, is unhappy about Yati's negative work attitude as well as the fact that being a Muslim, she is required to pray 5 times a day. To ease her pain, Radha smokes Marijuana that she has managed to obtain in the form of brownies. She is found by Yati at the koi pond but instead of telling on her, Yati sits with her and they share an intimate moment talking about their families.

Act II

The hospice later gets investigated for possession of marijuana and everyone in the hospice gets tested for marijuana in their bloodstream. Yati protests for Radha as she is already stricken with cancer but Miguel remains on the side of the law. Radha, Miguel and Yati are questioned about their involvement with the illegally gotten drug. Upon being brought back to the hospice, Radha makes a request to Miguel to euthanise her but Miguel opposes her request on the justification that it is murder, no matter the legalisation.

Act III

Radha surpasses her 3-month stay at the hospice and is told to leave, Yati bursts out at Miguel for not extending Radha's stay. Yati compares Miguels work etiquette with Sister Dolores', she leaves. One night, Yati finds Radha moaning in pain, Radha tries to leave but Yati stops her. She tries to help Radha feel better with laughter therapy but to no avail. She then makes a call for two sticks of marijuana and lets Radha smoke the drug in the prayer room while she prays and assures her that no one will know. However, they do not realise that Miguel is watching them. Yati leaves after her prayers and Miguel and Radha quarrel over her possession of the drug.

Act IV

Miguel gives a speech on the opening of the Children's Cancer Wing. Bobby dies. Yati resigns from the hospice. One morning, Radha, Miguel and Yati, sit in the garden talking about the charges Radha might face if she was found guilty for possession of marijuana. Radha gets charged with trafficking and is facing the death penalty. Radha and Miguel argue over rights of a person. Miguel claims that everything he has done for her is in her best interest while Radha simply wants her life to end so the suffering will stop. Radha sleeps, Miguel walks in. Leaving, Radha wakes up with a start and is gasping for breath. Slowly, she takes her last breath and dies.

Close.

Youtube videos on euthansia

Just some examples taken from youtube for thinking about?

Seminar plan

Hola guys! So here's an update of our seminar plan:

Introduction/hook activity (video on euthansia ) - do post up the links for suitable videos for use k? We try to limit this to 5 minutes maximum of video time?

Synopsis (to be done by Ely) - reading in class ( was thinking, we could have one narrator, and the two others to dramatise silently in the background) What say you all? Do comment

Remaining activity to be updated by Daryl :)
I've done up my part about the script for our acting. Will have to decide our parts soon so we can learn the lines ;)

Cheers,
Sharon

Morality versus Law (adapted from Act II Scene II)

Miguel: Our hospice was founded by Catholic nuns, but we open our arms, and doors to all races and religions. Your care is our utmost priority. We provide care, we practise sound medicine. We address all issues and create a positive environment. The purpose of medicine is foremost to relieve pain, not to save lives.

Radha: What do I think of when I wake up ?I get angry. Why did I have to wake up? Why did God let me live another day?

Miguel: Waking up… is a blessing. When I open my eyes and I see the sun shining, I know I have one full day to work, one full day to do something positive. Something I believe in.

R: It’s not easy to die. Even when you’re dying. You know you’re going to die. You feel it. Everyone tells you so. You want to die, but… you just can’t. Maybe tomorrow will be the day. Maybe tonight I’ll sleep and never wake up. And then night turns to day and you wake up. Still alive.

M: We give you a bed and a space. We sing songs together. We care for you, provide for you – at a subsidized cost may I add! Don’t think dying is a privilege. Think before you put other people’s future at risk because you don’t have one! Everything we do is for your best interest!

R: I want to die. I want to just die now! 3 months, 6 months, less than a year. Every doctor I’ve been to…but can you doctors tell me when? Can you tell me exactly when because …[slight pause] Miguel…if I have no right to ease my pain, then I beg you.. I beg you to please help me die. Give me Moksha…my final release…my final salvation.

M: Just as I can’t prolong your life…I also can’t hasten your death.

R: You can. I’ve read about it Miguel. I know, and you know, how it can be done. The law of double effect.

M: It is not our practice to hasten death in the service of treating pain. I know this is a hospice. But we have to believe in the natural process of death. As a doctor, the protection of life is –

R: – What life? Cancer is a karmic disease. Before you go, the cancer burns off the karma of your past lives. So that you can move on with a clean slate…finally obtain moksha…be liberated. Isn’t that wonderful? Please Miguel…accord me the dignity I deserve…not the humiliation I’m suffering.

Religion versus Secularism (Adapted from Act III Scene III & Act IV Scene II)

[Radha is in bed moaning in pain. Yati goes to Radha. Radha screams in pain. Pause. She touches Yati’s face. Pause. Yati goes to make a phone call.]

Y: Hello Ayam? It’s me, something urgent. I need it now. Two sticks. I know it’s last minute. That’s why I say its urgent bodoh! Make it a bit strong eh?! Come faster.

[Y goes to back to R who is shaking and moaning]

Y: It’s coming ok Radha? You can smoke in my prayer room. And then, and then we use the perfume spray and…and nobody will know.

[Y brings R to her prayer room, leaves to collect the joint. Y returns to pass Radha a joint. She puts on her prayer garb. She prays as radha smokes. Miguel enters, stands at the side and watches silently.]

R: Pray then. Pray not for me. But for goodness. Pray for integrity. Pray for an open mind…and an opera heart. Pray for two arms and two legs. Pray for what is right.

[Freezes]

[Y leaves room, and M walks towards R]

M: They might charge you with trafficking. Is that what you want? The death penalty?

R: I already have the death penalty. It’s called cancer.

M: Tell me. Where you get it from? Who send you the brownies with marijuana hidden inside?

R: God. The Gods used to take cannabis. It is a cultural symbol, and is even offered to Shiva. He is known for smoking marijuana. They even drink it. Bhang…made with cannabis leaves, milk, almonds, rose water… It’s consumed by the devotees so they can meditate, sing hymns, achieve a blissful state and be one with Shiva.

M: All those are myths from the past. These beliefs are pagan. You can’t use history as a defence. You can’t say oh the Vedas advocates use of drugs therefore I have a right to take drugs.

R: Marijuana is not a drug. It is a herb. It is my cultural right to consume this ancient herb. It is my divine right to continue this tradition of the Gods. OF MY GODS…I’m asking why the laws have changed. The rest of the world is talking about using marijuana for pain management, they’re talking about legalizing marijuana, and here it’s the death penalty! No questions asked.

M: Oh, so what do you propose? Legalise Marijuana? Make it available for all?

R: Yes…Everyone should have access to it if they want. YOUR religions may forbid it. And the religions of politicians may forbid it, but that’s your problem. Not mine.

M: This has nothing to do with religion. It’s pure and simple medicine. You want to bring respectability to marijuana consumption so that it can be acceptable.

R: Why can’t you admit that marijuana is the most effective pain relief for me? You are the doctor but this is my body. This is my body! Just because I prescribe my own drugs, I’m labeled an addict? You take away my freedom to die, you take away my freedom to self-meditate, and you say you are protecting me? So don’t say you were doing everything in my best interest because you weren’t!

[Freeze]

23/02/11

Seminar Outline:

Narration/Summary of "Good People"

Highlighting of key issues -

Morality vs Law - Act 2 Sc 1/Act 2 Sc 2

Secularism vs Religion - Act 3 Sc 3/Act 4 Sc 2

The Sea Inside (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369702/)

Religion

Whose religion is better?

Vision/mission of TNS

How the issues tie in with what TNS believes in

Performance of "Good People" -

Performance of selected scenes, then getting the class to identify the issues discussed in the scene

1st issue must lead into 2nd issue, questions asked are very important

Acting can be done in a circle

Discussion can be done in a debate style

Class experimentation? How?

The First.

Prior to our first meeting, we read the play Good People by Haresh Sharma and figured out some of the main issues/themes that surfaced as we were reading the play. The discussion was a concise and productive one as we had ideas in mind. Here are a list of themes which we have discussed:

• Perceptions of self/others
• Secularism vs. religion
  
• Morality vs. law
• Death penalty as corporal punishment
• Rigidity of system vs human compassion
  

These issues were built around the main idea of right or wrong being a case of relativity.

We have also embarked on an online diary to document our thought processes as we felt that this would be an interesting technological tool for collaborative work.

- Posted by Sharon