And just like that, we wrote a play

An experiential blog by Aurelie Harp & Marian Rich

Read, feel, listen, dance… and come create with us.

Next playground: July 2nd from 6.30-8.00pm on zoom. Register here.

Conflict is at the roots of all drama and the driving force for the actors in the story. In a scene, you have two characters coming together and they don’t have the same need and they both want something from each other or from life. The conflict comes from how - if they don’t get what they want - they are at risk of not fulfilling their human needs.

Like the Rolling Stones’ song says:

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well, you might find
You get what you need.

Our human needs are what is at stake here; the higher the stakes, the higher the tensions and emotional responses. In a bizarre magical way, it’s in those emotional conflict moments or zones that characters have a chance to grow and learn as humans; and we the audience, to connect to our humanity. The collective experience is often cathartic and therapeutic. And so it goes in life. Theater is therapeutic and collective creativity is at the core of human development.

Writing a play is playing with conflicts and that is what we did in our Creative Playground.

So now imagine this: a group coming together, eyes closed, responding to a simple question - What do I want to tell the group about me?

I want the group to know it’s my birthday… I want the group to know I did not really feel like coming today but I wanted to celebrate your birthday… I wanted the group to know that I’m a mess and I don’t know how but I’m here and I trust the process.

Think and write down something conflicting about you, your emotional and/or life struggles.

Watching everyone seriously playing, reflecting and going through their own struggles. Marian says: “I looked up and it was very beautiful to see everybody writing. There was something so beautiful about it. I think because we all love creativity so much.”

Now think and write down something conflicting in the world.

We are in this together. We don’t know where we go and we are going anyway. We continue writing.

Now think and write down a decisive moment of conflict in your life.

And everyone is back at thinking, writing down, frowning, frowning more and looking around.

Now, we are going to write a ONE MINUTE PLAY.

Wait? WHAT? Huh, what do you mean?

Imagine a scene of conflict with two “imaginary” characters.

Fill up one side of a page in one minute. Write #1 opening line and write what #2 might say in return. Fill the page with alternating lines of dialogue between #1 and #2. Don't worry about how interesting it is or if the dialogue makes sense — just keep a conversation going.

What an impossible ask and task. And we do it anyway.

Miriam:    Oh shit!  Look at those unruly protestors blocking the quad.

Maryam:  Unruly? Well, I don’t think so.  They’re only expressing their given rights to voice their opinion.

Miriam:     But look at those provocative signs they’re carrying!

Maryam:  What?  Israel, get out of Gaza!   Palestine needs to be free!  From the river to the sea!

Miriam:    Yes…From the river to the sea is asking for the total destruction of Israel.

Maryam:   No, Miriam.  It just means that everyone in Palestine and Israel needs to have freedom from the river to the sea. And in this country, everyone has a right protest.

Miriam:   Protest, yes. But most Jewish people find these slogans very threatening.

Maryam: I suppose you’re right. But being from Egypt, I can tell you that the Palestinians in Israel are treated not like second class citizens, but third-class citizens.  They only want to have their legitimate rights.

Miriam:     Okay…But what about October 7th?  Have you forgotten about that? Young innocent people celebrating at a music concert … beaten, raped, slaughtered, and kidnapped by Hamas.  It’s now 7 months later and most of the hostages are still somewhere in Gaza.

Maryam:   I watch the news…read the newspaper.  But it didn’t happen out of a vacuum.  It probably started at least 20 years ago, when Israel invaded Gaza and killed many of their parents. 

Miriam:     What are you saying?

Maryam:   I’m saying the roots of this conflict are very deep.  There’s a lot of history behind it. 

Miriam:     Well, I was told that the Arabs rejected a two-state solution in 1948.

Maryam:  It’s not that simple.  Do you know that the Arabs were offered inferior land and so many of them were tortured to leave…and others simply killed.

Miriam:     Actually, I didn’t learn much about that.

Maryam:   Miriam, you're my good friend and I think you’re very intelligent.  Why don’t you go on YouTube or Netflix and watch some documentaries about that era.  You might be very surprised.

Miriam:     You’ve piqued my interest a bit, not that I think I’ll feel any differently But I will check out those documentaries.  You know, I am majoring in World History.

Maryam:   And Miriam, you know, you’re still my best friend at Columbia.

#1: I’m sorry I don’t have any change.

#2: I smile at you and ask how you are and you tell me you don’t have change?

#1: i’m sorry I thought you were a homless person.

#2: I am and so what!? Can you answer my question: how are you?

#1: How am I? oh my! When now or in life in general?

#2: Now. In life, just answer the question!

#1: I am… I am…I am confused. I don’t know. I’m lost, alone, nut not alone. I don’t know.  I’m happy. I came here, to NYC, finally, after all these years And, and, and… but I left home. I miss home. I feel I want a home. What about you?

#2: Me too. … Do you have change?

Marni - If you walk out of here now, I can’t be your sister anymore!!

Abbie - Oh I see, you’re in charge of our family now? Give me Mom’s car, you promised!!

Marni - Can we talk about this after I get Dad settled at the nursing home?

Abbie - Fuck you! It’s always about you and what you need.

Marni - You're out of your mind. All I need is what Dad needs now that Mom is dead. Who cares about a car?

Abbie - Easy for you to say with your smug [speaks in phony voice/bad imitation of Marni] “all I need is what Dad needs…”

Marni - Why must we constantly fight?

Disheveled guy says something to Lilac in German that sounds like Ich Heisen berg...

Lilac - Excuse me. I'm sorry but I 

Guy interrupts her - But I, but I [speaks annoyed and in an heavy accent]... Americans!

Lilac - For your information I am not American, and why are you reaching out to my Mozart's balls?

Guy - These are my Mozart's balls. You know! You promised them to me.

Lilac can't recognize his face under the messy beard, but she'd always recognize the grey-blue eyes, like cloudy skies filled with tenderness.

Guy whispers softly - What took you so long?

Brother (B): So how is she doing?

Sister (S): Humm

B: how is it going?

S: Humm. Good. They’re doing great. The music career is in a good place

B: Ach! You know I can’t do it at my age. I’m just not going to do it. you understand don’t you?

S: Sure but I’m not sure how they would feel about it. I think they, your niece but wait, I think they call it a niebling. That’s a non gender word. I think the they/them pronouns are important to them.

B: Jesus nibling, good god, Sis. I just can’t. Comm’on sis! She would not give me a hard time right?!

S: Humm, I mean… No, she/they might. I don’t know.

B: Ah this crazy shit with these kids today.

S: Humm… well, here is a picture of them. Recent. Look, they’re still my girl, right Ray? Don’t you think? I mean they kindda look of masculine.

B: She’s still your daughter. She always will be.

S: Well, They  always will be. She/ They, I don’t know. It’s hard, it’s always hard Ray.

B: Why is it hard. It’s all this crazy woke bullshit Sis.

GOD:  Did you see how massive that thing is hurling down towards the Earth?!!!!

DEVIL:  Yes,and I vote we explode the HELL out of it before it gets here! Pun intended....

GOD:  Wait! Wait!  Not so fast   ----  destruction is not always best....

DEVIL:  WHY, on EARTH, did they put the two of us together to figure out the fate of the Universe...we are diametrically opposed!

GOD:  Diametrically?...did you say, Diameter-ic-ally?!!!

DEVIL:  Damn! Are you hard of hearing, G.?   You know,  I just may be more powerful than you...!!!

GOD: You may be, but that is of no consequence.

DEVIL:  What do you mean, G.?  "No consequence"

GOD:  Well, did you realize all this is happening here,  where we are, in Truth Or Consequences, Wyoming!?

————-
We shared our responses.

”Emotional, messy and beautiful to write, perform, hear everybody’s play.”

“Everybody had something that spoke to me and we could suddenly see all the characters and scenes.”

“We were building what was becoming. Now we’re thinking in dialogues.”

“Imagination and life experience are intertwined.”

“We believe in the process. We personally created collectively.”

“We are transformed. We tapped into our human power.”

Thank you Rachelle, Patti, Tilla, Denise, Elen and everyone in the Playground.

Power to our creativity.

With love,

Happy birthday!

Aurelie and Marian