The Human and the Inhumane
The Human and the Inhumane
Narrator’s voice: How much do we know about the world we live in. How much we are interested in knowing about the world. It is high time that we admitted the naked reality about our own ignorance. Can we just sit in our cozy living room and weep staring at the unrealistic soaps? Can we look at the images flashed through the news channel about the plight of the bomb blast victims? When will our conscious awake? Form a sleepy indifferent ‘I don’t care’ attitude when will we speak out and say ‘I do care’.
This short stage presentation is not fictional. The characters you see here are real and they do exist around you. It is a humble effort to bring out to you certain truths. Maybe we are just putting forth certain questions. The answer to these questions can be difficult to find. To begin with at least let us ask some questions......
Characters
A mother – Middle aged
Two children – 8 -9 years old
Father – Middle aged
Scene one
(Early morning....a room somewhere in Bihar. It’s a room which has got a kitchen and few vessels are scattered here there. From the distant you can listen to a Hindi bhajan. As the light comes on the stage the figures sleeping on the floor become visible. Woman is the first one to get up. She is dressed up in a tattered sari. She ties up her loose hair and looks at the two sleeping children. Her face is filled with love and maternal care. She stretches her hand and runs her fingers through their hair. She pulls up the blanket and covers them properly. The blanket has got many holes in it. She looks to the other side and watches the man who is snoring loudly and gives an angry look at him. She gets up and looks at the stove. She checks whether something is there inside the earthen pot kept on the stove.Realising that it is empty she gives a groan ‘Hey Bhagavan’
Woman - ‘what should I do to end this misery’ my children (looking at them) what will I do? How will I fill your little stomach today? There is nothing to cook and the vessels have been empty for the past three days. Oh... bhagavan! I tried my best yesterday to get some food for you but nobody was ready to give me some grain. (She gets up and starts walking up and down muttering to her self ‘what I will do’ ‘what will I do...’)
(There is a movement in the floor and her husband is shown waking up from his sleep. He looks around and takes out a bottle which is empty and tries drinking from it. He tries again and again taking a gulp not realizing that it is empty. Finally he gives up and throws the bottle to one corner of the room. It lands with a sound, making his wife who all the while was standing in a corner, look at him)
Woman – So, moron, you are awake?
Man – (still in a tipsy state mumbles something which is not audible)
Woman – Are you not going to work today?
Man – work work work and drink drink drink.
Woman – I am going to the Jaminadar’s house to search for some work. I am leaving the children with you. Take care of them until I come back.
Man – yes yes take care of the children yes yes.
Woman leaves the scene after giving a final look at the children
Scene Two.
The children are shown playing in the room. A girl and a boy throwing a paper ball at each other. The man is not to be seen there.
Girl - Let’s stop playing, I am feeling hungry
Boy – Me too sister.
Girl – Where is our mother?
Boy - I didn’t see her today. I wonder where she has gone.
Girl – I know where our father will be
Boy – He is always there- in that shop - where they sell that brown color drink.
Girl - That is not what you think it is
Boy – What is it then?
Girl – It is called alcohol and people who consume it will be put to sleep
Boy – Let’s continue with our game, sister
Girl – yes
Scene three
Children are still playing.the man enters. He is moving in a zig-zaggy way, moving sideways not forward (typical gestures and postures of an alcoholic. Children are not aware of his presence they continue playing. He starts talking to himself (monologue)
Me - a father and a husband ha ha ha (laughs in a hysterical way) Pillar of the family, provider of warmth and comfort to my family. I am nothing... I don’t have anything.... the loving face of my wife and the smiling faces of my children frighten me. I want to escape ...escape... and for that (raises the bottle which is half-full) he is my friend. He is great. (Takes the bottle and keeps it on his head and shouts) ‘Hail my friend’ ‘Hail my friend’
Children stops playing the game and approach him with hesitant steps
Boy – ‘Father what are you drinking?’
Girl – ‘Father we are hungry’
Man – ‘Hunger- What is it? Tell me what it is? (Takes hold of them) I don’t know what hunger is?’
Children (in unison) – We are hungry father.
Man – ‘So both of you are hungry and I should do something about it. I will do what I am doing to myself. I will help you to forget your hunger. As a father I should make you happy’.
Children (in unison) – ‘How will that happen father? How can you do that father?
Man – ‘my friend will help you. He has helped me and will help you’.
Children (in unison) – Who is your friend? Father
Man–Raises the bottle and keeps it in his head. He takes two glasses and pours some brown liquid into them. He gives it to his children who drink it with great difficulty. He drinks what is left in the bottle and starts singing a song
What does a poor man own in his life?
He is the proud owner of the tears of his wife
Hunger and disease are his brethren
There is no escape from this burden
The scene ends with the man and children sleeping. Woman enters looks at them and joins them in the sleep. (Fade out)
Narrator’s voice – Who is to blame for the condition of this family. Mother/Father/society or you. The answer is still to be found.
Narrator’s voice: How much do we know about the world we live in. How much we are interested in knowing about the world. It is high time that we admitted the naked reality about our own ignorance. Can we just sit in our cozy living room and weep staring at the unrealistic soaps? Can we look at the images flashed through the news channel about the plight of the bomb blast victims? When will our conscious awake? Form a sleepy indifferent ‘I don’t care’ attitude when will we speak out and say ‘I do care’.
This short stage presentation is not fictional. The characters you see here are real and they do exist around you. It is a humble effort to bring out to you certain truths. Maybe we are just putting forth certain questions. The answer to these questions can be difficult to find. To begin with at least let us ask some questions......
Characters
A mother – Middle aged
Two children – 8 -9 years old
Father – Middle aged
Scene one
(Early morning....a room somewhere in Bihar. It’s a room which has got a kitchen and few vessels are scattered here there. From the distant you can listen to a Hindi bhajan. As the light comes on the stage the figures sleeping on the floor become visible. Woman is the first one to get up. She is dressed up in a tattered sari. She ties up her loose hair and looks at the two sleeping children. Her face is filled with love and maternal care. She stretches her hand and runs her fingers through their hair. She pulls up the blanket and covers them properly. The blanket has got many holes in it. She looks to the other side and watches the man who is snoring loudly and gives an angry look at him. She gets up and looks at the stove. She checks whether something is there inside the earthen pot kept on the stove.Realising that it is empty she gives a groan ‘Hey Bhagavan’
Woman - ‘what should I do to end this misery’ my children (looking at them) what will I do? How will I fill your little stomach today? There is nothing to cook and the vessels have been empty for the past three days. Oh... bhagavan! I tried my best yesterday to get some food for you but nobody was ready to give me some grain. (She gets up and starts walking up and down muttering to her self ‘what I will do’ ‘what will I do...’)
(There is a movement in the floor and her husband is shown waking up from his sleep. He looks around and takes out a bottle which is empty and tries drinking from it. He tries again and again taking a gulp not realizing that it is empty. Finally he gives up and throws the bottle to one corner of the room. It lands with a sound, making his wife who all the while was standing in a corner, look at him)
Woman – So, moron, you are awake?
Man – (still in a tipsy state mumbles something which is not audible)
Woman – Are you not going to work today?
Man – work work work and drink drink drink.
Woman – I am going to the Jaminadar’s house to search for some work. I am leaving the children with you. Take care of them until I come back.
Man – yes yes take care of the children yes yes.
Woman leaves the scene after giving a final look at the children
Scene Two.
The children are shown playing in the room. A girl and a boy throwing a paper ball at each other. The man is not to be seen there.
Girl - Let’s stop playing, I am feeling hungry
Boy – Me too sister.
Girl – Where is our mother?
Boy - I didn’t see her today. I wonder where she has gone.
Girl – I know where our father will be
Boy – He is always there- in that shop - where they sell that brown color drink.
Girl - That is not what you think it is
Boy – What is it then?
Girl – It is called alcohol and people who consume it will be put to sleep
Boy – Let’s continue with our game, sister
Girl – yes
Scene three
Children are still playing.the man enters. He is moving in a zig-zaggy way, moving sideways not forward (typical gestures and postures of an alcoholic. Children are not aware of his presence they continue playing. He starts talking to himself (monologue)
Me - a father and a husband ha ha ha (laughs in a hysterical way) Pillar of the family, provider of warmth and comfort to my family. I am nothing... I don’t have anything.... the loving face of my wife and the smiling faces of my children frighten me. I want to escape ...escape... and for that (raises the bottle which is half-full) he is my friend. He is great. (Takes the bottle and keeps it on his head and shouts) ‘Hail my friend’ ‘Hail my friend’
Children stops playing the game and approach him with hesitant steps
Boy – ‘Father what are you drinking?’
Girl – ‘Father we are hungry’
Man – ‘Hunger- What is it? Tell me what it is? (Takes hold of them) I don’t know what hunger is?’
Children (in unison) – We are hungry father.
Man – ‘So both of you are hungry and I should do something about it. I will do what I am doing to myself. I will help you to forget your hunger. As a father I should make you happy’.
Children (in unison) – ‘How will that happen father? How can you do that father?
Man – ‘my friend will help you. He has helped me and will help you’.
Children (in unison) – Who is your friend? Father
Man–Raises the bottle and keeps it in his head. He takes two glasses and pours some brown liquid into them. He gives it to his children who drink it with great difficulty. He drinks what is left in the bottle and starts singing a song
What does a poor man own in his life?
He is the proud owner of the tears of his wife
Hunger and disease are his brethren
There is no escape from this burden
The scene ends with the man and children sleeping. Woman enters looks at them and joins them in the sleep. (Fade out)
Narrator’s voice – Who is to blame for the condition of this family. Mother/Father/society or you. The answer is still to be found.
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