The following drama is the brainchild of Mr. Tejas Perumanna (a.k.a Mr. Mohandas), a brilliant teacher, artist, director, dramatist, magician and a wonderful human being. The original script was in Malayalam which has been adapted into English with permission. Even though it won’t have the magic of the original, we try to present the message – the message we all need to learn.
The idea to the following skit came forward during the beginning of 2005 when news clippings showed mass graves in which people were buried all together due to the catastrophic tsunami of December 26, 2004. The following scene has such a mass grave, covered yet so very shallow. The rest is for all of you to make out…
(Scene1)
Bodies strewn around. A stench so unbearable that you need to walk through it with your nose covered. A dog eating flesh of humans. An old man walks in and looks around.
Man: (startled) You filthy dog! What do you think you are doing? How dare you eat the flesh of humans?
Dog: (laughing) You call them humans? Why do you call them human? Why oh why?
Man: What do you mean u dirty scavenger?
Dog: Why do you ask me? Ask yourself. Are you not human?
Man: What have we not done for the welfare of others? What have we humans not achieved?
Dog: Oh you’ve achieved a lot! A Lot! Welfare - schelfare! Think back. Look at how you are now and how u were then –
(Scene-2)
4 people lined on the left hand side of the stage. The dog changes its mask and puts on a black one. And then goes towards the people on the left hand side of the stage.
Dog: (holds one hand up and shouts) Tell me my brothers. Why have we gathered here?
L group: (in chorus) To protect our relegion.
Dog: What is our aim?
L group: Create unrest till the land is ours
Dog: And how shall we do that?
L group: We shall kill them others for the sake of our people.
Dog: Then go! Leave no one! Kill them all! Go!
The stage clears as everyone except the dog runs out
(Scene3)
4 people lined on the right hand side of the stage. The dog changes its mask and puts on a red one. And then goes towards the people on the right hand side of the stage.
Dog: My people, them others threaten us! We need to react!
R group: Indeed we will
Dog: We’ve had enough of the atrocities!
R group: More than enough!
Dog: How shall we suppress them?
R group: We shall kill them for the sake of our people!
Dog: Then go! Let them be punished!! Kill them all! Go!
The stage clears as everyone except the dog runs out
(Scene 4)
Dog comes forward and changes the mask again. The two groups clash behind the dog. The dog laughs while the people behind him start killing each other until no one is left alive
(Scene 5)
Back to present. The old man walks up to the dog and the dog is still laughing.
Dog: So, do you remember now?
Man: Yes I remember. I remember everything
Dog: And you call them humans?
Man: No! No! They’re worse than…
Dog: Ah yes! Then, they were waiting to get at each others necks. Now look, how peaceful they are, all warm and cuddled up. No caste, no creed, no religion, no life.
Man: (holding the collar of one of the dead bodies lying on the ground) Why did you do this? Why? Why?
Dog: No use crying now and shouting to lifeless souls. Nature has itself taken them away. Do your change now, lest you don’t want to cry later. Now let me get back to where I was.
(Dog starts eating on the human flesh again. The old man walks forward. Looks up at the sky)
Man: (puts both his hands on in the air) Yes, we’ve done wrong! Yes, we’ve sinned! Forgive us, oh Lord!!
1 comment:
its profound
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