I was extremely happy with this stimulus, as I thought it had amazing potential, for a moving, controversial and highly entertaining piece of theatre. Topical, and heart rending, this article gave us amazing scope and a wide variety of approaches to explore. Our group first decided to do some research on the One Child Rule, as we thought it vital to portray this piece of theatre, which is of course based on truth, entirely accurately, so as to highlight the plight of these children, and because the truth in this case can be the key to a highly emotive piece of theatre. Our group discovered that the One Child Rule meant that if a family has more than one child, then they receive less state benefits such as free education. After discussing this, we decided not to make the One Child Rule an issue, partly because of the casting problems where, we did not have enough people to cater for that scenario, and partly because we felt that the fact that a family couldn’t afford to have any children at all was an extremely important issue, which could be communicated to the audience to create an equally poignant piece of theatre as a case where the family couldn’t afford a second child due to the One Child Rule.
After brainstorming ideas about how to increase empathy and the understanding of characters in this situation, we decided it would be useful for each member of the group to go for 5 minutes and think up a character who live in poverty do desperate they can’t have a child. To help us understand how we would feel in this situation, we used hot seating to help us be able to think like our chosen character automatically when asking questions. It also helped me when I was asking the questions, as I could understand new points about living in poverty I had overlooked before from the person in the hot seat.
We hot seated several characters, including the father and mother of the baby. We found that the father of the baby was more in favour of abandoning their baby, than the mother was. He wanted to protect what (few) assets they had. The mother on the other hand, was more reluctant to give up the baby, although she did accept that they wouldn’t be able to care for her properly. This gave us the idea that later on in life the baby’s family could come into some money, and the mother, seeing as how now they could afford to keep the child, would set to find her child and bring her back into her life.
After hot seating we decided that we had enough character ideas to begin casting for our idea. Our idea was that a poor couple in China hadn’t the money to start a family, so they abandoned their baby. The baby was taken to an orphanage, where another Chinese family who later moved to England adopted her. The poor Chinese couple then came into some money when a distant relative left them money in their will. The mother of the child was then determined to find her daughter and bring her “home,” as they could now afford to bring her up. The father was more sceptical and pointed out the difficulties in finding her. His views were more balanced and practical, where as the mothers will was clouded by maternal instincts and stubborn determination. The mother (Annabel) then makes it clear to the father (Charles) that she is going to find her daughter with or without his help, and subsequently gets a job in the orphanage where Annie (the abandoned baby) was found, in order to acquire information about her whereabouts.
As there were many different climaxes and emotions in our piece of theatre, we decided to use role-play, freeze frame and thoughts aloud in unison. We would have a role-play going between some of the characters. For example, one group member would give a scenario, e.g. “You have just abandoned your baby and are arguing about whether it was the right decision.” The characters cast as the biological mother and father would then start the role-play. At one point a group member would say: “stop.” This would usually happen at a climax or poignant moment. Then, the actors would freeze in a still image. This would allow the rest of the group to analyse both language and facial expressions Role-play also allowed us to generate and explore ideas. The actors would then give a thoughts-aloud, which would help them to perfect their characters mindset and views. One of the scenarios we had was a possible scene after the family had abandoned the baby. This produced many new ideas, such as the fact that the mother accused the father of not really wanting the baby, and the father claiming that the mother had become deranged and obsessed with having a child. The thoughts aloud revealed the character’s inner feelings well, telling us that there were problems in that relationship, as there were two very different opinions about what to do, the father wanting to move on and forget, while the mother already making mental plans about how to get her baby back, and not accepting that she’ll probably never see her child again.
Development Phase
Mr. Lee giving a monologue after having his two children run away and his wife leaving him following the arrival of Annie’s biological parents. Centre stage with an empty settee in the background, highlighting the fact he has lost everything. Spot light on him, with slight back lighting to allow the settee to be seen. He is dishevelled with baggy eyes and should show signs of being slightly drunk.
Mr. Lee: I loved my family. I would have done anything to keep them from harm. Now they all hate me. All tried to do was give them everything I could. Rachel had the latest clothes, I helped Annie with her homework whenever I could, a Susannah didn’t want for anything. (Slumps onto settee, spotlight should follow to provide extra light for that area, as we now want the coffee table to be seen in front of the settee. It has a bottle of alcohol, a cup and a bottle of tablets.) How could it have all gone wrong? (Pause. Rubs both hands through hair, and has a desperately sad expression on face and has difficulty speaking) Was I really that bad? I suppose I must have been. My own kids. (Shakes Head) They hated me so much; they didn’t want to see me again? They hated me so much that they ran away without even saying where they had gone. I’d never been away from those kids for more than a day since they were born. Now I haven’t seen them in over two weeks. (Pause and some light sobbing to demonstrate just how sad he actually is) Susannah, well, she said I should have told Annie a long time ago. Blamed me for the fact she ran away. She could never have done it, so why did she expect me to? I know I should have, I just couldn’t do it. I’d look into her big brown eyes and…and I couldn’t do it. It broke my heart to know that she was living a lie. (Pause as he pours himself some drink and downs it expressing its strength with facial expressions) I suppose it was my fault… I was selfish. It wasn’t her I was protecting was it? I was protecting myself. I didn’t want my family to break apart. Didn’t care about Annie’s right to know. How weak is that? I couldn’t tell the girl, I allowed her to be unaware. It was my fault the shock hurt so much when she found out. It was my fault she left (sobs and drinks more) couldn’t cope after she went. Went to pieces. Didn’t even talk to Susannah didn’t reassure her, comfort her. And now I wonder why she left me? It’s only been two weeks Annie and Rachel left. Seems like two years. How foolish could I have been? All my life I’ve looked after number one. Yes I loved the kids, and yes I provided for them, but was it because I wanted to or was it because I felt I had too? Was it to make myself feel good? Like I was a good father? (Snorts and then sobs) Great bloody father I am aren’t I? (Long pause while he drinks more) Well, I don’t suppose I could change now. Far to “weak” for that. (Picks up tablets) It would just be carrying on a trend that’s been at the centre of my life. Selfishness. The easy way out. Just a bottle of small disks made of compressed powder. That’d do the trick. Relieve all of this. Hmph it’d give Susannah a chance to dance on my grave and the kids too (Stops and sobs) If they ever came back. (Turns to the audience and then to the bottle. Quickly unscrews cap and swallows 3 handfuls of the tablets each with a mouthful of alcohol, and finishes it off by drinking the rest of the bottle from the bottle)
The character should speak with an air of self-pity, and should come across as a weak man, defeatist man who cannot bounce back from depression. He should do this by asking the questions like “I wasn’t that bad was I,” with a small quite voice and a hurt expression to draw sympathy from his listeners. He should also use power and pace effectively. His voice should be quiet throughout, as he is a broken man, and wants to come across as vulnerable and fragile as if seeking support. He is also trying to justify his being a bad father and husband t himself. That is why when he faces up to the fact, he is so defeatist and chooses the “easy way out of Suicide.”
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How weak is that? I couldn’t tell the girl, I allowed her to be unaware. It was my fault the shock hurt so much when she found out. It was my fault she left (sobs and drinks more) couldn’t cope after she went. Went to pieces. Didn’t even talk to Susannah didn’t reassure her, comfort her. And now I wonder why she left me.
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This section of the speech is important, as the pace should quicken, because he is beginning to admit he is to blame, and he begins to berate himself.
