What We Did to Weinstein

Ryan Craig

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781840025811
• eBook ISBN: 9781849435840
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

NO! We can't change the subject! This is the subject! There is no other subject. Not for us.' Sickened by the everyday arguments and compromises he saw around him in his native London, the idealistic Josh has moved to Israel and joined the army. There, however, he finds himself in a situation with a Palestinian terror suspect which seems to challenge his most strongly held beliefs. Deftly cutting between different locations and time periods, Ryan Craig's play lets us see unexpected connections between disparate events, as well as bringing together people with apparently nothing in common. A wryly humerous, sometimes hilarious, look at a serious issue, What We Did To Weinstein moves between London life and the world of the intifada, creating a portrait of a society where idealism too easily becomes extremism and pragmatism hypocrisy.

ACT ONE

Scene 1

The stage should be fairly bare. Essentially it is a room which contains a bed, a table and some chairs and maybe a sort of side table, all of which can be moved. There should be a liquidity to the piece. Scenes should run into each other.

Lights up on JOSH, staring ahead in a holding cell. An army OFFICER in the Israeli Defence Force – mid-twenties, but confident and powerful, enters holding a file / dossier.

OFFICER: Let’s go over this report again. OK? So I can understand.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: Your unit was making an incursion into the West Bank.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: There was a dog fight and you became separated from your unit. Yes?

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: On the road from Qalqilya to Tulkarem, along the Green Line, you came across a lone man breaking the curfew. You captured him. You tied his hands. You blindfolded him and you requested he kneel. You followed the guidelines to the letter up till then, as always. Well done.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: You radioed in. You were given orders. Do you remember what they were?

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: You committed a serious breach, you know that, a serious offence.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: Help me to understand why you did it.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: (Smiles, changing tack.) I read that story you wrote.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: About your father.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: I found it interesting. I’d like to talk about it with you.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: I’d like to talk about what you meant by it.

JOSH looks at the OFFICER.

I’d like to talk about…if it has anything to do with what happened today.

JOSH looks confused.

If it has anything to do with…why you lost control.

JOSH: (Nothing.)

OFFICER: You see. We do care. We’re not total monsters.

OFFICER smiles. JOSH walks forward.

We’ll take things into consideration is what I’m saying, but you must, you absolutely must…talk to me.

Lights up a bit. We are now in a West London hospice. A room with an empty bed. This is JOSH thinking back and will happen throughout. The OFFICER steps back into the darkness, while YASMIN, a nurse, enters.

YASMIN: (Seeing JOSH.) Hello.

YASMIN opens the curtains in the room. During the next exchange she is busy bringing the bed forwards and arranging the room from cell to hospital room.

JOSH: I’m Josh.

YASMIN: Good for you.

JOSH: Uh…yeah, I’m looking for Max Pepper. They told me room 302.

YASMIN: This is 302.

JOSH: (Checks his watch.) It’s not easy to find is it?

YASMIN: Did you have trouble?

JOSH: I got a bit lost actually. It’s very poorly signposted isn’t it?

YASMIN: Well you’re here now and that’s the main thing.

JOSH: Where is he anyway? I’m on a tight schedule.

YASMIN: I think he’s revolting.

JOSH: What?

YASMIN: I think he’s…

JOSH: Look, I know he’s got some bad habits, but he’s an old man…

YASMIN: No. I mean as in ‘rising up in revolt’.

JOSH: Oh. Right. What?

YASMIN: He is a feisty one, isn’t he?

JOSH: Yes, yes he is, did you say he was ‘rising up in revolt’?

YASMIN: Oh he’s always at it, bless him. He incites the other residents to chant outside the manager’s office. How do you know him again?

JOSH: What?

YASMIN: He usually tells me about his friends.

JOSH: Is there anyone I can speak to?

YASMIN: Are you one of his poker school?

JOSH: No, I…look…poker school?

YASMIN: He didn’t mention a Josh though.

JOSH: Right.

YASMIN: I’m sure I would have remembered.

JOSH: He didn’t mention me?

YASMIN: I’ve read some of his books.

JOSH: Short stories.

YASMIN: Have you?

JOSH: It’s been a while to be honest.

YASMIN: Me too. I did them at school. Syllabus.

JOSH: I know.

YASMIN: He’s quite famous.

JOSH: (Looking outside.) Yeah, look is there anyone else I could speak to…

YASMIN: You know, I think he’s working on something at the moment. I often see him writing.

JOSH: (Back to YASMIN.) What?

YASMIN: I’ve never looked after a celebrity.

JOSH: Did you say he was writing?

YASMIN: I sometimes catch him scribbling away when I’m on nights. Oh, no, I don’t let him see me. I’ve got a theory, would you like to hear it?

JOSH: Yes. No. Look…

YASMIN: I think he’s writing his memoirs.

JOSH: (Beat.) His memoirs?

YASMIN: I mean he’s got some amazing stories about his life. The politics, the affairs with actresses…Actually I think he’s at it with one of the female residents, the dirty old perve. How do you know him again?

JOSH: … I’m his son.

YASMIN: … Hello.

JOSH: I’m Josh.

YASMIN: Yes. Josh. Of course… Hello.

JOSH: I thought he hadn’t mentioned me?

YASMIN: …maybe he did and I just forgot.

JOSH: Yuh. I was due to meet him in his room at seven.

YASMIN: I’ll just go and see if they’re done revolting.

YASMIN exits. OFFICER steps out of the darkness.

OFFICER: You were a good soldier. You were loyal. Patriotic. Then you publish this story. What happened? Di...

Table of contents

• Front cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Characters
• Dedication
• Act One
• Act Two
• Act Three