Beautiful Words

Sean Riley

• Publisher: Currency Press
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781921429354
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

An epic chronicle of the refugee experience, Beautiful Words weaves together three very different stories of survival, told through the eyes of three children in different times and places. The outcome is heart-rending, humorous, and surprising by turns. From the horrors of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in the final days of World War II, to Taliban-ruled Kabul, to present day Australia, this enthralling play presents a rich tapestry of human experience, overlapping lives, and the bonds that unite generations.%##CHAR13##%%##CHAR13##%Over three hours, with some 20 characters, Beautiful Words tells an engaging story with poignant comedy and unashamed feeling.

Part 1: Zugang

Characters

Actor 1: Old Roman, late 60s

Actor 2: Toby / Jan, both 14

Actor 3: Mama, early 40s

Actor 4: Papa, early 40s

Actor 5: Mrs Damrosch, early 50s

Actor 6: Viorica, early 60s

Actor 7: Young Roman, 15

Actor 8: Ion, 40s

Actor 9: Kapo, late 30s

Setting

The action moves between:

The present, a park in Australia; and 1945, Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.

Scene One

A park. Night.

OLD ROMAN sits on a park bench at the edge of the space. He sings ‘Keserves’ , a Hungarian lament, quietly.

TOBY skates around the space. He halts, a moment before OLD ROMAN stops singing.

Old Roman I don’t know the rest.

Toby [to the audience] My grandfather sings in many languages, but speaks in only one. English. He was born somewhere in Europe, and came to this country when he was eighteen.

Old Roman How does it end?

Toby I don’t know. [To the audience] What happened between birth and Australia is a no-go zone. He’s never talked about it. That time. To anyone.

Old Roman [to himself] Something about a bird… in a cage…

Toby [to the audience] There are no photos. No memories. No friends.

Old Roman [to himself] And something about a letter arriving… I’m a stupid old man…

He pulls up his sleeve and stares at his arm.

Toby [to the audience] My grandfather has a tattoo on his arm. But it isn’t a pretty thing. It’s an ugly black number. B3606. The B stands for Birkenau, a section of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, during World War Two. It was a horrible place. It’s the reason he never talks about his past. And why we never ask.

Old Roman How does it end…? [He rolls down his sleeve.] You got chocolate?

TOBY gives him a chocolate bar. OLD ROMAN scoffs it.

Toby Jeez, Granddad—it’s freezing. I don’t know why we come here. People usually go to the park in the daytime. In summer.

Old Roman Stop your grizzling. You don’t know what cold is. Besides, the stars are pretty.

TOBY watches him scoff the chocolate.

Toby I know why you like chocolate so much.

Old Roman Do you?

Toby Uh-huh. ’Cause you didn’t have any when you were a kid. In the war.

Old Roman In war no one has anything. Especially chocolate.

Toby But where you were. It was worse. The camp.

Old Roman Why do you keep doing this? Asking these questions? Why the sudden interest?

Toby Because I want to know, Granddad.

Old Roman It’s best forgotten.

Toby Lots of others don’t think so. Other survivors. People like you.

Old Roman They are not like me. I am not like them.

Toby They have museums now.

Old Roman There are things… people… that should be left in peace.

Toby Why can’t you tell me? I can handle it.

Old Roman Enough!

The lights change.

YOUNG ROMAN, a memory, enters and stands some distance

away, and sings ‘Keserves’.

OLD ROMAN stares at ...