Flather - Paradise

I didnt know what I was writing. Only that I was writing in response to personal experiences, and experiences I had only heard about over immense distances of time and space, which haunted me. Paradise covers such distances in the beat and flutter of a birds wing. This approach presented many challenges, as did the scope, with multiple complex stories emerging as I wrote. Would some be shortchanged? Together with my friend and dramaturg DD Kugler, whose support has been invaluable, we wondered how Paradise would even be staged. DD said these questions could only be answered in the rehearsal hall.

Enter MT Space, founded by Majdi Bou-Matar, who were touring their stunning show Body 13 to Whitehorse. This incredibly talented ensemble does not usually begin with text. They are committed to intercultural work that speaks to Canada today. We invited them to stage the impossible with us at Gwaandak Theatre in a workshopa scene happening simultaneously in two different parts of the world. It worked. And a rich new artistic relationship has developed, which I am utterly gratefu l for.

My hope, in sharing Paradise , is that we embrace the parts of ourselves, and our worlds, that are difficult. We live in desperate times. Many of us struggle to maintain our mental health and get by each day, let alone connect meaningfully in our communities. We have a housing emergency, people going hungry, women and girls sexually assaulted, people tortured. We live in a climate of fear: crime, radicalization, terror. We need the beauty of a bird in flight, soaring, la nding.

Production H istory Paradise premiered at the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon, in March 2015 as a production of Gwaandak Theatre and MT Space, in association with the Yukon Arts Centre, with the following cast and creative team: Khalil: Aldrin Bundoc Wally: Nicholas C umming Rachel: Pam Patel George: Michae l Peng Director: Majdi Bou -Matar Stage Manager: Emily F arrell Set & Properties / Lighting Design: David S kelton Composer & Sound Design: Jordy Walker Costume Design: Melaina S heldon Technical Director / Tour Technician: Bronwyn Bowlby Dramaturgy: DD Kugler Production Manager: Vanessa White Managing Artistic Director: Patti F lather General Manager and Marketing Director: Marjolne Ga uthier This production of Paradise was presented at MT Spaces IMPACT festival in Kitchener, Ontario, from September 26 to October 4, 2015, with lighting design by Jenny Ji menez. MT Space held a three-week development workshop for Paradise in the fall of 2014 in Kitchener, Ontario, and included a public presentation on December 6 at the Courtyard at Bonnie Stuart. It was directed by Majdi Bou-Matar, and performed by Badih AbouChakra, Aldrin Bundoc, Nicholas Cumming, and Pam Patel. Gwaandak Theatre, MT Space, the Yukon Arts Centre, and Kwanlin Dn Cultural Centre held a workshop and public presentation at the Cultural Centre in Whitehorse in 2014 directed by Majdi Bou-Matar with Badih AbouChakra, Brad Cook, Andrameda Hunter, Jenny Jimenez, Tawiah MCarty, Pam Patel, David Skelton, and Nick Sto rring. Char acters Wally: An unemployed l ogger. George: A d octor.

Rachel: Georges dau ghter. Khalil: An accused terr orist. S etting The recent past: A Canadian city. Central Am erica. Afghan istan. A faraway p rison.

Design El ements The set must be simple and non-realistic, with minimal props, to allow fluid movement and coexistence between s paces. Dialogue Notes A forward slash ( / ) indicates a character cutting in on preceding dia logue. Ov erture Each character, alone and in community, the moment before the bullet flies. Myths and L egends rachel: Volcn Cerro Negro, black mountain. Im at the pinnacle, surrounded by craters. Surfing on a piece of plywood.

Im not freaked, Im fast. Hurtling pebbles ash air rushing deafening somersault flipping lava skin scraping raw. No jumpsuit, no goggles, this is the cheap tour. Ash sandwich, close your mouth, girl. Beat. Listen.

Theyre clapping for me! For my wipeout, crash and burn. Scraping off who I should be. Peeled clean and new and starting over. khalil: Im digging, always digging. Ditches. And planting trees.

Apricots, almonds, peaches. They keep us busy. Im even stronger than when we trained for provincials. And I scored the winning goal in the finals, short-handed, puck flying into the top shelf, Dakota and all the guys piled on top of me right on th e ice. Were north of Kabul now. Soon we travel to our village.

This guy promised to send me a map with directions, to the earth, sand, dust where it happened. Ill find it, Nana. Alone wally: Who wants his walk? Lucky does. Yes, he does. wally walks his dog Lucky on a specific route with prec ision. Were going a little further, you and me.

All the way to the end of the park. In the same city, george watches birds around the birdhouse in his bac kyard. george: Lots of juncos today. khalil arrives in his familys village. He takes pictures with his phone. wally: Go get that squ irrel. george: Red-winged blackbird flitting in the shrubs. Oh. Oh.

There he goes. wally: That taboy. george: Hes in the haz elnut. wally: Youre speedy. You almost ha d him. khalil: Oh, a rat snake came along here.

Wiping his hedgehog feet away. george: Sheila, did you se e him? wally: Lucky. Thats my littl e guy. khalil: Old mister lizard. Theyre as beautiful as you told me, Nana. Like proud old men sunning thems elves.

How You Dance rachel: Were in the mountains now studying Spanish. Our homestay grandma gives me extra avocado because she knows I love it. She takes care of the kids. The mothers a doctor. She hardly ever sees her b abies. We went out last night.

The music is incredible. I dance like nothing else matters. Every piece of me flung out, elastic, stretched and shaking. Like my life depends on it. I wonder how you dance. khalil s reveals a map. khalil: Take the road east towards the US military base. khalil: Take the road east towards the US military base.

Past the peach orchard. Where the pomegranate stands alone. khalil wanders away from his group. wally: / Fuc k you! george: / No, Sheila. Lawyer , why? wally: Youre not cutting m e off. wally: Whos there? Turn that racket down. wally: Whos there? Turn that racket down.

Lucky, where are you? I said turn i t off ! george: Thats not okay wi th me. wally: Im right here, buddy. Dont worry. Im not taking this lying down. khalil finds the place where his parents died. The earth. khalil is arr ested. khalil is arr ested.

Whats going on? No. This is a mistake. Im Canadian. Check my passport. Im volunteering with Afghans4Tomorrow. Theres a group of us.

Where are you taki ng me? khalil is left outside, as if handcuffed to a fence. Youre not leaving me out here. Theres snow on the mountains. P lease. george phones S heila. george: This letter.

We cant just walk away from our mar riage. The call ends. (calming himself) There once was a young man from Leeds Who swallowed a package of seeds Great tufts of grass sprouted out of h is ass And his balls were covered in weeds. Snow falling, day into night, in the cold moun tains. khalil: Theres an eagle soaring, hunting for a mouse t o eat. Beat.