ANNEX
M AINSTREAMING PLAY
MAINSTREAMING PLAY
Written and Performed by Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
Written for the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas by Jo Dorras of Wan
Smolbag Development Theatre in Vanuatu and performed in the Cook Islands by Wan Smolbag Actors: Morinda
Tari, Noel Aru, Bob David, Paul Tabi, Yvette Vatu and Francis Ruru.
[A government office in a Pacific Country. A woman is typing and chewing gum. Another man
is standing eating fruit and dumping the skin in a basket with lots of papers. A man walks into
the office very crossly nearly knocking over the man who is sitting next to the desk.]
Tom:
Hey!
Martin:
People don’t understand anything!
Tom:
What?
Martin:
People don’t understand! And they don’t want to do anything! They don’t care if
they destroy their environment …. [He takes some papers out of his bag and waves
them in the air.] If they thought about what they were doing for a moment…
Wom:
What’s wrong with you?
Martin:
We wanted people to make a little conservation area and you know what they do?
[He thrusts the papers in Tom’s face. Tom waves them away.] They ask for money!
Yes! They don’t realise that we’re doing all this for them! To make their lives
better! No! They want money!
Woman:
That’s what people in the bush are like. You can’t trust them. My cousin sister just
came to town. We were helping her. All she had to do was look after the baby. She
got free accommodation and food. And then she goes and asks for a salary!
[A man or woman walks in with a big envelope gives it to the woman at the desk and walks out.]
Tom:
People have got very greedy these days. It’s not like before when… Ohh! [He takes
a mobile phone out of his pocket and goes to the side of the room to speak.] Jenny!
You want what? Why? A new refrigerator? Second hand…how much? But the old
one’s all right! Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Wom:
What’s all this. Oh. A conference…. You guys are lucky. Going to all these
conferences. You’re always flying here and flying there….
Tom:
Look I’m busy! I’ll talk later…[He runs over to join them.]
Martin:
[He goes and stands behind her to read the paper.] Hmmm… A conference…[Tom
puts his phone away and runs over.]
Tom:
Conference! Where?
Wom:
They want someone from the office to go …
Tom:
How much is the per diem?
Martin:
Is that all you can think about?
Tom:
I was just asking!
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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ANNEX
M AINSTREAMING PLAY
What’s the conference about?
Martin:
Chorus:
Mainstreaming!
Yeah!
You gotta find out
What mainstreaming environmental education is about.
It’s not for leaving and throwing away
You got think about it everyday!
Environment in everything we do
That’s the priority for me and you!
The world is changing rapidly
Forest disappearing
World warming
Fish and animals dying
Got to try and change things
Before the sea
Rises up to cover you and me
Environment in everything we do
That’s the priority for me and you!
That’s the priority for me and you!
You betta think about it!
Martin:
That’s no problem! Everyone in this office really cares about the environment.
Where’s the conference?
Wom:
The Cooks…
Tom:
Palm trees, beautiful girls…
I’m going!
Martin:
Tom:
No me! [They race round the stage and Martin elbows his way ahead opens an
imaginary door and heads out. Shutting the door in Tom’s face.]
Martin:
I’ll go and pick up the tickets! [He exits.]
Tom:
He went to the last one! [The woman and Tom look at each other and then walk off.
Martin runs in again with a bag and wearing a flowery shirt. He sits down as if in an
airline and the airhostess stands to the side making shapes with her arms and doing
the pre flight talk until he speaks. Then she speaks aloud.]
Martin:
How do I look?
Air Hostess:
In the event of a forced landing in the sea, take the life jacket from under your seat
and place it over your head. Use this mouthpiece to blow up your jacket. A whistle
is attached for you to blow in the water.
Martin:
A whistle! You’re a tiny speck in an ocean full of sharks and they tell you to blow a
whistle! [He laughs.] Ahhhhhh! [He acts as if the plane has plunged.] Help!
Airhostess:
You’ll be alright Sir….
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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ANNEX
M AINSTREAMING PLAY
Martin:
Yes…Yes.. Phewww … now let me read all this stuff about the conference. What
does it say….Ahh yes….. sustainable development…
Planning officer:
Martin:
Hey…Don’t I know you?
Oh! Yes. I’ve been trying to arrange a meeting a bout sustainable fishing practices
with you people in the planning office…
Oh yes! You sent all that stuff about the live fish trade and bêche de mer
farming.. Hmm. Tell me something. How are we ever going to have economic
development if we don’t sell our resources?
Planning officer:
Martin:
Ummm.. well….Where are you going?
Planning Officer:
Martin:
How nature conservation fits into the broader sustainable development picture?
Planning Officer:
Airhostess:
Martin:
Yes!
Would you like a drink Sir? Beer, wine, whisky?
A beer please…
Planning officer:
Martin:
To some environment conference on…
Red wine thank you…..
Some of these people in government don’t understand anything about
sustainability! [He says this to the audience.]
Chorus:
Sustainable?
What’s sustainable in the world today
You’re sitting in a plane
That’s sending out a great stream of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Holding in the heat of the planet
And as the glaciers thaw
We pour out
More and more!
Planes fly in every direction
Every minute of the day
Conferences!
Tourism!
Cars running along the roads
Gotta get there without delay!
Sustainable development?
Hey! What you gonna do about it?
Martin:
I don’t know! [He looks round at the chorus.] I’m just going to the conference…..
Airhostess:
Sir, we’ve landed…. [Martin stands up and walks out. The airhostess also exits the
other way. He comes back on with his bag a man and woman meet him and twirl
him round to the beat of a drum and then push him towards the audience. A man
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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M AINSTREAMING PLAY
playing a guitar stands at the side of the stage as if in the foyer area of the hotel. He
walks around looking at the hotel.]
Man:
Welcome my friend
To the friendly islands
Paradise islands of the Pacific…
Blue water
|White sand beaches
Paradise islands of the Pacific
Martin:
Nice……A chance to relax…I’ll look round a bit today and then tomorrow…
[During the next chorus Martin is thrown round the stage by the rappers and ends up out of
breathe and exhausted.]
Chorus:
The conference!
200 delegates from all over the Pacific! [Actors walking in every
direction.]
Coming to save the environment!
Yeah!
This is what you’ve come to hear!
Don’t you fall asleep in that chair
Don’t you fall asleep in that chair
We’ve all got to work hard together
Cause saving the planet is high on our agenda!
You gotta think about it every day
Not enough to say
Litter campaign in October
Environment day in June
That’s over!
No!
You gotta do it everyday!
In everything you think and do
You gotta be
Conscious environmentally!
Yeah!
Conscious environmentally!
[Martin walks forward and then two actors walk past him talking. One is the planning officer,
Martin stands listening down stage.]
Conscious environmentally? When are they going to realise that people need
roads, clean water and jobs! Protecting the environment is all very well, but
everyone needs money these day!
Planning officer:
Actor:
In my village we had a small-certified timber project going, but we need a good
road and money to keep it going.. It’s easier to just let the logging company come in
and take everything!
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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ANNEX
M AINSTREAMING PLAY
Martin:
Oh no.. that’s terrible… We’ve got to have money and jobs .. but what about the
environment? I don’t know….Pheww….I’m going back to the hotel and then ….
I’ll have a beer….. And a sandwich…[The man with the guitar from the first scene
enters and starts to play hotel music behind. Waiter enters with cans on tray.]
Waiter:
Your beer Sir… [He hands him the can.] And the sandwich…. Glass Sir?
Martin:
No no.. the can will do….Thanks [He drinks and a young woman walks across the
stage. He watches her.] You know these conferences are all right ….[He lifts up the
can as if he has finished it and then looks at it as if it’s a time bomb. The man with
the guitar walks out the front of the stage.]
Man with Guitar:
[The waiter and the woman back him up and Martin looks on horrified.]
And the white sandy beaches
Are covered in cans
Take away containers litter the sand
A turtle chokes
On a plastic bag
And the rubbish grows
And the rubbish grows
Yes! We’re a throw away world
But where’s this rubbish gonna go?
Can we keep on throwing it away?
Is there no other way?
Man off:
Send it back to Australia!
Martin:
[Jumping up with the can is hand.] What am I going to do with it? [The waiter
comes up and takes it from him.]
Waiter:
I’ll take that for you Sir!
Martin:
But you don’t understand! All these cans.. all this rubbish! There’s nowhere to put
it! All the rubbish dumps in the Pacific are filling up and… [The waiter walks off.
There is the sound of a truck beeping. Beep! Beep!]
Wom:
[She is calling from the truck.] Come on! Time to go back to the conference!
Martin:
Okay! I’m coming!
Wom:
Well hurry up. The taxi’s waiting! [Martin rushes off and joins the group in the taxi,
who salsa across the stage.]
All:
Beep beep! Beep beep!
Chugga chugga / chugga chugga/ whoa!
Martin:
Don’t you think….
Wom:
What?
All:
Beep beep! Beep beep!
Chugga chugga / chugga chugga/ whoa!
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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ANNEX
M AINSTREAMING PLAY
Martin:
It would be better to walk?
Wom:
Walk? In the heat? In these shoes?
All:
Beep beep! Beep beep!
Chugga chugga / chugga chugga/ whoa!
Martin:
You could wear different shoes and change…
Wom:
I don’t want to get all sweaty!
All:
Beep beep! Beep beep!
Chugga chugga / chugga chugga/ whoa!
Wom:
We’re here now! [She opens the door and gets out.] You get this one Martin.. I’ll
get the next one. [She walks off.]
Martin:
Thanks driver…[The driver takes the money and salsa’s out.] I thought it was all so
easy, caring about the environment….
[People come in and walk to and fro with files.]
Wom:
Martin! What are you doing? [Martin turns looking confused.] Come into this
session! Hurry up! [She drags him by the arm and takes him to the side of the stage.
Another actor comes on to a roll of drums and reads a speech.]
Actor:
We must work through government policy and individual and community action to
save the environment. We want people to set up protected areas and conserve
nature.. we want them to think about the environment in all they do…
Martin:
But what about you?
Actor:
Me? I’m in the middle of reading this speech…
Martin:
But what are we going to do? We ask people to give up their land. Not to kill turtles
for food. We ask them to make sacrifices! But what are we going to do?
All:
Ahhhhhh?
Man:
Stupid, time wasting…
Martin:
No! It’s true! We can’t tell people to do things if we can’t do anything ourselves?
It’s true! Isn’t it? Go on tell me! [he speaks directly to the audience.]
Song:
The time has come to change
The time has come to make a stand
All the talking in the world
Won’t help us now
Yes! We gotta do it
Show it’s more than words
We mean it!
It’s up to you and me!
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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ANNEX
M AINSTREAMING PLAY
Walk,
Don’t drive that car!
Compost your food
Don’t throw it in the bin
Each little thing
Takes us a step nearer
A world
We can pass on to our children
We can pass on to our children!
The time has come to change
The time has come to make a stand
All the talking in the world
Won’t help us now
Where is the hotel throwing the food we eat and the cans of beer we drink? Do you
know? Do you care?
Spoken:
The time has come to change
The time has come to make a stand
All the talking in the world
Won’t help us now
Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, July 2002
Mainstreaming Play – Wan Smolbag Development Theatre
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