Manuel
April 28, 2011
Chinese Philosophy
Scene 1The year is 2194 in Boston, United States. John and Michael enter from the right stage. Michael is wearing a white shirt with red strips, black shoes, blue shorts, and a yellow cap. And John is wearing a black shirt, white shoes, blue jeans, and a white cap.John: I can’t believe that they are doing this to us! Screw this! (John chucked his cap to the ground.)
Michael: Why would they make us look for Chinese philosophies at this time of the school year?
John: Who cares?
Michael: There has to be a way to find out about Chinese philosophies.
Michael’s father enters from the right stage wearing a black suit, black shoes, black pants, and a tieFather: What are you guys chatting about?
Michael: We have homework due tomorrow about Chinese philosophies and we haven’t even started.
Father: Michael’s dad removes his shoes and sits down. What about a time machine?
John: It’s no time for jokes sir this is serious!
Father: I just built the first time machine in all history. I haven’t tried it though, but you guys could use it.
Michael: (looking at his Dad with a curious face) Dad, do you think that it’s going to work?
Father: (with a sight of relief) Kids, everything in life has a risk and a reward comes with it. Make your choice!
Michael: What do you think John?
John: Let’s do it man, we have no choice!
(Lights are turned off and it’s the end of Scene 1.)
Scene 2
Lights are turned back on and John and Michael enter from the left stage where the time machine isJohn: Holy Cow, this time machine is huge!
Michael: They are supposed to be huge.
John: Well, what are we supposed to do to make it start?
Michael: Should we press the red button and then choose the year?
John: Let’s just try, since your dad is gone and we are on a hurry.
Michael: Should we go to the Warring States Period?
John: (Stares at Michael as if he has no clue of what he’s talking about) sure, I guess….
Michael: (Excitedly) Let’s do it!
John and Michael get in the time machine. First they type Warring States Period, then they press the red button, and they click the start button.Both of them: AAAAHHHHH! We are going through time!
John: My ears hurt!
Michael: I can’t see anything!
John: (frightened) I hope that it works!
(A swwoooooshhhh sound is heard and thunder lights appear on scene.)
(The time machine disappears from the room just when Michael’s dad comes inside of the room)
Father: Boys! How is it going…
(Lights are turned off and it’s the end of Scene 2.)
Scene 3
The time machine is still spinning and twisting with Michael and John in it.John: (Freaked out) When is it going to stop spinning!
Michael: I don’t know but I think that it’s getting closer for it to stop!
On the last few words that Michael had said, the machine was slowing down.John: Are we there yet?
Michael: I think so, I hear voices outside. They are screaming and running away, and speaking Chinese!
John: We are in China!
Michael: One question.
John: What is it?
Michael: Do you think that they know English?
John: Who cares? Let’s find out.
John and Michael step out of the machine and walk curiously around ancient China.Michael: (Michael sees a man
Limping) Excuse me sir, where are we?
Man: 在中國你是我的朋友 (You are in China my friend)
John: What did he just say?
Michael: I don’t speak Chinese John, why would I know?
John: Should we follow the man, it looks like he’s following a crowd?
Michael: I think so yeah,
John and Michael follow the crowd and find themselves in a huge room with three old men sitting on the middle.John: Who are these people?
Man: How do you dare to speak badly about these 3 wise men?
Michael: (Curiously) And who would these clever men be?
Man: Laozi, Han Feizi, and Confucious.
(Lights are turned off and it’s the end of scene 3.)
Scene 4
John and Michael are trying to remember if they had heard those names before.John: Ok, this is a waste of time, Michael let’s go!
Man: How dare you?! Han Feizi should have cut you in two by now kid!
Michael: And why would he cut John in half?
Man: I will show you, and present you to the great Han Feizi!
The man escorts Michael and John to where the three clever men are sitting.
Man: (bends down) Sir, I’m sorry to disturb you. But these kids want to know why should they be cut in two when they talk bad things about you?
Han Feizi: What, don’t these kids know something about our Chinese philosophies?
Michael: Sir. Why is Confucius long and
spindly? And why are you wearing
trinkets around your neck?
Han Feizi: Call me Han Feizi boy, Sheessh!
Confucius: My lord! You don’t look like the kids from around here. Where are you from?
John: We are from the future and are trying to find information about all of you and what you think.
Laozi: And why would you two be messing through time?
Michael: We just wanted to meet you guys for real.
Han Feizi: (Frustrated) Anyway, back to me. This is why I think that people like you kids should be cut in two.
Lights are turned off and it’s the end of Scene 4.Scene 5
Han Feizi: You see, I just don’t think that China will be peaceful if we let everyone do whatever they want. I think that the way to teach people and make them behave would be for China to have strict laws. We have to act! We can’t let other people get away with something. There should be strict laws and harsh punishment right now!
(The crowd cheers)
Confucius: Han Feizi, take it easy. I agree with you on having laws, but I just think that you should not cut people in two for them to learn.
Legalists start screaming and complaining how Confucious stepped on Han Feizi’s way.Michael: Confucious, what do you think will make China be in peace?
Confucius: You see when I was young; my family would get into fights. They would scream, fight, argue, and even don’t talk to each other for a long time. I couldn’t resist it, so I started traveling all around China telling everyone what they should do to stop fighting against themselves.
John: But that doesn’t answer our question.
Crowd screaming: Cut him in two!
Confucius: So I went around China visiting villages and teaching them lessons. The only thing that I needed for them to be in peace would be, to think about what I told them from their hearts. At it actually worked. Villages stopped fighting against themselves and there was no violence around China anymore. I made them learn five relationships: father and son, husband and wife, ruler and subject, elder brother and junior brother, and friend with friend.
Laozi: See, this is why both of you fight against each other.
John: What do you mean by that Laozi?
Laozi: What I mean is that you should care about nature instead of power. Think about living outside with nature; follow the force of the Dao.
Michael: What is…
Han Feizi: Don’t believe on what he says kid!
Confucius: don’t interrupt the kid, go on.
Crowd:
Ruffian!
Michael: What is Dao?
Laozi: It means "way", but can also be interpreted as road, channel, path, doctrine, or line. The Dao guides all things. Everyone except humans, live in harmony with this force. I try to understand nature and harmony, which includes something called the yin and yang.
Michael: What is the yin and yang?
Laozi: Yin (black) stands for all that is cold, dark, and mysterious. And yang (white) the same thing but vice versa.
John: So let’s review this: Han Feizi believes that there will be peace in China by putting strict laws and harsh punishment?
Han Feizi: A kid of your kind learns fast.
(The Crowd Cheers)
Michael: Then Confucious thinks that there will be peace throughout the family if you make them think about what they should do to make the village a better place. There’s five types of relationships: father and son, husband and wife, ruler and subject, elder brother and junior brother, and finally friend and friend.
Confucius: You got it kid.
(The crowd cheers again)
Michael and John: And Laozi thinks that you should care about nature instead of power. Think about living outside with nature, and follow the force of the Dao. He believes in something called yin and yang. Yin stands for cold and dark, and yang vice versa.
(The crowd starts shattering and cheering)
Confucius: Wow! You learned everything.
Han Feizi: I don’t think that they should be cut in two after all.
Laozi: Trust the yin and yang kids.
John: C’mon Michael, we have to go.
Michael and John: Thanks for everything!
(John and Michael leave the room from the left stage and head back to the time machine.)
Lights are turned off and it’s the end of Scene 5.Scene 6
Swwoooooshhhh! John and Michael are back to the present.John: I will never get back in that time machine again!
(Michael’s Dad enters the room from the right stage)
Father: Boys how was it? Are you hurt? How was the time machine? Did you make any friends?
Michael: Yes, the machine did work.
John: Sir, do you know about Chinese Philosophies?
Father: (his brows go up) Well of course I know!
John: (
hesitated for a moment) It’s because we have a question.
Father: What is it?
Michael: How have these ideas affected our world today?
Father: Well, let me explain that to you.
John and Michael take a seatFather: Let’s start with Legalism. In every country there’s strict laws, they all have punishments. Some countries make those who steal be in prison, they can even chop them a hand.
John: Ouch.
Father: Without strict laws everyone would do whatever they want, and of course they would affect the free will of the people which is not correct.
Michael: So Han Feizi’s ideas have affected the world today.
Father: Confucianism is still in our world, it is usually used in families. You do something wrong, and then you learn from your mistakes. Of course they can punish you for doing something serious at home. But your parents give you a try to learn from their mistakes.
John: That makes sense
Father: and Daoism still affects our world a lot even though you don’t think so.
Michael: How can that be possible?
Father: Global Warming. We are losing our nature because of all the contamination on Earth. So there are tons and tons of people trying to save the Earth. Does that respond your question John?
John: Thank you sir.
Father: You better get started on your project.
Michael: Thanks Dad for letting us borrow your time machine.
Father: But don’t use it ever again or I will cut you in two.
End of Play
;D