Australian Human Rights Commission

2. Discussing

In your groups, start discussing how you might perform these scenes. Consider the following production elements:

• 
  Characterisation
  
• 
  Staging (How would you use lighting? What props do you need?)
  
• 
  Performance (What actions will reveal something about the issue?)
  
• 
  Tone of voice
  

Here are some discussion questions to guide you.

Scene 1

• 
  What are some of the effects of having voice-overs for both the Matron and Mother?
  
• 
  Compare the tones of the Matron and Mother.
  
• 
  What effect do you think is the Mother's appearance on stage meant to have on the audience?
  
• 
  What emotions/moods are being suggested to the audience by:
  

• 
  The voice-overs
  
• 
  The mother standing off-stage
  
• 
  The letters being projected over Jimmy's face.
  

• 
  What is happening while the letter is being read out? What do you think is the play's intention here?
  
• 
  Can you think of any similarities between this first scene and the stories you read from the Inquiry?
  
• 
  What do you make of Jimmy's speech on pages 12–13?
  

Scene 2

• 
  Compare the letter in this scene to the previous one. What do you think the mother is trying to say?
  
• 
  Why was Jimmy put in prison (this is revealed earlier in the play)? How would the audience know this scene opened in a prison setting?
  
• 
  Why do you think Jimmy responds to the people in the bar with an angry or serious tone?
  
• 
  'It's been a long time since I've seen my people’. What did the Inquiry have to say about Indigenous children being removed from their culture and people?
  
• 
  Why do you think Harrison leaves it to this later scene to tell the audience what happened to Jimmy?
  
• 
  What feelings and thoughts would be going through Jimmy's mind after he learns his mother is still alive?
  

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3. Developing

Now you can develop some of the ideas that came out of your discussion and see how they will work in performance. Your group will present these scenes to the class, so the next stage is rehearsal.

• 
  Amongst yourselves, decide who will play which part. If there are more people in your group than characters, you may want to rehearse it a couple of times with different people playing different characters. Alternatively, you may be able to think of other ways to incorporate the extra people into the scenes.
  
• 
  Run through the script once by just reading lines.
  
• 
  Start preparing the scenes as they will be performed. Use your discussion time to make decisions about movement, props etc.
  
• 
  Obviously, you will not be introducing lighting or sound into your performance, but it is a good idea to think about how you would use these if you could.
  

4. Performing

Each group will present their scenes to the class.

Each performance will be followed by a discussion of the performance and what elements of the issue were brought out. Feedback on further work and development can also be provided.

13. Activity sheet

Stolen – Scene analysis (Group 3)

In this exercise, you have the opportunity to explore the issues raised in Bringing them home by performing excerpts from a 1998 play, Stolen. Working in groups, you will develop your own production of these pieces. The aim is not so much an accurate representation of the scenes, but to explore how performance can be used to understand a social issue.

Throughout this exercise, you are encouraged to draw on what you have learned about the removal of Indigenous children from the material in this unit and bring that to your discussions and performance.

1. Reading

Read the following scenes. The background gives you some information about how these scenes work within the rest of the play.

Scenes

• 
  'Cleaning Routine 2' – pages 17–19
  
• 
  'Ruby's Descent into Madness' – pages 24–25
  

Background

Ruby, who has been abused, is the main character in these scenes. She is described by the playwright as 'A very young child who feels abandoned. A used and abused young woman. A crazy beyond reach’.

In the first scene, she asks sarcastically what the children think they are going to be when they grow up. Each career option, from nursing to farming, is rejected by an anonymous 'Authority Figure'. Finally, the domestic servant option is accepted. The children then dance and sing to the tune of 'We're happy little Vegemites!' The words they sing reflect the lack of options available to them.

The second scene shows Ruby being pushed around by many different authority figures. She is abused by people who have power over her life.

Characters

• 
  All the children and an authority figure (6)
  
• 
  Ruby, authority figures, lady, teenager, others (students can play several roles in this scene).
  

2. Discussing

In your groups, start discussing how you might perform these scenes. Consider the following production elements:

• 
  Characterisation
  
• 
  Staging (How would you use lighting? What props do you need?)
  
• 
  Performance (What actions will reveal something about the issue?)
  
• 
  Tone of voice
  

Here are some discussion questions to guide you.

Scene 1

• 
  Why are the children not able to pursue careers other than being a domestic servant?
  
• 
  Who do you think the 'Authority Figure' could be?
  
• 
  The children sing together a different set of lyrics to the familiar tune of 'We're happy little Vegemites!'
  

• 
  What effect does setting different words to this iconic tune produce?
  
• 
  What impact does this parody have?
  

• 
  What does this scene suggest about the education that children who are removed from their families receive?
  
• 
  What are the conditions under which they are forced to perform menial labour?
  

Scene 2

• 
  Ruby gets abused in this scene by many people. What sorts of abuse does she suffer?
  
• 
  Who are the different people who abuse her?
  
• 
  How does she respond to the stream of abuse?
  
• 
  What is the tone of this scene?
  
• 
  Can you think of parallels between Ruby's story and other stories of children's experiences told to the Inquiry?
  

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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Developing

Now you can develop some of the ideas that came out of your discussion and see how they will work in performance. Your group will present these scenes to the class, so the next stage is rehearsal.

• 
  Amongst yourselves, decide who will play which part. If there are more people in your group than characters, you may want to rehearse it a couple of times with different people playing different characters. Alternatively, you may be able to think of other ways to incorporate the extra people into the scenes.
  
• 
  Run through the script once by just reading lines.
  
• 
  Start preparing the scenes as they will be performed. Use your discussion time to make decisions about movement, props etc.
  
• 
  Obviously, you will not be introducing lighting or sound into your performance, but it is a good idea to think about how you would use these if you could.
  

4. Performing

Each group will present their scenes to the class.

Each performance will be followed by a discussion of the performance and what elements of the issue were brought out. Feedback on further work and development can also be provided.

13. Activity sheet

Stolen – Scene analysis (Group 4)

In this exercise, you have the opportunity to explore the issues raised in Bringing them home by performing excerpts from a 1998 play, Stolen. Working in groups, you will develop your own production of these pieces. The aim is not so much an accurate representation of the scenes, but to explore how performance can be used to understand a social issue.

Throughout this exercise, you are encouraged to draw on what you have learned about the removal of Indigenous children from the material in this unit and bring that to your discussions and performance.

1. Reading

Read the following scenes. The background gives you some information about how these scenes work within the rest of the play.

Scenes

• 
  'Line-Up 1' – pages 5–6
  
• 
  'Line-Up 2’ – page 13
  
• 
  'Line-Up Age Twelve' – page 17
  
• 
  'Line-Up 3' – page 20
  

Background

The 'Line-Up' scenes bring all of the characters together on the stage. These scenes show the common experiences of the children and also how they are affected in different ways. By bringing the characters together, the audience learns about the range of impacts that 'being stolen' has had on the individuals.

'Line-Up 1' shows the children arranging themselves by skin colour from lightest to darkest. 'Line-Up 2' involves the children being evaluated one by one. Jimmy sells himself by saying 'I'm a real good boy!'

The issue of being chosen for domestic service is shown in 'Line-up Age Twelve'. It portrays Ruby being selected for domestic service.

'Line-Up 3' shows the children lining up to be chosen for a weekend away with a white family.

Characters

• 
  Jimmy, Sandy, Ruby, Shirley, Anne in each scene
  

2. Discussing

In your groups, start discussing how you might perform these scenes. Consider the following production elements:

• 
  Characterisation
  
• 
  Staging (How would you use lighting? What props do you need?)
  
• 
  Performance (What actions will reveal something about the issue?)
  
• 
  Tone of voice
  

Here are some discussion questions to guide you.

• 
  What does the first line-up scene say about the way Indigenous people were labeled by government authorities and other officials?
  
• 
  What does the scene showing Ruby being selected for domestic service suggest about the rights of children who were put into domestic service?
  
• 
  What are the different emotional responses of the children to the experience of being judged by officials?
  
• 
  What is the common experience that each of the children go through in the line-up scenes?
  
• 
  Are some children affected emotionally more or less by each line-up?
  
• 
  What is the range of responses from the children?
  
• 
  What government policies are referred to in the different line-up scenes?
  
• 
  Can you think of any similarities between these scenes and the stories about being taken away in the Inquiry?
  

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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Developing

Now you can develop some of the ideas that came out of your discussion and see how they will work in performance. Your group will present these scenes to the class, so the next stage is rehearsal.

• 
  Amongst yourselves, decide who will play which part. If there are more people in your group than characters, you may want to rehearse it a couple of times with different people playing different characters. Alternatively, you may be able to think of other ways to incorporate the extra people into the scenes.
  
• 
  Run through the script once by just reading lines.
  
• 
  Start preparing the scenes as they will be performed. Use your discussion time to make decisions about movement, props etc.
  
• 
  Obviously, you will not be introducing lighting or sound into your performance, but it is a good idea to think about how you would use these if you could.
  

4. Performing

Each group will present their scenes to the class.

Each performance will be followed by a discussion of the performance and what elements of the issue were brought out. Feedback on further work and development can also be provided.

13. Activity sheet

Stolen – Scene analysis (Group 5)

In this exercise, you have the opportunity to explore the issues raised in Bringing them home by performing excerpts from a 1998 play, Stolen. Working in groups, you will develop your own production of these pieces. The aim is not so much an accurate representation of the scenes, but to explore how performance can be used to understand a social issue.

Throughout this exercise, you are encouraged to draw on what you have learned about the removal of Indigenous children from the material in this unit and bring that to your discussions and performance.

1. Reading

Read the following scenes. The background gives you some information about how these scenes work within the rest of the play.

• 
  'Unspoken Abuse 1' – page 8
  
• 
  'Unspoken Abuse 2' – page 15
  
• 
  'Unspoken Abuse 3' – page 23
  

Background

There are three of these scenes through the play. Each of them connects with the scenes called 'Line-Up'. Basically, in the Line-Up scenes, the children form a line and one is selected to be taken to a non-Indigenous home for a weekend visit.

In these scenes, the child returns. Ruby returns in 'Unspoken Abuse 1' and 'Unspoken Abuse 2'. Jimmy returns in the third scene.

Characters

• 
  Jimmy, Ruby, Anne, Sandy, children (5 upwards)
  
• 
  Jimmy, Ruby, Anne, Shirley, children (5 upwards)
  
• 
  Jimmy, Ruby, Shirley, children (4 upwards)
  

2. Discussing

In your groups, start discussing how you might perform these scenes. Consider the following production elements:

• 
  Characterisation
  
• 
  Staging (How would you use lighting? What props do you need?)
  
• 
  Performance (What actions will reveal something about the issue?)
  
• 
  Tone of voice.
  

Here are some discussion questions to guide you.

• 
  Why are these scenes called 'Unspoken Abuse'?
  
• 
  What is the purpose of these scenes and how do they relate to the 'Line-Up' scenes?
  
• 
  What do these scenes have in common? What are their differences?
  
• 
  What difference do you notice between the children's responses and answers in each scene?
  
• 
  Why do you think the children are chanting?
  
• 
  Why do they stop chanting?
  
• 
  What is the effect of not saying what happened to Ruby and Jimmy?
  
• 
  What do you make of Jimmy's response, 'Oh Ruby!', in the first two scenes?
  
• 
  What emotions or feelings do each of the scenes evoke?
  
• 
  What staging techniques (for example, lighting) would you use to change the scenes? Why would you do this?
  
• 
  Write down some action words found in the scenes that express how Ruby and Jimmy feel. Drawing on what you know about the removal of Indigenous children, think of some more action words. Ask yourself: How would Ruby and Jimmy express their feelings physically?
  

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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Developing

Now you can develop some of the ideas that came out of your discussion and see how they will work in performance. Your group will present these scenes to the class, so the next stage is rehearsal.

• 
  Amongst yourselves, decide who will play which part. If there are more people in your group than characters, you may want to rehearse it a couple of times with different people playing different characters. Alternatively, you may be able to think of other ways to incorporate the extra people into the scenes.
  
• 
  Run through the script once by just reading lines.
  
• 
  Start preparing the scenes as they will be performed. Use your discussion time to make decisions about movement, props etc.
  
• 
  Obviously, you will not be introducing lighting or sound into your performance, but it is a good idea to think about how you would use these if you could.
  

4. Performing

Each group will present their scenes to the class.

Each performance will be followed by a discussion of the performance and what elements of the issue were brought out. Feedback on further work and development can also be provided.

13. Key questions activity sheet

Stolen

1. Who is 'The Welfare'? Which characters and voices represent 'The Welfare' in the play?

2. Even though 'The Welfare' plays an important role in the play, this is generally one of physical absence from the stage. What other images are used to represent 'The Welfare' in the play?

3. How do you think the representation of 'The Welfare' matches up with the stories from the Inquiry?

4. In the 'Unspoken Abuses' scenes, the children ask questions through a chant or song. Who do you think they are addressing? What are the effects of 'revealing' the information in this way?

5. What do you think 'home' means for the characters? What different ideas of home does the play present?

6. What comments could you make about how time passes in the play? Does it seem to follow a straight line?

7. Reread the set description before the opening. Given what you know now, why do you think they went with this set?

8. What point is Sandy making about the can of peas on pages 19 and 20?

1 Margaret van Keppel and Robin Winkler speaking at the Third Australian Conference on Adoption in 1982.

2 Ubris Keys and Young, Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, prepared for the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Commonwealth of Australia, May 2007.

3 Surveys conducted by the National Sorry Day Committee in 2002 found that several thousand people, particularly in country and rural areas, would make use of the Link-Up services if they could access them. Similarly the evaluation of the WA Link-Up service in 2005 concluded that there is considerable ‘latent demand’ for services from secondary and subsequent generations of the Stolen Generations. See Ubris Keys and Young, Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, prepared for the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Commonwealth of Australia, May 2007.

4 Available online at http://www.mcatsia.gov.au/cproot/593/4318/Bringing%20Them%20Home%20Baseline%20Report.pdf