DECLASSIFIED:

STRUGGLE FOR E
(WE USED TO EAT
XISTENCE
LUNCH TOGETHER)

A CEN
SORED PLA
BY STUDEN Y
TS FROM JA
AND QUEE M A ICA HIGH
NS COLLEG SCHOOL
IATE HIGH
SCHOOL
IN T HE ACTOR
AT QUEENSBOROU ’S WORKSHOP
GH COMMU
NITY COLL
EGE
You are about to read a
piece of banned literature. 'HFODVVLÀHG
6WUXJJOH IRU ([LVWHQFH :H 8VHG WR (DW /XQFK 7RJHWKHU is the work
of students from Jamaica High School and Queens Collegiate
High School, produced as part of the Actor’s Workshop at
Queensborough Community College. A scathing indictment
of education reforms under New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein, the play was to be
performed in December 2010 at the Jamaica High School
DXGLWRULXPEXWVFKRRORIÀFLDOVVKXWGRZQWKHSURMHFWDVLWVFDVW
DQGFUHZHQWHUHGÀQDOUHKHDUVDOV1RZ'HFODVVLÀHG is being made
available in print for you to read, perform, and pass along.

'HFODVVLÀHGDSSHDUVDWDFUXFLDOMXQFWXUHDV\RXQJSHRSOHDFURVV
New York City mobilize to change the conditions of their lives.
Throughout 2009 and 2010, thousands of high school students
and their allies staged walkouts, rallies and demonstrations
DJDLQVWDWWDFNVRQWKHTXDOLW\RI SXEOLFHGXFDWLRQ³ÀUVWDV07$
RIÀFLDOVSUHSDUHGWRHOLPLQDWHWKHIUHH0HWUR&DUGV\RXQJSHRSOH
rely on for their daily commutes, and then as the Bloomberg

i
administration threatened to close 19 so-called “failing” schools
across the city. Student actions in the streets have saved student
MetroCards for the time being, and staved off several school
closures, even as more cuts loom on the horizon.

,QWKHLUÀJKWWRNHHSSROLWLFLDQVDQGEXUHDXFUDWVIURPZULWLQJRII 
their future, the youth of New York City are moving in rhythm
with other students across the country. The past two years have
also seen massive demonstrations against tuition hikes and other
austerity measures on college campuses, including building
occupations in New York and California, and takeovers of entire
university campuses on the island of Puerto Rico. These various
student struggles are all part of the same historical heartbeat,
defending educational institutions while transforming the nature
of education itself in the process.

'HFODVVLÀHG captures the urgency of this moment in a clever

reworking of Sophocles’ $QWLJRQH, employing cut-up text from
Seamus Heaney’s translation of the Greek work and a New York
Times article from October 28th, 2010. In seven short scenes we
meet an array of characters: a single mother working the night
shift; students divided by the reputations of their respective
VFKRROVMDQLWRUVPXOOLQJRYHUWKHLUUROHLQWKHÀJKWDJDLQVWVFKRRO
closures; and the chancellor of New York City schools, locked in
verbal combat with the prophet Tiresias.

The authors of 'HFODVVLÀHG use these voices to unveil the

LQIXULDWLQJLQHTXDOLWLHVDQGVWLÁLQJFRQWUROVWKDWSHUPHDWHSXEOLF
schools, the grinding pace of working class life in New York
&LW\ DQG WKH GHWHUPLQDWLRQ RI  \RXQJ SHRSOH ´ÀJKWLQJ DJDLQVW
WKHRGGVMXVWWRVXUYLYHMXVWIRUH[LVWHQFHµ/LNHLWVSUHGHFHVVRUV
in the tradition of politically conscious theater—from the Black
Arts Movement to the incendiary plays of Dario Fo and Bertolt
Brecht—'HFODVVLÀHG calls on us to seize the time.

ii
The text is laid out here for easy reproduction. This document
can easily be printed, photocopied, folded and stapled as a
booklet. It can be taken up by students, teachers, parents, youth
ZRUNHUVDQGDQ\RQHHOVHZKRÀQGVLWXVHIXO,WFDQEHWZHDNHG
for performances in different linguistic communities and
political circumstances. It can be performed in schools, parks
and community centers, or at the next demonstration against an
impending school closing.

All Power Through The People.

DQDQDUFKLVW
ERRJLHGRZQSODQHWHDUWK
'HFHPEHU

iii
DECLASSIFIED: STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE
(WE USED TO EAT LUNCH TOGETHER)
&RQFHLYHGRI E\VWXGHQWV
IURP-DPDLFD+LJK6FKRRODQG4XHHQV&ROOHJLDWH+LJK6FKRRO
LQWKH$FWRU·V:RUNVKRSDW4XHHQVERURXJK&RPPXQLW\&ROOHJH

CHARACTERS:
Mom
Antigone
Ismene
Newscast
6FKRRO2IÀFLDO
Student 1
Student 2
2IÀFH$VVLVWDQW
Chancellor
Tireseus
Janitor 1
Janitor 2

1RWH$OOOLQHVLQEROGDUHWDNHQIURP6HDPXV+HDQH\·VWUDQVODWLRQRI 
$QWLJRQH

1RWH1HZVFDVWLVSXOOHGIURPD1<7LPHVDUWLFOH
IURP2FWREHU
 SCENE 1
020LVLQWKHNLWFKHQJHWWLQJIRRGUHDG\$17,*21(DQG,60(1(
FRPHKRPHIURPVFKRRO$17,*21(DUULYHVÀUVWWKHQ,60(1(WKH
\RXQJHUVLVWHU

MOM: Hi Antigone. How was school?

ANTIGONE: I don’t want to talk about it.

MOM: Come on, it can’t be that bad.

ANTIGONE: There were 42 kids in my math class. There

wasn’t even a place to sit. Plus we don’t have enough text
books to go around. It’s that bad.

MOM: Are you hungry?

ANTIGONE: That’s another thing. We have to eat lunch at

10am while the kids at the new school get to eat at a normal
time.

MOM: You mean Ismene’s school?

ANTIGONE: Yeah. They get all the good lunch times. Not to
mention better classrooms.

MOM: Well, try to understand. Part of this new school reform

is investing in smaller schools.

ANTIGONE: What’s happened here is that the judge has

misjudged everything.

MOM: What’s that supposed to mean?

ANTIGONE: Nothing. Just something we read in theater class.

1
MOM: Well, eat some food. You’ll feel better. I’m making
stewed chicken.

,60(1(HQWHUV

MOM: Hi sweetheart. How was your day?

ISMENE: Mom, we have laptops. Can you believe it? I mean

we can’t take em home with us, but still. And there was
this one kid, Neil, he switched the keys on the keyboard so
people kept typing the wrong thing.

MOM: So it was a good day?

ISMENE: Besides the fact that now I have all these text books
I have to lug around. Oh, and I need you to sign this paper.
:HDUHJRLQJRQDÀHOGWULSWR'&QH[WPRQWK

ANTIGONE: It’s not fair. These new schools are getting all
the attention. It’s like we’ve been left out for the birds to
feed on.

,60(1(VWLFNVKHUWRQJXHRXWDW$QWLJRQH$QWLJRQHUHVSRQGV

MOM: Please, no arguing tonight. I have to work.

ANTIGONE: Again? But you worked the night shift last night.

MOM:/RRNDIWHU\RXUVLVWHU7KHUH·VSOHQW\RI IRRG&DOOLI 
you need me. Bye.

020NLVVHVWKHGDXJKWHUVDQGKHDGVRXWWRZRUN

ISMENE: Well, I got homework to do.

ANTIGONE: Whatever. Just don’t bother me.

2
,60(1(JRHVWRKHUURRPDQG$QWLJRQHWXUQVRQWKH79

SCENE 2
$17,*21(VLWVZDWFKLQJ79

TV: The New York City Department of Education said

Thursday that up to 47 schools could be closed for poor
performance, a huge increase from previous years if all
remain on the chopping block. The schools on the list
include John Dewey High School in Brooklyn and Jamaica
High School in Queens.

ANTIGONE: Ismene, quick, come here!

,60(1(HQWHUV

ISMENE: What!

ANTIGONE: Just get your butt over here.

ISMENE: What is it?

ANTIGONE: Here’s what has happened. There’s a

general order issued and it hits us hardest.

ISMENE: Can you stop talking like you’re in that stupid Greek
play and talk normal!

ANTIGONE: Just watch....

TV: In the eight years since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has

used school closings as a cornerstone of his school reform
strategy, 91 schools have been shuttered and replaced with
new schools. Nineteen of the schools were to close last year,

3
 but won temporary reprieves because of a lawsuit brought
by the teachers’ union and the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People. The schools face a
potential “phase-out,” a process in which the school stops
accepting students and loses one grade per year until it
ceases to exist. Simultaneously, new schools open in the
building.

ANTIGONE: That’s where your school came from.

TV: To reduce the shock and anger that closing announcements

met in past years, the city has a new process to explain its
WKLQNLQJEHIRUHPDNLQJDÀQDOGHFLVLRQ

ANTIGONE: Yeah, they better explain.

TV: The efforts at dialogue respond to the broader issues raised

in the lawsuit last year, which found that the city broke
the law in how it informed and involved the community
LQWKHVFKRROFORVLQJSURFHVV7KHFLW\·VÀQDOGHFLVLRQV
on elementary and middle schools is expected by the end
of November, with decisions on high schools by mid-
'HFHPEHU7KHQWKHRIÀFLDOOHJDOO\PDQGDWHGFORVLQJ
SURFHVVLQYROYLQJDGGLWLRQDOSXEOLFPHHWLQJVDQGDÀQDO
vote by the mayoral-controlled Panel for Educational Policy,
begins.

1HZVFDVWHQGV$17,*21(FOLFNVRII WKH79

ANTIGONE: This is so messed up. We have to do something.

ISMENE: If things have gone this far what is there we can

do?

ANTIGONE: Well, I’m not gonna let them close my school

ZLWKRXWDÀJKW$QG\RX·UHJRQQDKHOSPH

4
ISMENE: It’s not my school. What do I care?

ANTIGONE: You have friends that go to Jamaica, don’t you?

ISMENE: Yeah, so? Besides, you know if you do anything to

JHWLQWRWURXEOHDJDLQPRP·VJRQQDÁLSRXW6KH·VDOUHDG\VR
stressed out since dad left.

ANTIGONE: Are we sister-sister, or traitor-coward?

ISMENE: It’s not that simple.

ANTIGONE: Fine. I don’t need your help anyway. I’m gonna

save my school, even if I have to do it by myself.

ISMENE: Easy now, sister. Think this through for a minute.

$17,*21(VWRUPVRXWOHDYLQJ,60(1(VLWWLQJWKHUHDORQH

ISMENE: I fear for you, Antigone.

SCENE 3
7KHIROORZLQJZHHNLQVFKRRO$17,*21(LVKDQJLQJSRVWHUVWKDW
VD\´6DYH-DPDLFD+LJK6FKRROµ$IWHUKDQJLQJWKHPIRUDZKLOHVKHLV
DSSURDFKHGE\DVFKRRORIÀFLDO

SCHOOL OFFICIAL: Hey you. What are you doing?

ANTIGONE: Uh, nothing. Well, I’m hanging these posters up.

6&+22/2)),&,$/LQVSHFWVWKHSRVWHUV

SCHOOL OFFICIAL: I’m sorry young lady but you can’t

hang these in this hallway. This hallway belongs to the new

5
 school and you’re not authorized to hang anything here.

ANTIGONE: But it is all the same building. And besides, this

is important- the city is trying to close our school. Don’t you
want to help save it?

SCHOOL OFFICIAL: I’m sorry, but we must do as we are

told.

6&+22/2)),&,$/VWDUWVWROHDYH

ANTIGONE: If these men weren’t so afraid...

SCHOOL OFFICIAL: What did you say?

ANTIGONE: Nothing.

6&+22/2)),&,$/OHDYHV7ZRVWXGHQWVIURPWKHQHZVFKRRO
DSSURDFK

STUDENT 1: Did you hear they’re going to close Jamaica High

School?

STUDENT 2: I guess they deserve it. I heard their graduation

rate was like really low.

STUDENT 1: I don’t know. It doesn’t seem fair. I mean we get

all this new technology in our classrooms, and they get shut
down. Hey Antigone, What are you doing?

ANTIGONE: I’m trying to hang these posters up so that

students know about how to help save our school. Maybe
we can get a big protest going.

STUDENT 2: Do you really think that will make a difference?

ANTIGONE: Maybe not. But it still has to be tried. Hey, I

6
 know, maybe you can help me. I’m not allowed to hang any
in your part of the building. But since you both go to the
new school, maybe you could....

STUDENT 2: Oh, I don’t think so.

ANTIGONE: Just a few on your way to class.

STUDENT 1: Well, I guess we could do that.

STUDENT 2: No way, I’m not getting in trouble for Jamaica

High School. You all hate us anyway.

ANTIGONE: That’s not true.

STUDENT 2: Anyway, maybe Jamaica should be closed. I

mean, if you can’t get your act together.

ANTIGONE:/RRNZHORVWRI RXUWHDFKHUVDQGZHGRQ·W
have enough resources to handle all the students we have.
It’s not our fault.

STUDENT 2: Whatever.

678'(17OHDYHV$17,*21(LVÁXVWHUHG

STUDENT 1: Here give me some of those. I’ll help you.

ANTIGONE: Thanks.

7KH\FRQWLQXHKDQJLQJWKHSRVWHUVWRJHWKHU

STUDENT 1: Hey, do you remember when we used to eat

lunch together?

ANTIGONE: Freshman year. That was the year.

7
STUDENT 1: Yeah, why did they change that?

ANTIGONE: I don’t know. “Education reform” or something.

STUDENT 1: Things are so divided now. I liked it a lot better

when we where together.

ANTIGONE: Yeah me too.

STUDENT 1: Hey I gotta run to class. Will I see you later at

QCC?

ANTIGONE: Yeah I think so. If I can get all these posters up.

678'(17OHDYHV$17,*21(FRQWLQXHVKDQJLQJSRVWHUVXQWLOWKH
ZKROHZDOOLVFRYHUHG

SCENE 4
,QWKHRIÀFHRI WKH6FKRRO&+$1&(//25

OFFICE ASSISTANT: Uh, Chancellor. Tireseus is here to see

you.

CHANCELLOR: Send him in.

7,5(6(86HQWHUV

CHANCELLOR: Tireseus, what are you doing here?

TIRESEUS: I had some time off from teaching and thought

I’d check in on my old friend. You don’t look so good
brother.

CHANCELLOR:,W·VDOOWKHVHOHWWHUV,·PJHWWLQJ/LVWHQWR

8
 this....

5HDGLQJ

“Dear Chancellor Klein. We the undersigned students,

parents, staff members and friends of the Jamaica High
School Community urge you not to phase out or turnaround
this 118 year old historical institution. Jamaica High School
has been treated very unfairly by the Department of
Education and deserves support rather than phase out.”

+ROGLQJXSWKHOHWWHU

CHANCELLOR: Do you really think I’ve been unfair?

TIRESEUS: Sounds like your conscience is what’s doing

the disturbing.

CHANCELLOR: Don’t talk in codes.

TIRESEUS:<RXWRRNDZD\RI WKHVFKRRO·VWHDFKLQJVWDII 
which increased class sizes, and you gave half the space in
the building away to new smaller schools. Would you call
that fair treatment?

CHANCELLOR: We can’t continue to invest in failing schools.

TIRESEUS: Do you really think closing schools is the answer?

CHANCELLOR: The school is failing.

TIRESEUS: Or maybe you are failing the school. Why not give
them what they need to succeed?

CHANCELLOR: But schools must be held accountable.

TIRESEUS: And what about you, Chancellor? Who’s holding

9
 you accountable? The gods have given us the use of
reason, but do we use it right? Do I? Do you?

CHANCELLOR: Why am I standing out here like a

target? Why is every arrow aimed at me.

TIRESEUS: Isn’t it your policy that is upsetting so many

students and teachers?

CHANCELLOR: Who’s got you in their pocket? Are you

working for the teachers union now?

TIRESEUS: Honest advice is not a thing you buy.

CHANCELLOR: All of you so-called seers: you have your

price.

TIRESEUS: Rulers too have a name for being corrupt.

CHANCELLOR: The decisions I take are not up for sale.

TIRESEUS: Are you so sure about that?

CHANCELLOR:*HWRXWRI P\RIÀFH

TIRESEUS: Fine, but know this: where you are standing

now is a cliff edge, and there’s a cold wind blowing.

7,5(6(86H[LWV

OFFICE ASSISTANT: He’s gone, but his words won’t go

away. Never in all my days was that man wrong. When
he warned the city, the city new to listen.

CHANCELLOR: Don’t you have some work to do.

OFFICE ASSISTANT:,·PMXVWVD\LQJ

10
7KH&+$1&(//25EURRGV

SCENE 5
$17,*21(LVDWKRPHORRNLQJVDG,60(1(HQWHUV7KHUH·VDWHQVH
VLOHQFHEHWZHHQWKHWZR

ISMENE: I heard you got suspended.

ANTIGONE: Yeah. For hanging posters in your school’s

hallway. Anyway, why are you home so early?

ISMENE: I told my principal that I helped you do it.

ANTIGONE: You did what?!

ISMENE: Yeah, so I guess I got suspended too.

ANTIGONE: I don’t allow this. Justice won’t allow this.

You wouldn’t help!

ISMENE: But I’m with you now.

ANTIGONE: Too late sister. You can’t just pluck your

honor off a bush you didn’t plant.

ISMENE: But even at this stage, can I not do something?

ANTIGONE: Well, there is one thing I was thinking of.

$17,*21(ZKLVSHUVWR,60(1(DVWKHVFHQHVKLIWV

11
 SCENE 6
7ZRMDQLWRUVDUHWDNLQJGRZQ$QWLJRQH·VSRVWHUV

JANITOR 1: What do you think about all this?

JANTIOR 2: What do you mean?

JANITOR 1: You know, this business of closing Jamaica High

School.

JANITOR 2::HOO,GRQ·WNQRZ,WGHÀQLWHO\GRQ·WPDNHVHQVH
WRPH,PHDQZK\FORVHDVFKRRO7KH\JRWPRQH\IRUMDLOV
don’t they. Why not schools?

JANITOR 1: I hear that. So why we taking all these posters

down anyway?

JANITOR 2:-XVWGRLQJRXUMRE

JANITOR 1::HOO,MXVWDVDVVXPHOHDYH¶HPXS$QGLI WKH

powers that be have a problem with that, well, they can take
them down on their own time

7KHWZRMDQLWRUVFRQWLQXHGLVFXVVLQJWKHLUYLHZVRQWKHVFKRROFORVLQJDQGWKH
VWDWHRI WKHZRUOGJHQHUDOO\/LJKWVIDGH

SCENE 7
020LVVLWWLQJDWWKHWDEOH6KHLVWLUHGIURPZRUN$17,*21(
FRPHVKRPH

ANTIGONE: I can’t believe this. Ismene and I had this whole

protest planned. It was gonna be big. But now this! (Holds
up a letter)

12
MOM: Antigone, Slow down! What’s this all about?

ANTIGONE: Ok, So the city decides it wants to close down

Jamaica High School, right?! And I’m like no you don’t!
:H·UHJRQQDÀJKWWKLV6R,VWDUWWRWDONWRSHRSOHPDNH
SRVWHUV6RPHWHDFKHUV\RXNQRZWKH\·UHLQWKHÀJKWJHWWLQJ
SHWLWLRQVVLJQHGDQGDOOWKDW7KHQMXVWDVLW·VKHDWLQJXS,JHW
suspended.

MOM: Wait a minute. How come I didn’t know about this?

ANTIGONE:3OHDVHPRPMXVWOHWPHÀQLVK$Q\ZD\ZHJHW
suspended for hanging posters where I’m not supposed to.

MOM: We got suspended?

ANTIGONE: Yeah, well Ismene too. But that’s a long story.

She didn’t really do it.

MOM: Ismene got suspended!?

ANTIGONE:0RP:LOO\RXSOHDVHMXVWOLVWHQ"

MOM: Fine. Go ahead.

ANTIGONE: So while I’m suspended, I got some time on

my hands, right? So I start thinking, what if we get all the
students together, included the students from the new
schools that are supposed to be like our competition--cause
like it shouldn’t be that way--and all of us together march
IURPWKHVFKRROWRWKHFKDQFHOORUVRIÀFHWRVD\QRWRFORVLQJ
Jamaica High School.

MOM: Now Antigone, what did I say about getting into more
trouble -- you’re headstrong and self willed and you
suffer for it.

13
ANTIGONE: Don’t worry mom, before I could stir up any
trouble, this letter came. So I guess it’s all over....

6KHKDQGV020WKHOHWWHUZKRUHDGVLWDORXG

MOM: Dear Parents and Students, This letter is to inform

you that the New York City Department of Education has
decided to “phase out” Jamaica High School. Beginning in
Fall of 2011, no incoming students will be admitted and the
school will close by 2014...

ANTIGONE: Word has come down from Creon. There’s

to be no rest, No mourning, and the corpse is to be
publicly dishonored.

MOM: Antigone, don’t take it so hard. I mean, is the decision

ÀQDO"

ANTIGONE:,WVRXQGVSUHWW\ÀQDOWRPH,JXHVVZHFDQVWLOO
SXVKEDFNRUVRPHWKLQJEXWLWMXVWVHHPVOLNHZH·UHÀJKWLQJ
DJDLQVWWKHRGGVMXVWWRVXUYLYHMXVWIRUH[LVWHQFH

MOM:/LVWHQWRPH$QWLJRQHWKRVHDUHWKHÀJKWVZRUWK
ÀJKWLQJWKHRQHVDJDLQVWWKHRGGV,·PSURXGRI \RX<RX
may be young, but it’s the rightness that matters, not the
age.,VD\NHHSÀJKWLQJ

ANTIGONE: Really? And you’re not upset that I got

suspended?

MOM: Come here.

020JLYHV$17,*21(DKXJ

MOM: And give me one of those petitions to sign.

14
$17,*21(JHWVDSHWLWLRQRXWRI KHUEDJDQGKDQGVLWWRKHU020
ZKRVLJQVLW

MOM:1RZVSHDNLQJRI ÀJKWLQJWRVXUYLYHZK\GRQ·W\RXKHOS
me with dinner tonight? I’ve been working so damn hard
these past few days.

ANTIGONE: Sure mom. Hey since we’re doing this whole

ÀJKWLQJDJDLQVWWKHRGGVWKLQJKRZDERXW,JHWWRVWD\RXW
past curfew tonight?

MOM: Don’t push it.

/LJKWVIDGH3URMHFWLRQVRI SDVW-DPDLFD+LJK6FKRROSURWHVWV/LJKWVXS
DQGIXOOFDVWHQWHUVWKHVWDJHDQGMRLQVLQVLQJLQJ$IWHUDVKRUWWLPHOLJKWV
IDGHDJDLQ

7KHHQGIRUQRZ

15
“ LISTEN TO ME
ARE THE FI
ANTIGONE, TH
GHTS WORT
OSE
H FIGHTING
THE ONES
AGAINST T
,
HE ODDS.

YOU MAY BE YO
UNG, BUT I
RIGHTNESS T’S THE
THAT MAT
TERS, NOT
THE AGE.
I SAY KEEP
FIGHTING.
”