Professional Documents
Culture Documents
End of The World - by Nina Runa Essendrop - The Woman With The Child
End of The World - by Nina Runa Essendrop - The Woman With The Child
1
You were born. You grew up. You became an adult, moved away from home, and never looked back.
You got a good education. You fell in love and he became your boyfriend. You were together for a couple of years. You got into a
fight and split up. You got on with your life and learned to appreciate your independence. You got a good job. Your paths crossed
again. You slept together. You got pregnant.
During the pregnancy, you were fired from your job. Cut backs, they said. The father of the child would not see you. He said you
where lying. That the child was not his. You lost contact with your friends. They went to parties and got drunk, and you could no
longer do that.
Then came the child. The birth was tough, you were surrounded by doctors and nurses who were strangers to you. They were
kind, but had to check their files to remember your name.
And then it was over and you were sent home with an infant child.
Suddenly alone.
You had no idea what to do with the child. You still don’t.
The child is a couple of months old. You love the child, but you miss your freedom and you miss talking to adults. Sometimes
when the child keeps crying you feel like screaming. Once in a while you think about how nice it would be to just leave her
somewhere and take care of yourself. Then you feel guilty. You often consider calling your friends, but you never do, because you
don’t want to be a burden. You often consider talking to the father of the child, to tell him how much you hate him, but you never
do, because that might ruin your child’s chance to ever develop a relationship with her father later on.
You have considered getting out more with your daughter. But when you have finished all the things you have to do, you are too
tired. Besides, you are scared and alone and don’t feel ready to meet the world.
You are The Woman With The Child. Lonely but never alone. Always with a responsibility.
The Woman with the baby carriage, who walks in the park every afternoon. Does the shopping, cleans, changes diapers, comforts,
and feeds. The Woman With The Child who is reading newspapers and magazines to make sure that the world outside is still
spinning even if she herself is standing completely still.
2
Act 1: The last day home
Form:
Each player takes turns describing their characters’ last day at home.
Duration:
From when the main characters awake until they meet at the abandoned train station.
Focus:
The main characters’ thoughts and feelings, the players getting to know their characters.
Mood:
Silence, melancholy, fear and acceptance.
3
Act 2: The journey
Form:
A sequence of predetermined scenes.
Duration:
From when the main characters board the train until they reach The Mountain.
Characters’ goal:
To make the characters find themselves again by giving themselves new names.
Focus:
The main characters’ actions and growth, the world that is disappearing.
Mood:
Dreamlike, curiosity, acceptance and change.
4
Act 3: The end of the world
Form:
The players touching simulates the closeness between the main characters, drifting in and out of
The Blue Room while the world is vanishing.
Duration:
From when they sit on The Mountain to when the world has disappeared.
Characters’ goals:
Think about the lives they have led and maybe find peace.
Focus:
Thoughts, feelings and memories. Trying to find peace.
Mood:
The border between life and death, imagination and reality. Half asleep (dying), closeness, safety,
fear of the world ending.
5
The world and The Blue Room: