Stuff Happens
Encyclopedia
Stuff Happens is a play by David Hare
, written in response to the Iraq War. Hare describes it as "a history play" that deals with recent history.
The title is inspired by Donald Rumsfeld
's response to widespread looting in Baghdad
:
The play presents a mix of viewpoints, including arguments for and against the attack on Iraq
, mixing verbatim
re-creations of real speeches, meetings and press conferences and fictionalized versions of private meetings between members of the Bush and Blair administrations, and international figures such as Hans Blix
and Dominique de Villepin
.
An ensemble cast plays over 40 roles during the 3 hour play, although the actors playing the principals—Bush
, Rice
, Powell
—play only one role.
' Mark Taper Forum
(with Keith Carradine
and Julian Sands
) in June 2005 and at Sydney
's Seymour Center (with Rhys Muldoon
and Greg Stone
) in July 2005. It has also been performed at Western Washington University under the direction of Mark Kuntz in November 2007.
It debuted in New York City in March 2006 at the Public Theatre. Director Daniel Sullivan chose a small venue at the Newman Theater at the Public. This created an atmosphere such “as if the audience too is participating in this re-creation of recent events”.
By 2008, Stuff Happens had been showcased across the globe.
On February 23, 2008, Stuff Happens opened in the Theatre in Katowice, Poland, directed by Andrew S. Paul, of Pittsburgh, Pa, USA.
The Canadian premiere was on March 4, 2008, at the Berkeley St. Theatre in Toronto
produced by Studio 180 Theatre, directed by Joel Greenberg.
The play's New England
premiere was performed by the Zeitgeist Stage Company in October 2008 - December 2008 and went on to win the Elliott Norton Award for Outstanding Fringe Theatre
Production. It was performed by Boston University's School of Theatre in April 2008. The District of Columbia premiere was performed by Georgetown University's undergraduate theatre program.
David Hare (dramatist)
Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
, written in response to the Iraq War. Hare describes it as "a history play" that deals with recent history.
The title is inspired by Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
's response to widespread looting in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
:
- "Stuff happens and it’s untidy, and freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.” (April 11, 2003)
The play presents a mix of viewpoints, including arguments for and against the attack on Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, mixing verbatim
Verbatim theatre
Verbatim theatre is a form of documentary theatre in which plays are constructed from the precise words spoken by people interviewed about a particular event or topic.-Definition:...
re-creations of real speeches, meetings and press conferences and fictionalized versions of private meetings between members of the Bush and Blair administrations, and international figures such as Hans Blix
Hans Blix
is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
and Dominique de Villepin
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
.
An ensemble cast plays over 40 roles during the 3 hour play, although the actors playing the principals—Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
—play only one role.
Plot and style
David Hare’s Stuff Happens is a play about the events that led up to the 2003 Iraq War, beginning at about the time of George W. Bush's election in America in 2000. Parts of the dialogue are direct quotes from the characters' real-world counterparts. The author has stated that the dialogue is not “knowingly untrue” but he had to sometimes “use his imagination” to cover events that were not recorded verbatim, admitting that his play is not a documentary as such.Production history
The world premiere of Stuff Happens opened at the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre in London on September 1, 2004 and has subsequently been performed at Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739 seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center built by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles...
(with Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
and Julian Sands
Julian Sands
Julian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
) in June 2005 and at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's Seymour Center (with Rhys Muldoon
Rhys Muldoon
Rhys Muldoon is an Australian actor, writer and director who has worked extensively in film, television, theatre and radio.-Television:...
and Greg Stone
Greg Stone
Greg Stone is an Australian actor who has appeared in films, television and on stage.-Biography:Stone graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 1983 and won a Helpmann Award and Green Room Award for Best Actor for his role of George W. Bush in David Hare’s Stuff Happens...
) in July 2005. It has also been performed at Western Washington University under the direction of Mark Kuntz in November 2007.
It debuted in New York City in March 2006 at the Public Theatre. Director Daniel Sullivan chose a small venue at the Newman Theater at the Public. This created an atmosphere such “as if the audience too is participating in this re-creation of recent events”.
By 2008, Stuff Happens had been showcased across the globe.
On February 23, 2008, Stuff Happens opened in the Theatre in Katowice, Poland, directed by Andrew S. Paul, of Pittsburgh, Pa, USA.
The Canadian premiere was on March 4, 2008, at the Berkeley St. Theatre in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
produced by Studio 180 Theatre, directed by Joel Greenberg.
The play's New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
premiere was performed by the Zeitgeist Stage Company in October 2008 - December 2008 and went on to win the Elliott Norton Award for Outstanding Fringe Theatre
Fringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
Production. It was performed by Boston University's School of Theatre in April 2008. The District of Columbia premiere was performed by Georgetown University's undergraduate theatre program.
External links
- Stuff Happens – original LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
production at the Olivier Theatre of the National TheatreRoyal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
(September–December 2004) - Stuff Happens – New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
production by The Public Theater (March 28, 2006–June 25, 2006). - 'Known Knowns', review in the Oxonian Review