Stuff Happens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the 2007 John Cusack film, see Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens.
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:
- "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, mixing verbatim re-creations of real speeches, meetings and press conferences and fictionalised 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 and Blair -- play only one role.
Stuff Happens opened at the National Theatre in London in September 2004, and has subsequently been performed at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum (with Keith Carradine and Julian Sands) in June 2005 and at Sydney's Seymour Center in July 2005. In March 2006, it opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in New York City. Its New England premiere was held by Zeitgeist Stage Company in a show that was extended due to popular demand.
 |
This article on a play is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
