Fortune in Lampedusa A Drama Game by Daniel Steinbach for about 15 participants Waldritter e.v. 2016 Goal: Understanding of global interdependance and emotional involvement in the present refugee situation Gamemasters: 1-2 Gamemasters (GM) guide through the game and are playing several roles inside the game (busdriver, smuggler, officials, police...) The game Fortune in Lampedusa is played in several short scenes, with around 3 to 5 minutes each. There are no predetermined dialogues or plotlines the participants have to improvise according to the motivation of their roles all other players (and GM) have to react to the improvised actions. Inside the game, the participants (in the role of refugees) experience several scenes as part of their flight to europe. Some of the scenes represent real events out of their present or former lifes some scenes represent imaginations, fears or dreams of the characters. The conjunctive element is an imaginary refugeeboat background for several scenes inside the game which gets more and more empty towards the end of the game. Little by little more and more players quit the action, so that only one player remains at the boat by the end of the game. The participants, that have quitted the action (or symbolically died ), act henceforward as instructed helpers of the GM in several roles in some of the upcoming scenes. Course of Events: 1. The participants act in the role of refugees and design their character by themselves. They get a Charactersheet, that they have to fill in and time and possibilities to look up some facts (Internet+Smartphones, Enceclopedia, etc...). They have 45 minutes to do that. 2. Then the game starts and the participants act in their roles. You play the below descripted scenes. Glück in Lampedusa Seite 1
Szenenablauf: 1. Small Bus Set Up: 3x3 Chairs in rows as a bus, GM as busdriver on a chir in front. Course of Events: The driver collects the refugees and drives them to the beach. It's a very shaky drive. The driver tells them, that they can meet someone at the beach who sells them tickets for a boat-trip to europe. 2. Schmugglers Set Up: Build a corner out of tables or mobile walls the smuggler is positioned there. Course of events: Little by little the refugees come to the smuggler and have to pay money (no real money, of course) for the trip. The smuggler tells everyone to be at the beach at 4 o'clock in the morning, where the boat will arrive. Refugees that have no money can try to pay with jewelery, shoes, glasses, etc. One player get's no ticket (too less money) and quits. 3. Refugeeboat 1 Set Up: A rubber boat (made out of flip chart paper, blanket, newspaper sheets, tables turned over or maybe a real rubber boat?) is placed in a way, that in can stay in this position for the whole game (it will be used in coming scenes) Course of events: The refugees are in a boat. Just let it run for a while and then end it (GM). 4. Fare-Well Set Up: The scene is played in smaller groups. (Table in the centre, family and friends standing or sitting around) The groups are devided by mobile walls or located in different rooms. Course of events: 2 Participants play a scene out of their history themselves, leaving the family, before they started the flight. The rest play family or near friends (Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, best Friends...). Brothers and Sisters want to go with their brother/sister, but the family hasn't enough money for that. The scene ends (GM), when the refugee is leaving. Brother/ Sister quit the action afterwards. 5. Refugeeboat 2 - Storm Course of events: The refugees sit in the boat. The people missing (also in the upcoming scenes) went overboard (telling of the GM). A storm is coming (telling of the GM). Flashes are symbolized by quickly turning the roomlight on and off. Huge waves are coming towards the boat and it rains heavily (telling of the GM). End the scene after a while (GM). Glück in Lampedusa Seite 2
6. Military Area SetUp: The scene is played in smaller groups. The players left in the game group in a corner of the room, the rest plays armed, military fighters and guard the room or hide behind a table or corner. Course of events: You are in a military guarded area (telling of the GM) and have to be very careful, not to be catched and imprisoned. The players try to pass the military some are captured, some manage to flee. Dialogues are improvised, when they come up. The scene ends when everyone is either escaped or caught. Caught players quit the action. 7. Reception Camp SetUp: 2 Tables become Official Desks, 2 quitted participants play officials who inquire the refugees. The other quitted participants play security people. Course of characters: The refugees arrive at the reception camp and are registered by the officials. Little by little everyone is asked (maybe first in a language the player don't understand): - What is your name? - What is your profession? - Where are you from? More questions can be asked as well. The officials decide, who can move on and who is taken out by the security people. The scene ends when everyone has been inquired. Time: about 10 minutes 8. Refugeeboat 3 - Thirst Course of events: The refugees are sitting in the boat. Everyone is extremely thirsty and the sun is burning (telling of the GM). A nearly empty bottle of water stands in the middle of the boat. The players will try to get the water and drink it. End the scene after a while (GM). Dauer: about 5 minutes 9. Reason for fleeing SetUp: The players are devided in smaller groups. 1-2 scenes are played. Course of events: A refugee reads his reason for fleeing. All players imagine together, how one could play this reason in a short scene and do this afterwards. Everyone can play different roles. The GM decides, how many scenes are played and how long. Maybe he also decides, if someone is quitting the action. per scene 10. Refugeeboat 4 - Leak Course of events: the refugees are sitting in the boat. Then a leak is detected in the boat (telling of the GM, maybe ripping the flip chart paper or resizing the blankets). The refugees can try to fix the leak or put their hands on. The GM could rip more and more leaks into the boat or seperate a larger part of the boat with people on it. The GM ends the scene after a while. Glück in Lampedusa Seite 3
11. Stranded SetUp: Chairs are set up as canvas chairs there's a beach party going on. Course of events: All quitted players play tourists and celebrate a beach party, while the refugees are washed up to the beach and the are very exhausted and thirsty. GM (and maybe another quitted player) play police officers and ask for refugees. If they are presented to the police by the tourists, the police brings them away one after another, till only one refugee is left. Then the scene is endet by the GM. 12. Refugeeboat 5 - Alone SetUp: The last Refugee is sitting in the boat. Everyone else should be quiet and watching. Course of events: A lonely refugee in a boat. If possible, the light gets darker and darker and is swiched off completely in the end. Then, the GM ends the game. The result of the flight is undetermined. Glück in Lampedusa Seite 4
Anhang I Scenelist (Overview for Gamemasters) Preparation: Build up the bus, Design a smugglers corner, Prepare a boat 1. Trip in a small bus 2. Schmugglers at the beach 3. Refugeeboat 1 4. Farewell from home (in smaller groups) 5. Refugeeboat 2 Storm 6. Military Area (in smaller groups) 7. Reception Camp (some desks) 8. Refugeeboat 3 Thirst 9. Reasons for fleeing (in smaller groups) 10. Refugeeboat 4 Leak 11. Stranded 12. Refugeeboat 5 Alone Glück in Lampedusa Seite 5