He Died Smiling is a play about a young gay man named Paul who is assaulted outside of a club and left for dead. He cries for help but seemingly goes unheard, until a mysterious voice answers his cries. Paul thinks he is going mad and imagining the voice. But the voice is his only comfort and he begins to listen. Through his interaction with the voice, he accepts that he is going to die soon. The voice encourages him not to be sad and bitter but to rather make the best of his last moments. Paul finds this to be an almost impossible task because of the painful death he is enduring and the painful memories of his life. But the voice makes him understand that there is nothing he can do but to accept his fate and that any negative thoughts will be carried into the next life and burden him. "Leave it behind, for it doesn't really matter now," the voice insists. Paul decides to listen and to try and make peace with the life he is about to leave behind. The voice tells him not to dwell in the past, but to use fantasy and to tap into his spirituality in order to change the events, "Wish it, if it makes you happy!" Paul does just that. He recreates his former life through fantasy, humor, song and dance. Using the power of his imagination and inspiration from the voice we see what Paul would have wished his life to have been like...just in time, to die with a smile.

 


PERFORMANCE TIME: 80 minutes

GENRE: Black Comedy/Musical

WRITTEN by Marc Kwabema Boone

DIRECTED by: Donna Smith and Marc Boone

ABOUT DONNA SMITH (Director):
Originally from Jamaica, she has studied and practiced law. She is now a mediator/ facilitator and an activist for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. She is the online counselor for Behind the Mask. Although this marks Donna's directing debut, she has been on stage in Jamaica performing with the University Singers, a choir that encompasses music and performance art, which was termed "Choral Theatre." Donna was also co-chair of the 2001 lesbian and gay Pride festival.

 

 

ABOUT THE PLAY:

 

He Died Smiling uses life and death as its themes, it explores the last moments of a dying man. The play uses fantasy and spirituality to create a blend of tragedy and comedy. A powerful tale of redemption, with eight original songs written by Boone, and choreography by Stanley Jacobs, it is versatile, uplifting and tragic at the same time.

He Died Smiling was first performed at the Windybrow Theatre during their annual arts festival program in March 2001. The play received televised coverage from E News and Morning Live on SABC 2. The play had a revival at the September 2001 Pride festival. The play had a third run, presented by BEHIND THE MASK* as part of their cultural programme for a series of workshops dealing with lesbians and gays in the media.

*Behind the Mask is a Lesbian and Gay South African website that provides information on the arts, culture and politics of the gay and lesbian community in South Africa and other parts of the continent. Check out the website at: www.mask.org.za

 

The original cast, from left to right Martin Gustafsson, Shaun Harris, Termain Kyles, Martin Machapa, Mamakki Mlangeni and Dominic


The latest cast include Stanley Jacobs, Donna Smith, Marc Kwabema Boone, Dominic, Thokozani Ndaba, Amiel Mathebula, Daniel Somerville, Matshepo Motsoeneng, Paulette Webster and Mongi Dlamini.

 

HE DIED SMILING (scene by scene)

ACT I/Scene I
THE ASSAULT ON PAUL
Paul is assaulted outside of a gay club and left for dead.

Scene II
PAUL HEARS VOICES
Paul hears an unidentified voice. The Voice tries to give Paul spiritual consolation.

Scene III
THE UNSPEAKABLE BEAUTY OF CELSIUS
Paul imagines a homoerotic fairy tale.

Scene IV
PAUL AND VOICE
Paul is encouraged to accept that he is dying.

Scene V
PAUL WITH SCHOOL MATES
Paul fantasizes how it could have been in school if he was openly gay.

Scene VI
PAUL AND VOICE
Interaction with Paul and the Voice

Scene VII
PAUL IN CHURCH
Paul wishes that church was a fun place of worship, where God embraces homosexuals.

Scene VIII
PAUL AND VOICE
Interaction with Paul and the Voice

Scene IX
PAUL WITH MOM
Paul makes peace with his mother, remembering her as he wished she could've been.

Scene X
PAUL'S FUNERAL

THE END


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