He is suffering mentally and wants to be discharged from the hospital. Art scupltor and teacher ken harrison lays in the hospital bed day in and day wondering what next to become in his life. This topic is presented with class, considerable angst, and comedic elements by a group of the most talented actors ever. It movingly and thoughtprovokingly raises issues that you are likely to debate long after leaving the theatre. Because of the development of ken as an appealing character and the controversial issues of euthanasia and. The film was scripted by reginald rose and brian clark from clarks stage play. Jan 28, 2005 one of the major factors of brian clarks play is that the leading role can be played by a man or a woman. The dilemma posed of a medical profession committed to save life on the one hand, and an. The profound sadness is that his book is a world away from the millionpound advance and acres of publicity received by wayne rooney, who has done nothing interesting. Hes not capable of adapting himself to a new lifestyle which causes such dramatically changes as paralysation. If youre feeling intimidated, or even guilty, about your financial situation or giving habits, this study can help you get back on track. One of the major factors of brian clarks play is that the leading role can be played by a man or a woman.
A major revival of brian clarks play whose life is it anyway. In a successful production of brian clarks whose life is it anyway. The paralyzed main character in brian clarks drama faces a living. In the end, claire has to resort to legal sanction in order to get what she wants. Ken is a strongminded, passionate man totally dedicated to his art, and he decides he does not want to go on with the compromised, highly dependent life that his doctors, his girlfriend pat janet eilber, and others urge on him. The protagonist of the play, ken harrison, once an imaginative, devoted sculptor, endures a terrible car crash. Ken is a strongminded, passionate man totally dedicated to his art, and he decides he does. Feb 26, 2005 the patients or the doctors, and whose life is it anyway. Living through your 20s on your own terms, by dr linda papadopoulos the expectation placed on young women to live the perfect life and to meet societys. The pressure cooker of life for twentysomethings is leading to increasing levels of young women battling with anxiety, low selfesteem, bullying. Is it morally right to sustain a painful life or to opt for an easy death when the patient has no real life to live and wants to leave this earth clark handles these serious lifeending questions with a sensitivity and even a sense of humor,but there is no doubt as to which side he is on.
Because of the development of ken as an appealing character and the controversial issues of euthanasia and medical ethics that the play raises. Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. This decision leads to immediate conflict between claire and her consulting physician, who sees his duty as preserving life, not terminating it. The inner journey of ken harrison in whose life is it anyway. When the networks orders an additional 20 episodes of his show, emeril finds himself struggling to juggle his career with his life as a husband and father. Oct 20, 2015 life is full of opportunity for 20somethings, but it s also far more pressured than ever before. Ken harrison a car accident has left him paralyzed from the neck down. The sculptor ken harrison richard dreyfuss is badly injured in a car accident and finds himself in the middle of life permanently paralyzed below the. In this one i would like to address power struggles between staff and people being supported.
Martin who i didnt discover until after reading the book is an editor for one of my favorite blogs interviews and tells the stories of 8 people under the age of. How essaysin the play whose life is it anyway brian clark poses one of the big questions in life do i have free will. She goes on to provide a variety of techniques to help readers shield themselves from the needs of others, build strong boundaries. Presented originally as a television play in 1972, it was re presented as a stage play in 1978, and as a movie in 1981. William ray arney, dartmouth college whose life is it anyway. I was mandated to read this for ethics as part of the right to life unit. His antagonist is the hospitals medical director dr. Ken harrison, a successful sculptor, is paralyzed in a car accident and kept alive by support. He breaks up with pat and fights to be released from the hospital, to gain control of his life in order to stop the care that keeps him alive and unhappy. The title of the play itself a rhetorical question. It has since been performed by female leads on broadway as well as being made into a film starring richard dreyfuss. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. I suppose part of my frustration comes from kens whole character, who is witty to the point of absolute frustration, and is.
Whether its the proliferation or the homogeneity of images of beauty and success that wallpaper our world, we know what a beautiful woman looks like and we know what a perfect life looks like too. The profound sadness is that his book is a world away from the millionpound advance and acres of publicity received by. A brilliant battle of wits takes place in this extraordinary play. Like the others, this is intended as a conversationstarter for direct. Boyle a social worker, she tries to do her job in a caring but professional way. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the. He has been hospitalised for six months because he was in a car accident and is now paralysed from the neck down. Finally, despite the pleas of the doctor and his involved nurse, ken invokes the law of habeas corpus and a judge joins the battle to determine whose life is it anyway. Life is full of opportunity for 20somethings, but its also far more pressured than ever before. John macarthur discusses the purpose of money, how you should and shouldnt use it, and the why, where, when, and how of giving it.
The inner journey of ken harrison in whose life is it. Whose line is it anyway play it at home by dan patterson. The inner journey of ken harrison in whose life is it anyway by brian clark pages 2. Welcome to one in a series of papers on the work and experiences of direct support staff. Following a lengthy operation, ken is paralysed from t. While i finished several chapters, i thought i was reading a love story.
Not as depressing as it sounds, whose life is it anyway is perversely hilarious at times, with dreyfuss at his acerbic best. Despite the fact that ken, the main character, spends the whole of the play confined to bed, what makes whose life is it anyway an intriguing and entertaining play for the audience. Brian clarks 1978 drama is a marvellous vehicle for a star, with several excellent supporting roles. In the play, whose life is it anyway written by brian clarke, the intense argument of committing voluntary euthanasia is discussed. He is also writing a book on a new theory of policing. The expectation placed on young women to live the perfect life and to meet societys standards of beauty, career success and happiness is a both unrealistic and damaging burden.
It tells the story, she writes, of how this movement to. The sculptor ken harrison richard dreyfuss is badly injured in a car accident and finds himself in the middle of life permanently paralyzed below the neck and dependent on others for his care and survival. One doesnt know who has actually asked the question, firstly one would g. Whether it s the proliferation or the homogeneity of images of beauty and success that wallpaper our world, we know what a beautiful woman looks like and we know what a perfect life looks like too. His physician, however, is utterly determined to preserve kens life, regardless of its quality. With emeril lagasse, lisa ann walter, sherri shepherd, carrie preston. After a neardeath car accident, harrison is paralyzed from he neck down, as his spinal cord ruptured from the horrible crash. That movement is the subject of a new book by darcy olsen, the right to try. Living through your 20s on your own terms, by dr linda papadopoulos the expectation placed on young women to. Psychologist and author nina brown helps readers who are overinvolved with loved ones shield themselves against their emotional needs and start to focus on their own.
Original, play, drama, broadway opened in new york city apr 17, 1979 and played through oct 27, 1979. It is both witty and compassionate, thoughtful and fastmoving. On balance, i believe that the latter is more effective, without denigrating the. Brian clarks play, written in 1976 for a male lead, initially in the west end, was a hit with tom conti. Emerson john cassavetes, who believes in preserving life no matter what, and so tries to get ken committed as clinically depressed.
This comment is brought to you for free and open access by the law journals at smu scholar. Her long list of the books failings included that it was a jerky patchwork and made no mention of kiplings great love of the bible, english and french literature. The stage version premiered in 1978 at the mermaid theatre in london, and subsequently opened on broadway in 1979. The play is about the few days before the end of the life of ken harrison, a sculptor paralyzed from the neck down who decides that he does not want to live. Laurence olivier award london evening standard award rights and availability this title can be licensed and sold throughout canada, the united states. It raises many difficult issues, the most difficult of all. The patients or the doctors, and whose life is it anyway. During the past year, a broadway play entitled, whose life is it anyway. Is it morally right to sustain a painful life or to opt for an easy death when the patient has no real life to live and wants to leave this earth clark handles these serious life ending questions with a sensitivity and even a sense of humor,but there is no doubt as to which side he is on.