Just this Once
Written by Beatrice Jiayu Ye
Directed by Beatrice Jiayu Ye & Larry Junyi Lin
Casting
Lele – Xiaorong Zeng
Mom – Mengxi Tian
Dad – Junyi Lin
Neighbor – Tingfeng Xie
Police officer – Dongpo Zhang
Location
Huayuan No.3 Middle School Auditorium, Biancheng Town, Xiangxi City, Hunan Province, China
Setting and Props
This play takes place in Lele’s home. So, the setting is the living room of Lele’s house, connecting with Lele’s bedroom. Tables and a couch are placed to mimic the environment of the living room. The props are food, drinks, paintings, notebooks, a cell phone, specially designed legal-knowledge boards, a water bottle, and a cigarette.
Costume and Make-ups
We did make-ups for Lele and her mother on their faces and limbs.
Plot
Plot Summary
The play explores the painful reality of domestic violence through the perspective of Lele, a young girl caught in the crossfire of her parents' toxic relationship. Lele is an unintended victim, watching her mother’s desperate attempts to hold the family together, while her father responds with cold neglect and contempt. However, Lele is not a silent witness but a brave soul. As the tension grows, the situation spirals into physical violence, forcing Lele to call the police for help.
But even with law enforcement stepping in, the problems still exist. The police find themselves unable to bring about lasting change due to the parents' manipulative behavior and refusal to acknowledge the abuse. Lele’s efforts to document the violence and seek justice for herself are met with resistance.
In the end, nothing changes. Her parents’ attempts at reconciliation are short-lived, as the cycle of violence repeats, revealing just how hard it is to escape these damaging dynamics. The play highlights the difficulty of breaking free from an abusive home and the frustrating limitations of outside intervention, leaving Lele trapped in a never-ending cycle of fear and conflict.
Scene 1
Lele's parents argue over dinner. The dad criticizes the mom, leading to tension. Mom scolds Lele for drawing instead of studying. Violence erupts between the parents, and Lele can’t stand so she calls the police for help.
Scene 2
In this scene, Lele's neighbor visits and expresses concern about her family's frequent fighting. Lele reveals her mother's violence, leading to a heated argument with the neighbor, who downplays the situation. Suddenly, the police arrive, investigating the domestic violence report.
Scene 3
In scene 3, a police officer investigates a domestic violence report in Lele's family. While her father downplays the situation, her mother denies the abuse. Lele presents evidence of the violence, highlighting the challenges victims face in seeking help. The officer encourages her to gather more evidence and offers guidance on legal options.
Scene 4
After a brief reconciliation, domestic violence resurfaces. Dad tries to apologize to Mom and Mom apologizes to Lele. But in the end, Mom and Dad still crash things on the tables. Is this really the last time or …?
Original Script (English Version)
Scene 1
Characters: Lele, Mom, Dad
Scene: Home. Curtains closed, black lights, only a table lamp for illumination.
Remarks: The first occurrence of domestic violence
Mom: (clearing the dishes on the table) It's time to eat.
(Lele sits at the desk listening to music, drawing a cartoon, engrossed, ignoring mom.)
Dad: (sitting on the sofa at the back of the stage, glances to the dining table with a disdainful face, saying slowly) How many dishes?
MOM: Three.
Dad: (sighs, continues to sit on the sofa playing with his cell phone/reading the newspaper, drinking tea) I work hard everyday and you make this kind of food to cope with me (sneers). That's not what you promised when you married me.
MOM: (moves sluggishly for a moment) Cut the jokes and come and eat.
The state of everyone doing their own thing lasted for about another 10 seconds. Mom's head slowly lifts up as she cleans up the dishes after realizing no one is paying attention to her. Mom puts down the rags etc. in her hands and walks towards Lele.
Mom: I said it's time for dinner! What is this? Why’re you so focused?
(Lele realizes that mom is coming and panics, trying to hide something on the table, but it's still taken away by mom.)
Mom: (sneering) Drawing comics again? You don't even need to eat your meals when you're drawing comics? I work hard every day to cook for you and you're here wasting time? How many times have the teachers at school told you to draw less of these little drawings? You don't even listen to your parents, do you?
Lele: I...
(Mom angrily threw the cartoon back onto the table, knocking over the water cup on Lele's desk. The water in the cup scalded Lele's arm, causing a red spot, and the cup fell to the floor and broke. Lele got up to pick it up.)
Dad: (Hearing the commotion, he took the cup of water and walked towards mom) What's the fuss?
Mom: Lele refuses to eat and is drawing those little pictures again.
Dad: (angrily slamming the table and pointing at mom) It's strange that someone would want to eat a meal like that, haven't I taught you a lesson yet? How many times have I told you that I work hard and start with 5 dishes every night, do you have to beat me up like last time to be honest?
Mom: (look at another side) No, look...
Dad: (pointing at mom with a glass of water, the water in the glass splashed on mom's face) I tell you, you women married into our family, get your posture right! Dad: (pointing a glass of water at mom's face)
Mom: (trying to explain) But...
Dad: (walking towards the door) Don't give me that crap!
Mom follows Dad out and there are sounds of things being dropped, mom screaming and water being thrown outside.
Lele: Hello, is this the police station, I...I need help...
(Lele turns off the lights, end of Scene I.)
Scene 2
Characters: Lele, mom, dad, neighbor, police officer
Scene: Home. Light up the headlight.
Remarks: Neighbors visit Lele's family
Scene II starts 10s after Scene I ends
Neighbor: (knocking on the door and then poking his head in curiously) What's the matter? Look at your family. How many times have you dropped in this month?
Lele: I...yes, how many times have been dropped.
Neighbor: (looking at Lele) Yo, Lele, why are you alone? Where's your dad?
Lele: (whispering) He got into a fight with mom and went out.
Neighbor: Where's your mom?
Lele: She went out too. She just hit me.
Neighbor: (looking at Lele worriedly) Oh, your family is really in a mess. However, husband and wife, bed head quarrels and bed end peace ---- It's not a big deal. It's only natural for adults to beat up children, so it's normal.
Lele: (Raise your voice a bit, with a bit of crying) How many times have we done this, you know it well!
Neighbor: (also raising his voice) That’s nothing to do with, every family has its own problems! If your mom didn't mess with your dad, would he beat your mom? You too, don't mess with your mom, she will beat you? No big deal.
Lele: I...I really can't stand this anymore. I've already collected a lot of evidence. (panicking and taking out his cell phone) These recordings... (showing the wounds on his hands) And these wounds...on me, on my mom...I can't control it, you can't control it, but can't the police control it?
Neighbor: What do you mean?
(There is a loud and urgent knock on the door, and the police come in through the door; followed by Lele's mom and dad.)
Policeman: (Squeezing through the crowd at the door) Excuse me, I've received a report of domestic violence ---- right? (Takes out a notebook and starts to write a record)
Neighbor: Eh, the police really came ---- how big a matter?
Dad: (angry roar) who reported the police? (glares at mom)
Mom: (panting, at a loss for words, waving her hands) It wasn't me.
Neighbor: (pointing at Lele) It can't be this kid, can it, is he really itchy? Oh, I just heard such a big commotion in your house and was just coming to warn you; who knows...?
Policeman: (walking towards the neighbors) Please keep quiet. I will take turns to understand the situation, please leave the room for the time being, thank you for your cooperation.
Neighbor: Eh, I'll go first, I'll go first.
(Lele and Lele's parents exit the stage, end of scene 2.)
Scene 3
Characters: Lele, Mom, Dad, Neighbor, Policeman
Scene: Home, bright lights
Neighbor: I don't know why they're making such a big deal out of it. It's better to solve family matters on their own, but it's not a good idea to let everyone know about it. ---- Now that everyone in the neighborhood knows about it, let's see how Lele's family will end it!
Policeman: Do you know what happened?
Neighbors: specific well, I don’t know. The sound of fighting and breaking things comes from this family every day, but it is not false at all.
Policeman: (raising his eyes to look at the neighbor) OK, please ask Lele's parents to come in.
(The neighbor exits, Lele's parents enter)
Dad: I wonder what's going on? Mr. Policeman, the little kid doesn't know what she's doing, she's calling the police, don't worry about it, we'll just teach him a lesson.
Policeman: (while taking notes) Please describe what happened, sir.
Dad: What's going on? It's just a family matter. Wife and child do not know what to do, teach a lesson, move some fists, you know ---- trouble very much.
Policeman: (continue to take notes) is it occasionally do so?
Dad: Once or twice to cure this group of disobedient? Mr.policeman, I think you do not need to meddle in the matter, rather tear down a temple, not to destroy a marriage, this reasoning you and I understand. Don't get involved in our own affairs. We are now talking to you in a nice way, respecting you, if we have to interfere in our family's affairs,...
POLICE: (sighs, interrupts dad) I understand, please go out first, your lover stays for a while.
(Dad leaves the scene)
Mom: Mr.policeman, you really don't need to get involved.
Policeman: (examining Lele Mom's face) Is that on your face?
Mom: Uh...nothing, accidental abrasion.
Policeman: (wanting to say something) Please tell the truth, ma'am. In my experience, it doesn't look like a scratch at all.
Mom: (long silence)...accidentally hit.
Policeman: Who hit it? It looks dark and light in color to me - more than one accident, I think.
Mom: (silent, not speaking)
Policeman: Ma'am, please go out. Tell Lele to come in.
Mom: (Suddenly standing up in grief and confronting the policeman) Mr. Policeman, I'll say it again, please stay out of it.
(Mom exits, Lele enters)
Lele: (anxious) What did my parents say to you.
Policeman: (continuing to write notes) They won't let me continue the investigation, and they won't cooperate with it.
Lele: (anxiously flipping through photo albums) Mr. Policeman, I have evidence! Look at these recordings, videos, all of which I secretly recorded...and these injuries (ruffles her clothes), and those on my mom's face...you must have seen them all. I...
Policeman: (taking over the cell phone and looking at it) I'll keep these, Lele. Please continue to gather evidence. Other than that (tears off the page of note paper he's been writing on), I'll try to help you as much as I can. But if it still doesn't work, here are some other ways to get help, you keep them. (Handing the paper to Joy)
Distribute this piece of paper with the contents of the general law to all audience members
Lele: According to the Law of the People's Republic of China Against Domestic Violence, domestic violence refers to “regular physical and mental aggression between family members, such as physical and verbal assaults”. Generally speaking, the court will consider the long-term nature and severity of domestic violence when making a judgment on domestic violence after filing a case.
Policeman: (signaling Lele to be quiet) That's right, because this kind of violence occurs in a private space, the most important and difficult part of the victim's resistance is to collect evidence. So, please continue to help me collect evidence.
Lele: And is there any other way to ask for help?
Policeman: There is. The Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China states that organizations such as neighborhood committees, village committees, and women's federations can provide appropriate discouragement and mediation after the victim has sought help. Or, one can apply for a Personal Safety Protection Order. On this piece of paper, I have written all the specific ways to seek help. What you're doing is right, now too many people feel that domestic violence deserves to be invisible, even like your mom, from the victim to the aggressor, hey... I'm letting your mom and dad in first, so you need to keep doing the right thing!
Policeman: (Goes out and greets Lele's mom and dad as they enter) Come on in.
End of Scene 3.
Scene 4
Characters: Lele, Mom, Dad
Remarks: After a brief reconciliation domestic violence happens again
(Mom holds Lele for a while first. After all the other characters have left the stage, Dad walks to the door, closes it, draws the curtains, turns on the lamp on the table, lights a cigarette and pours Mom a glass of water to drink.)
Dad: Honey, I was wrong.
(Mom in slow motion touches the bruise on her face, lowers her head and doesn't say anything.)
DAD: (slow motion puts his hand on Mom's shoulder) I promise there won't be a next time, so just forgive me, okay?
Just this once...
Just this once...
(Mom pushed aside Dad's hand on her shoulder, got up and stood behind Lele and stared at Lele from behind her for a while before she slowly put her cup on the table and picked up Lele's things from Lele's desk and looked through them. As she continued to look through them, her face gradually changed from sadness and expressionlessness to anger and disbelief; she suddenly calmed down and stared at Lele while she was about to drop something.)
Mom: You called the Policeman.
My girl has grown up (sneer) and has her own opinion on doing things.
(Mom puts her hand holding the paper on Lele's shoulder in slow motion and gently wraps her arms around her; Lele turns back to stare at her Mom in slow motion.)
Lele: Mom...
Mom: It's my fault this time, please forgive me this time, okay?
Just this once...
Just this once...
(Lele looks away and turns off the light
Mom slammed her hand on the table and the glass on the table fell on the floor, there was the sound of glass breaking.)
The End