# "Who Lives?: A Play" -- A Drama Based on a True Event



## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

My produced play, "Who Lives?", which has been in a print edition for a few years, is now available on the Kindle as well as through Smashwords.

Based on a true story, "Who Lives?" is an inspirational play along the lines of the Sandra Bullock film "Blind Side," but with doctors. In the early 1960s, an anonymous committee of ordinary citizens in Seattle selected people dying of kidney failure for an experiment in something new: kidney dialysis. They could take only 12. When Gabriel is turned down, he looks for another way.

This committee, by the way, served as the protype for all such committees today--people who decide how to meter out limited resources, such as who gets a liver, who gets a heart, and so on.

Click here to see the book on Amazon

















Grab yourself a sample of the play to see how it's in a play format, which makes for fast reading. In short order, you'll be able to picture for yourself the dramatic situation that starts just after Oswald had shot President Kennedy, and then Oswald himself was shot by Jack Ruby.

NOMINATED FOR FIVE OVATION AWARDS! The latest production of the play in Los Angeles had been nominated for five Ovation Awards, the top theatre awards in Los Angeles. The nominations included Best Actor, Matt Gottlieb.

If you have more curiosity about the play, you can go to the website created for the production at http://www.wholivesplay.com/wholives.html.

For the production, I'd been asked how I came to write it, which I wrote about here: http://www.wholivesplay.com/downloads/BEHIND_WHO_LIVES.pdf

Reviewers have been enthusiastic:

"Author Christopher Meeks, who has penned several books, presents a fictionalized account of what it might have been like to be a part of this committee that decided the life and death of patients. Director Joe Ochman and Executive Producer Lori Hartwell have come up with an absolutely riveting and heart pounding telling that succeeds on many levels." --*Jose Ruiz, ReviewPlays.com*

"Those who have personal experience with its topic should perhaps bring Kleenex." *David Nichols, Los Angeles Times*

"Christopher Meeks continues to impress (he has other plays under his belt), but this reader is hungry for the next novel (or even another collection of short stories) which really seems to be his premiere métier. Highly recommended for reading: highly recommended for performances in schools, community theaters - and there is even a screenplay obviously present in this book format." --*Grady Harp, Amazon Top Ten Reviewer*

"Christopher Meeks takes a factual scenario and transforms it into a thought-provoking drama, which relates a timely story about both ethics and morals. It is also a story about Gabriel, a cynical lawyer whose diagnosis of terminal renal disease lands him a chair at the table. From his treatment, he reassesses his values and ultimately discovers his own humanity. Meeks' script is smartly written." -* L.A. Weekly, Pick of the Week*

"To personalize the astronomically difficult task of the committee, Meeks has created a distinctively complex character in Gabriel. When the dying Gabriel discovers the committee has passed him over, he utilizes his ruthless abilities of persuasion to gain the treatment he needs to stay alive. The committee acquiesces on one condition: that he become one of them." - *Julio Martinez, Daily Variety *

"Meeks' play deals with issues of life and death, the value of a human soul, and the strictures of personal value systems that stand in the way of, rather than help make, difficult decisions. In the best sprit of good drama, all the characters travel from point A to various other points in the alphabet of positive change, making for an intriguing, beautifully balanced play." - *Back Stage West*

"The play works on a highly dramatic level, engaging the intellect and the emotions in equally demanding proportions, so rare in today's theatre, but a combination devoutly to be wished. Gabriel's reclamation, his humanization that results from the dehumanizing process of making life-and-death decisions, brings down the connubial tyrant and replaces him with a dying man aching for a closeness he has shunned with his verbally abused wife, Margaret." - *Madeline Shaner, Beverly Press*

If you want to see it on Smashwords, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9014


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Here's the poster from the latest production:


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

I happen to be in Savannah, Georgia, during Christmas week, and many people I'm meeting here are thankful in their own ways for doctors and various treatments--from bypass surgery to artificial knees to medicines that keep them going. I'm thankful that I've been healthy my whole life and thankful for my doctor who is helping me stay that way. 

Over this last year, especially during my play's run, I've met people who've stayed alive thanks to dialysis and/or a kidney transplant. Most people seem to know people who've had kidney problems and treatment. The beginning was with this anonymous committee. 

So in the New Year, I celebrate all that our medical community has done and keeps on doing.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I've bought this.  Not sure if I'm gonna like the play format on the kindle, but it sounds good and I'm willing to give it a try.


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## kwl718 (Jul 17, 2009)

I read this in paperback format a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it.  

I work for a dialysis service provider...we dialyze over 100,000 patients a year, in clinics in every state, 90% of the patients are covered by Medicare (End Stage Renal Disease is one of only a couple of diagnoses that qualify one for Medicare before age 65).  Dialysis is now an entitlement, available to anyone who needs and wants it. It was fascinating to read this play...concerning the ethical issues involved when dialysis was brand new and only a handful of patients had access to it and those who didn't would necessarily die (this was pre-transplant too).  

If you are  interested in medical ethics, the formation of the committee that this play is about is generally considered to be the "birth of medical ethics".  I think the author did a good job of describing what it must have been like for a bunch of laymen to be wrestling with such issues for the first time.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Thank you, KWL. Those 100,000 people that you dialysize a year in your one clinic started with the dozen back in the early sixties. I love how this is your business and you were still pulled in by the play. What part of the country are you in? I ask because I'll be sending the plays to theatres in January to consider producing it now that it's had such a big reception in Los Angeles, and I'll be sure to send one to a theatre near you if there's an appropriate one.

And to Scarlet: may you enjoy the play. The play format should read quickly.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

For the Smashwords edition, which went up yesterday and can be seen at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9014, I'd hired Elizabeth Beeton, a programer who specializes in formatting for Kindle and for Smashwords. She's well worth the $45 she charges. You can reach her at Mediaworx at http://b10mediaworx.com.


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## BP Myers (Jun 7, 2009)

Chrismeeks said:


> This committee, by the way, served as the protype for all such committees today--people who decide how to meter out limited resources, such as who gets a liver, who gets a heart, and so on.


You are suggesting in this, The Greatest Country on Earthtm, medicine is already rationed?

You sound like one a dem dere . . . socialists.

/kidding. Sounds like a truly awesome and heartfelt work. Best of luck with it.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

BP--

Thanks! I appreciate your humor, too. One of the things I loved about the productions of this play is that the humor comes out. It's a deeply serious subject, but I didn't want to be morose through it or send people away depressed. People were crying, yes, as they came out to me when they learned I was the playwright, but they enjoyed it. The protagonist has a character arc that's bigger than arch in St. Louis.

--Chris


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

SEATTLE READERS--people of Seattle. My goal is to get "Who Lives?" produced at a theatre in Seattle this year. "Who Lives?" takes place in Seattle. Fifty years ago in Seattle, the dialysis machine was perfected, and the anonymous committee of this play was created. The committee asks, "Who is valuable?" and "What makes a person valuable?" as the committee had to decide on only a very few people who could be put on this experimental machine and perhaps live. There were no kidney transplants then--that came later. If you had kidney disease, you died. 

The thing is, we all ask this of ourselves and others sooner or later. This play gets into issues in an entertaining way. There's even humor. It's a microcosm of life.

If you know "The Six Degrees of Separation," that's essentially what I'm asking. The space between me and a person who produces plays in Seattle, a person who loves this play and would be willing to put in on in celebration of what happened fifty years ago, may be only six people. Or less. Six degrees of Kindle readers.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

The Academy Awards are this weekend, and I keep thinking there's a filmmaker out there who wants to look at this story. After all, filmgoers like "based on a true story." This is a powerful one. But I don't know producers. The notion of six degrees of separation says that someone who reads this has a friend who knows someone who knows a producer. Lightning will just have to find its own path.

Frankly, I'm happy Kindle users who are open to reading a play will fall for this.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Ann in Arlington helped me refind this thread, which gave me a warning: "Warning, this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days. Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic." It seemed like a good topic, so I'll post.

This also shows how if you're away for something for a while, one fades away.

Anyway, people who've had challenges with their kidneys or any health issues--or know anyone who has--have been quite drawn to the play. It's a dramatic piece, so you don't need health issues to enjoy it. Those who were around when Kennedy was shot is the week the action begins.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks for ignoring that "this is an old thread" warning. . .it really is better to have just one per book!

And now, the obligatory rules post. . .just so it's here and you can always find it. 

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Don't forget to bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function) so you can update it. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators

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Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html) for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Christopher Meeks said:


> Those who were around when Kennedy was shot is the week the action begins.


I remember that day very well. I was a senior in high school. Pearl Harbor was the dramatic moment my parents always remembered; for me it was the Kennedy assassination and the moon landing six years later.

Folks, I've read and reviewed "Who Lives," and it's well worth your time.

JimC


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

I happened to get a Google Alert today on an article that quoted me extensively on the subject of self-publishing, which you can see here: http://lifestyletom.com/path/rao10925685114ros/roin59012115808

I don't remember talking to a reporter, but then I saw the article mentioned that "Who Lives?" is about to come out, and that was two years ago. Even if the story is two years old, the information about publishing still holds true. The biggest change is that Kindle, starting this month, is giving authors 70% royalties, which should be a major game changer.

Thanks, Jim for your review of "Who Lives?", a review that is accurate and strong.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

There's now a webpage for this book at http://christophermeeks.weebly.com/who-lives.html

There's also a webpage for the last production of the play at http://www.wholivesplay.com

Jim Chambers: I tried bringing up your review of the play and couldn't find it. Do you have a link for it?


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Christopher Meeks said:


> Jom Chambers: I tried bringing up your review of the play and couldn't find it. Do you have a link for it?


Chris, the link is:

http://www.amazon.com/Who-Lives-A-Play-ebook/product-reviews/B0030IM61A/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&coliid=&showViewpoints=1&colid=&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

JimC


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Jim, thanks for the link. I took your conclusion and added it to the page at http://christophermeeks.weebly.com/who-lives.html. It's a thorough review--thank you again.

--Chris


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

You're welcome, Chris. _Who lives_ is a marvelously compelling, thought-provoking play. I recommend it very highly to anyone.

Your web page looks super!

JimC


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

To all playwrights and lovers of plays: _The Los Angeles Times_, over the last few years, has interviewed a number of playwrights, some as well-known as Richard Greenberg, Jane Anderson, and Donald Marguiles, and others less known as writers for the stage, such as Theresa Rebeck, Kurt Vonnegut, and Billy Crystal. See this: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-playwrights-sg,0,2098795.storygallery

Who Lives? remains at $1.95, and, to my astonishment, the print version at Amazon is only a few dimes more.

Always tell the truth - it's the easiest thing to remember. 
*David Mamet *

Films have degenerated to their original operation as carnival amusement - they offer not drama but thrills. 
*David Mamet *


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Monica Himmel, who starred in the last production of "Who Lives?" has written a play "Live Nude Girl," loosely based on her life as an art model. I did not know when she was cast in my play that I'd actually drawn her in my life drawing class at CalArts. I didn't recognize her with her clothes on. She's an incredible actress and I can guess this play, which I'll see next week, is also powerful, directed by Joe Ochman, the same man who directed my play. He's a talent, too. If you live in Los Angeles, you can learn more from this Facebook page about tickets: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-Nude-Girl-The-Play/146536465372322

When I did a Google search for "Live Nude Girl," I came across a book by the same title by Kathleen Rooney. It looks fascinating, also, and you can read about the book in this Los Angeles Times book review: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/20/entertainment/et-book20


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Christopher Meeks said:


> I didn't recognize her with her clothes on.


I wouldn't touch that line for all... oh, never mind. 

But it's a great story.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Jim, I'm glad you found the humor. Now that I see you're here, the doorbell just rang, and the UPS man handed me a package--and the package has a connection to you, too. I opened it to see an evaluation copy of a college English book called "English Literature" by Lawrence Driscoll. Hold it! This is from the company that asked if it could buy rights to my short story, "The Farms at 93rd and Broadway" from my book "Months and Seasons," which you reviewed for Red Adept.

I opened it to find not only the story, but also those cool English lit questions about my story, such as, "Meeks says that 'stories are nothing without conflict.' Where do we see conflict in this story?" I never expected my work to be taught, so this feels amazing.


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

"Who Lives?" came to roost again in my soul with the decline of my mother's health--she broke three ribs in a fall in October and then died November 15th. I've been so involved with her passing and her memorial last month in Minnesota that I haven't been on Kindleboards in months. In fact, I wrote about the greater meanings of her passing in "On Such a Winter's Day (Laying Down My Mother's Ashes)" at http://www.redroom.com/blog/christopher-meeks/on-such-a-winter%E2%80%99s-day-laying-down-my-mother%E2%80%99s-ashes

She did get to see this play performed, and she'd be pleased to hear a theatrical company in Portland is considering mounting this play. There's humor in it, which makes it enjoyable. Don't be intimidated by the title. Try a sample.

Thanks, Jim Chambers, if you read this, for your notes above and for your recent mention on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle/forum/ref=cm_cd_notf_thread?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdPage=5&cdThread=Tx8ANGR0RGQKXC


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

This play will have a staged reading in Pasadena in April as a fundraiser. I'll write more on this as I find out the details.


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