Anatomy of an error

Abstract

Out of a blackout, still images appear on a giant screen. These images, and sound effects and music, introduce a child we will come to know as Billy Harper. We see Billy with his family, playing with friends, running and laughing - the picture of health and vitality. These images dissolve in and out quickly. The pace slows as images begin to represent health care settings. We see Billy being examined by a physician and walking down a hall with his dad. We see a hospital room with a bed and then an intensive care unit. The images fade to black, with intensive-care-unit sound effects remaining in the darkness. Then silence. After a beat, lights come up on a small portion of the stage, illuminating a single actor. The setting is a major hospital.