Standing Alone
This
twelve-minute experimental play explores the challenges of dealing with the
aftermath of large wildfires that strike residential areas. As the play opens, the Wildfire Victims
recount the moments in which they escaped the fast-approaching fire. The Woman emerges from the group, and
progressively shares her experiences of confusion, anger, and guilt, as she
examines the charred terrain that used to be her neighborhood.
During her journey of coping with this traumatic event, the Woman remembers past conversations with her neighbors, some of whom have died, and all of whom have lost their homes. As she learns that her house is the only one not touched by the fire, the Woman experiences encounters with several different Wildfire Victims, including one who is deceased, but who haunts her, asking about his house and his art collection. Although she struggles to make connections with her neighbors and with the injured who remain hospitalized, in the end, the staging reminds us that the Woman is left standing alone.
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Cast size: |
5-6 |
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Gender: |
1 female, 1 male, 3-4 either
gender |
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Period: |
The static time of guilt in
the present. |
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Location: |
A barren burnt-down
cul-de-sac neighborhood. |
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Set: |
A mostly bare stage. All locations are commingled onto a single
stage, with no furniture or props to separate them. |
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Blocking: |
Conventional blocking and
presentation in the style of realism should both be used sparingly. |
Production History
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Standing Alone received its premiere production as part of Si Molesto con Mi Canto: A Concert of New Socio-Political
Works, produced by Edge Theatre
Ensemble at the Chamber Theater in |
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Woman |
Sarah Ahrens |
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Wildfire Victim #1 |
Brittany Quist |
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Wildfire Victim #2 |
Carolynne Wilcox |
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Wildfire Victim #3 |
J. Spyder Isaacson |
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Wildfire Victim #4 |
Mok Moser |