A series of mini-dramas based on public conversations, as overheard and rewritten by local playwright/director Aurora Stewart de Peña.
Overheard at the Campbell House Museum on Saturday night
A party full of artists wearing their best outfits is in full swing. Clothes are old, hair is messy, jewelry is large.
A clandestine performance project is about to begin.
A reverent hush settles over the crowd.
Su-Lyn, mid-thirties in a white dress, takes a small plastic megaphone from a table.
She sits in a circle with Adam, Leif, and Branco, who wear modest pants and shirts in earth tones.
Su-Lyn: (Speaking into the megaphone) Lurching toward snail patterns–
Su-Lyn passes the megaphone to Adam. Sari sits nearby with a typewriter, documenting what’s being said by the quartet.
Adam: (Speaking into the megaphone) I see some slime–
Adam passes the megaphone to Leif. Sari types. The crowd is thick with quiet attention.
Leif: (Speaking into the megaphone) Salty like potato chips.
Enter Mike, Dave B, Dave L, and Mandi. They are wearing tight clothes and spray tans. Their hair has been paid attention to. Pause. Everyone in the room looks at them. Sari types something.
Leif passes the megaphone to Branco.
Branco: (Speaking into the megaphone) Sidewalk slime, watch out.
Mike, Dave B, Dave L, and Mandi begin to whisper to each other. Branco passes the megaphone to Su-Lyn.
Sari types.
Dave B: (To Sari) What are you typing?
Sari looks at Dave B. She types rapidly.
Su-Lyn: (Speaking into the megaphone) Some snails love pine.
Sari types.
Dave B: What?
Su-Lyn passes the megaphone to Adam.
Adam: (Speaking into the megaphone) What what what what?
Dave B: What is going on here?
Sari types.
What are you typing?
Sari types.
Seriously?!
Mandi: Come on, let’s go.
Sari looks at them. She types.
Dave, Dave, Mike, and Mandi leave.
Adam passes the megaphone to Leif.
Leif: (Into the megaphone) I’m gonna miss those guys.
Su-Lyn karate chops the floor.
Everybody bursts into applause.
____
Aurora Stewart de Peña is half of the theatre company Birdtown & Swanville (the other half is Nika Mistruzzi). You can follow her on Twitter at @Aurorahhh.
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