Performances: November 15th-17th, November 22nd-24th
Note to the actors: I strongly suggest reading the play twice, it opens up on the second read. Also closely read her wonderfully detailed character descriptions, below is only a fraction of what she lays out in the script.
Note from the playwright: Copy first paragraph under “Characters”
Characters
The Teacher: any age, or sex. A spiritual leader of some notoriety. He has some peculiar ways of communicating, and idiosyncratic ways of behaving. Because of his personal struggles, sometimes doesn’t seem to practice what he “preaches.” The role needs an actor with a good sense of where there is comic potential in the writing as well as a true understanding of the spiritual context of the play.
Joan: middle aged or older. She is a therapist and sex educator, likes to focus on the pleasures, not the fears and “don’ts.” Wears clothes and jewelry from India. Meditates and does yoga. Also very, very angry. Rage bubbles up in passive aggressive ways despite her efforts to do otherwise.
Judy: middle age or older. Joan’s partner. She works at O magazine. Probably a type A. Makes a good living. She’s been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She’s very much in love with Joan, got into spirituality because of her, but finds it hard to find time to meditate. She’s afraid Joan will leave her.
Alicia: early to mid 30s. From Southern CA. Everything she does is loud! She loves being watched. Child actor and beauty pageant star. Has done a limited amount professional acting and commercials. A few months ago, she got dumped by Fred, a hedge fund guy. She has been seriously spiraling since then, obsessive texting and calling him, basically stalking. Desperately looking for someone or something to make her feel okay.
Ned: somewhere in his 40s. Has had a very bad string of luck. A serious accident then spent two years in a hospital, meanwhile his house burned down. After he got out his wife left him for his brother. Ned’s parents died, he started heavy drinking, his AA sponsor killed himself and his dog was hit by a car. He was planning on burning down the house his wife and brother kicked him out of, but a little voice stopped him, hence his study of many new age spiritual practices. This has led him to this retreat and the teacher he admires.
Rodney: mid 30s, ageless, fit, attractive, teaches yoga in NY and the Hamptons. His wife also teaches Yoga, and they have a line of new age products. They haven’t had sex in three years. He sleeps with a lot of his students; it helps him feel less trapped and panicky about aging and death. The role has a moment of brief rear nudity as he’s exiting to swim in the offstage lake. He also probably goes shirtless at times, especially when he’s meditating or doing yoga.
Jan: middle aged or older. From a small town in Finland and briefly speaks with a Finnish accent. Wide eyed and curious, and sweet. He’s a pastor in a small Lutheran church in Finland, now on a sabbatical. He came to religion later in life (he had been in advertising) after his son died at a young age after a prolonged illness. He misses him and hopes the retreat will have some answers for him.