Robin’s plays are imaginative and exciting — statues come to life, tugboats fall in love, grandmothers slowly change into birds, an ancient civilization emerges from the forests of New Jersey — and written to be both seen and heard. Movement and environment are crucial elements in her work. The complexity of the relationships in her plays, the richness of her metaphors, and her facility with language make for challenging and rewarding theater.
— Michele Travis, director (NYC)
Drama with comedy and movement.
3M; 1F; 3M/F (cast size 7-8 depending on doubling)
Cast includes percussionist/sound effects on stage throughout.
Est. 90 minutes.
An inside look at the process of creativity. In 1910 on a pier in a shipping yard in New York Harbor, middle-aged sculptor Edward Clark Potter is in a tizzy. He has been offered a big commission to create a design for the entryway of the grand New York Public Library, but the shipment of marble has arrived at the very last minute. The design is due tomorrow morning, but he didn’t even get to lay eyes on the stone before tonight. Do any of the sketches he’s already made work for this marble? What if the commissioners don’t like his design and don’t award him the commission? Will his hopes of being recognized as a sculptor of note be dashed?
Unwanted thoughts arise as Potter tries to create the right design for this stone. The thought of his wife urges him to be true to himself, but sculptor Daniel Chester French, Public Opinion, George Washington and a nutty rabbit clamor for a monument which will be popular or at least fashionable. French warns Potter to create a superior design or this will be the end of his career. The Spirit inside the large block of marble doesn’t know what he is. He begs Potter to find out.
Potter decides the sculpture won’t be an animal, though animals are what he loves to create. He pulls on heavy gloves and tries to accomplish a design that will make everyone happy. Thoughts rise in a cacophony of rebellion. The Spirit begins to die. Frantic, Potter tosses the gloves aside. Leaving his mind and heart unguarded, he lays bare hands upon the stone. At last, the process of honest creation begins.
This script was fun to read. As an artist myself, I know quite well the voices that try to influence a piece and this play shows it. As the playwright says, the show can be put on with nearly no set/props which is a huge plus for some theatres. It’s nice to read a quality telling about a microcosm of history that feels so real and present.
–Timothy-Talia M. Gadomski
CHARACTERS
EDWARD CLARK POTTER – Age 53. Creator of the New York Public Library lion sculptures. Journeys from stuck in indecision to joyfully confident.
MAY – 40-50. Potter’s wife. Dealing with his ambition and a love triangle. Also plays May 2, a voice in Potter’s mind.
SPIRIT – Male. The spirit within a block of Tennessee marble. Journeys from not knowing what he is to realizing he’s a young male lion.
REGULATOR – Real percussionist. Executes percussion/sound effects. Also plays a number of brief voices and George Washington. (Another actor may be added to play George Washington if desired.)
VOICES IN POTTER’S HEAD:
*DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH – Prosperous, imperious sculptor.
*PUBLIC OPINION – Any gender. New Yorker. Opinionated.
*WABBIT – Any gender. A rabbit like Bugs Bunny. Mischievous.
(Also MAY 2, played by MAY actor.)
This piece was so creative and enjoyable, so funny and exciting. Robin brings history to life in the best way. I knew I was going to love this piece, but Robin didn’t disappoint. Loved!!!
–Cheryl Bear
MOVEMENT and SOUND:
Although it isn’t absolutely necessary, Voices moving in a choreographed manner will add greatly to a production. Do they have different individual rhythms and sounds?
It’s kinda like a book I don’t wanna put down.
–Xianni Orange (drummer)
HONORS:
– Public readings of full-length: Morningside and New Ambassadors theater companies, NYC.
– Winner, Harford Community College (MD) One-Act Playwriting Contest.
– Premiere of one-act script: Six Figures Theatre Company in association with The Drilling Company, directed by Hamilton Clancy (NYC).
“O Rumbles of Joy!” is exquisite! The almost whimsical way Rice investigates the modes and means of the creation of art – so funny, smart, engaging, adorable, meaningful and well-crafted. It’s beautiful. Elegant. Craft at it’s highest.
–Paul Hufker
To read the script: New Play Exchange.
For inquiries, contact the playwright.
