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.
2M; 3-5M/F (cast size 5-7 depending on doubling).
Percussionist on stage (sound effects are made on stage too).
Est. 80 minutes.
Unit set.
An inside look at the process of creativity. In 1911 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.
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.
*MAY – 40-50. Edward’s loving wife.
*DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH – Prosperous, imperious sculptor.
*PUBLIC OPINION – Female. New Yorker. Opinionated.
*GEORGE WASHINGTON – The man himself. Proud. Also plays BLASTER, a marble quarry foreman.
*WABBIT – Any gender. A rabbit like Bugs Bunny. Mischievous.
**THE REGULATOR – On stage, real percussionist. Executes percussion and sound effects.
*All are THOUGHTS, living in Edward’s mind. One or two may be doubled if desired.
**There may be one or two REGULATORs.
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, the chorus of thoughts (3 to 5 actors) moving in a choreographed manner will add greatly to a production. Do they have different individual rhythms and sounds? A live percussionist will add still another dimension to the production.
HONORS:
– 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).
To read the script: New Play Exchange.
For inquiries, contact the playwright.
