MARA
In her late 50s/early 60s, Mara is a much respected sculptor who is deeply dedicated to her work. She became a single mother by choice decades ago; mother to Reggie. She lives in a restored farmhouse in Upstate New York.
Mara
I remember on day I was particularly bedraggled, and I was saying to a friend, “God this single-parent thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!” and she said, “Single parenting is cracked up to be something?...I don’t know. It was what I wanted, so we just—found our way. And we did pretty well all things considered, right?”
(Scene 2)
NAN
A 30-something visual artist who is a first-generation American. He is an up and coming star in the contemporary art scene. A spiritual, handsome, and mystical man, his career has been inspired by Mara with whom he has become romantically entangled. He is good friends with Reggie and K.
Nan
I mean… Um. I was in a weird place a few years back? At the end of grad school, just - stuck in this – it was just a dark time, and somehow I ended up wandering into this gallery. Edward Thorp. And your show happened to be up, and I didn’t even know it would be there – It was completely unplanned. But – I honestly think I was meant to see it right then, I mean I know I was. I know it. So – yeah, it was the – all the winged creatures with the – the ones with their faces turned in varying degrees toward the sky… Yes. And they just spoke to me. I wandered in in so much darkness and they spoke to me, those winged figures, and it was like, oh my god, I can see. I can see light. And color. I can see everything all at once – It was like something clicked into place.
(Prologue)
REGGIE
In his 30’s, Reggie is a moderately successful West Coast-based standup comic and the only son of Mara. Back on the East Coast from an extended tour, he’s arranged a reunion with his high school friends Nan and K. Though he has a prosperity toward self-obsession, he sees himself as a “fun-loving, good-times-kind-of-guy.”
K
Aughhh god not everything is a joke.
Reggie
No, I mean, yeah, I kinda think everything is. That’s how I—I mean, that’s what I do. That is my function in the world. Making everything a joke. Which I would actually argue is a noble pursuit.
(Scene 3)
K
In her 30’s, K is a married and somewhat harried mother of a new baby. A teacher by trade, she is the persistent caregiver in all of her relationships. Her reunion visit with her oldest friends, Nan and Reggie, is her first time away from her child since giving birth.
K
Seriously, I like caught a glimpse of myself in the glass when I went to Target the other day and I didn’t know it was me for like a full minute. I was just like, whoa, that lady’s seen some better days, huh? Yoikes, and then I was like, oh wait, oh shit. Oh noooo. Ooof. That hits you right in the jugular, Christ.
(Scene 2)
BO
In his late 50’s/early 60’s, Bo is a painter of moderate success. An earnest and self-described ”simple man.” He is the longtime admirer and boyfriend of Mara.
Bo
There was this path through the woods you had to take from the studios… and I kept passing her on it. And I respected the hell out of her, so I was too terrified to say anything. But then one of the last days I was there, I was walking… I let you get past me a ways and then I just turned around and yelled out “MARA MAYER!”… But I didn’t have any plans beyond calling out her name, so I just stood there.
(Scene 3)
