A Gulag Mouse

by Arthur M Jolly

Full length (excerpt only - published work) When privileged Anastasia is sent to a Siberian gulag for the murder of her abusive husband, her arrival destroys the intricate web of hierarchy, alliance and treachery among the other four inmates of her bunkhouse. To save herself, Anastasia must save all of them: the prostitute, the killer, the lifer... and Prushka - the mouse.
The feature film based on this play -...

Full length (excerpt only - published work) When privileged Anastasia is sent to a Siberian gulag for the murder of her abusive husband, her arrival destroys the intricate web of hierarchy, alliance and treachery among the other four inmates of her bunkhouse. To save herself, Anastasia must save all of them: the prostitute, the killer, the lifer... and Prushka - the mouse.
The feature film based on this play - Where We Disappear - is available on iTunes, Amazon, Fandango, DirecTV, Vudu and other streaming services.
"A Gulag Mouse is the one that approaches genius, the one that has a chance of outliving its author, the one I'm thinking about as the next week begins and will be thinking about for a long time to come." - Anchorage Daily News
Content Warning: Spousal abuse, violence, discussion of sexual violence.

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A Gulag Mouse

Recommended by

  • David MacDowell Blue: A Gulag Mouse by Arthur M Jolly
    “

    Saw this play in Los Angeles before the Pandemic, one of the most powerful works I've ever seen, not least because it transported me to a world both alien yet completely understandable in presentation. Set for the most part inside a Soviet women's Gulag, this work continues to haunt me years later.

    Saw this play in Los Angeles before the Pandemic, one of the most powerful works I've ever seen, not least because it transported me to a world both alien yet completely understandable in presentation. Set for the most part inside a Soviet women's Gulag, this work continues to haunt me years later.

    ”
  • David MacDowell Blue: A Gulag Mouse by Arthur M Jolly
    “

    I found this play chilling on so many levels, a portrait of those pushed to the absolute limit and what happens when they break.

    I found this play chilling on so many levels, a portrait of those pushed to the absolute limit and what happens when they break.

    ”
  • Philip Middleton Williams: A Gulag Mouse by Arthur M Jolly
    “

    This is a chilling and compelling play with strong characters who leap out at you from the page and take you into their world of power struggles, even if the reward is a crust of moldy bread. In this powerful drama of the horrors of Soviet imprisonment, we see glimmers of humanity that these women cling to as much as they cling to life itself. This is a masterpiece of storytelling from a playwright with a well-earned reputation for just the right blend of humor and brutal honesty in the same breath.

    This is a chilling and compelling play with strong characters who leap out at you from the page and take you into their world of power struggles, even if the reward is a crust of moldy bread. In this powerful drama of the horrors of Soviet imprisonment, we see glimmers of humanity that these women cling to as much as they cling to life itself. This is a masterpiece of storytelling from a playwright with a well-earned reputation for just the right blend of humor and brutal honesty in the same breath.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

5 Female roles, all require extensive stage combat. 1 male, plays an abusive husband and a grown son.
  • ANASTASIA
    A young mother, refined, privileged. She kills her abusive husband on his return from the front and must learn to survive in the bunkhouse of a Siberian Prison Camp.
    Late 20's-30's
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • MASHA
    Physically intimidating, brash. She tries to establish herself as the boss of the bunkhouse through violence.
    30's up.
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • LUBOV
    Lubov is the de facto boss of the bunkhouse, due to an alluded-to sexual exploitation by a guard who trades her food & supplies. She is outwardly hard, but inwardly vulnerable. She gets wounded early in the play, and must struggle to fend off Masha's attempted coup.
    20's up
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • SVETLANA
    Older, jaded. Inured to the suffering around her, Svetlana survives by being utterly ruthless in her defense, but never challenging the hierarchy of the others. She keeps everything inside until she no longer can.
    40's up
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • PRUSHKA
    Prushka's nickname is "the Mouse". She is the "Gulag Mouse" of the title, something tiny, rare, almost impossible to imagine can survive. She has hope, she has vulnerability.
    20's up
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • EVGENY/IVANOV
    EVGENY - The domineering husband of Anastasia - charming and brutal. Maybe only a bad memory.
    IVANOV - The teenage son of Anastasia. Maybe only a dream.
    30's ish
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, Joining Sword and Pen Competition winner, 2010

Production History

  • University, Bertha Martin Theatre, U of Northern Iowa, 2017
  • University, Stephens College, Columbia, MO, 2017
  • Professional, Sacred Fools Theater, 2016
  • Professional, Tosspot Productions, 2013
  • Professional, Babes With Blades Theatre Company, 2010

Awards

  • Joining Sword and Pen
    Babes With Blades Theatre Company
    Winner
    2010
  • Off-Broadway Playwrights Competition
    College Success 4 Foster Youth
    Winner
    2010
  • Woodward/Newman Drama Award
    Finalist
    2010