A Gap in the Melody

by Drew Petriello

Arepo: A tower filled with magic and illusions. Melody must reach the top of the tower before the psychotic Ruith hunts her down.

Sicilia: A kingdom of sorrows. Paulina seeks to resurrect Queen Hermione with dark magic.

Inspired by Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, the two separate worlds are joined through fantastical twists and turns in a tale that is both whimsical and an exploration of how individuals...

Arepo: A tower filled with magic and illusions. Melody must reach the top of the tower before the psychotic Ruith hunts her down.

Sicilia: A kingdom of sorrows. Paulina seeks to resurrect Queen Hermione with dark magic.

Inspired by Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, the two separate worlds are joined through fantastical twists and turns in a tale that is both whimsical and an exploration of how individuals grieve differently.

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A Gap in the Melody

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation: A Gap in the Melody by Drew Petriello
    “

    Playwrights Foundation enthusiastically recommends this play, A GAP IN THE MELODY, as a Semi-Finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival 2020. We were moved by the quality of the writing and the relevant and compelling themes that spoke to the mission of our festival. It excelled in a competitive process of 735 plays submitted this year and rose to the top after a six month long process discussing its merits with both national and local Bay Area readers, and we hope it moves swiftly towards production.

    Playwrights Foundation enthusiastically recommends this play, A GAP IN THE MELODY, as a Semi-Finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival 2020. We were moved by the quality of the writing and the relevant and compelling themes that spoke to the mission of our festival. It excelled in a competitive process of 735 plays submitted this year and rose to the top after a six month long process discussing its merits with both national and local Bay Area readers, and we hope it moves swiftly towards production.

    ”

Character Information

Mandatory role doubles:
MELODY/HERMIONE
PAULINA/BALANCE
RUITH/MAMILLIUS
TIME/DUELIST
Suggested role doubles:
IPHIGEN/PERDITA
HERMIT/HEAD
HOLDING/HEART
LEONTES/HERALD
WITCHES THREE/PRISONERS
ANYONE AVAILABLE/MOURNERS
  • Holding
    A kind, yet needy man. Feels rather than thinks. Clings on to what he loves too tightly. Kind, but there's something dark beneath.
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Witches Three
    Magical schemers. WITCH 1 is the fearless leader, WITCH 2 is full of vitriol and thinks everyone else is dumb and WITCH 3 just likes to have fun.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Ruith
    A hulking, frightening young man. Playful in an insane child sort of way. The same actor also plays MAMILLIUS.
    30s or younger
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Other Cast
    HERALD, DUELIST, MOURNERS, PRISONERS
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Hermit
    A cunning and secretive woman. Her looks and whimsical demeanor belie her great strength.
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Balance
    Steadfast, courageous and highly capable. The same actor also plays PAULINA.
    Middle-age to Elderly
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Paulina
    Advisor to the throne of Sicilia. An older woman, but still smart as a whip and able to bring even the mightiest down with her sharp wit. Has a strong sense of justice and a savior complex. The same actor also plays BALANCE.
    Middle-age to Elderly
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Iphigen
    A young, bright-eyed nun eager to learn forbidden knowledge. Even so, she still bears a deep fear Hell. It's hard to get her in a bad mood.
    30s or younger
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Leontes
    The King of Sicilia. Guilt-ridden over his past actions to the point where all else is secondary. With good reason: he believed HERMIONE was unfaithful to him (though she wasn't) and killed her and their son before learning the truth. Will stop at nothing to atone.
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Hermione
    The Queen of Sicilia. She died before our story begins. Known for her kindness and her valor through unjust persecution. The same actor also plays MELODY.
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Perdita
    Daughter of LEONTES and HERMIONE. She was exiled as a baby and has returned home. Eager to prove herself as the worthy successor to Sicilia... mostly so her mother will give her the time of day.
    30s or younger
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Melody
    Newcomer to Arepo. A sharp, playful woman with an enormous heart. She knows she forgives too easily and is working to be more skeptical. She has an ache in her chest, weighing her down with something she's lost... she just can't remember what. The same actor also plays HERMIONE.
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Mamillius
    Son of LEONTES and HERMIONE. Died in childhood before the story began. Known for being a funloving, yet keenly intelligent, rowdy boy. The same actor also plays RUITH.
    30s or younger
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Head and Heart
    The guards of Arepo tower. Are their names to a T. An exaggerated duo, bordering on clownish; their behavior, voice, stature, dress, etc. are the opposite of the other's.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Time
    A disheveled drunkard. Has a Brooklyn accent or similar. The same actor also plays DUELIST.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+

Awards

  • Bay Area Playwrights' Festival
    Playwrights' Center
    Semi-Finalist
    2020