Honey Bee Baby

by Erlina Ortiz

Melisa is a kind-hearted follower of rules. She desperately wants a child, if only she could pass the government mandated test that will allow her to do it. Young Clarisa knows nothing except the perfectly curated life her parents have carved for her in their fortified underground mansion. She too has a test to pass, if only she could focus, follow, listen; the way Mother wants her to. In Erlina Ortiz’s magical...

Melisa is a kind-hearted follower of rules. She desperately wants a child, if only she could pass the government mandated test that will allow her to do it. Young Clarisa knows nothing except the perfectly curated life her parents have carved for her in their fortified underground mansion. She too has a test to pass, if only she could focus, follow, listen; the way Mother wants her to. In Erlina Ortiz’s magical Honey Bee Baby, the bees are gone, the resources are scarce, and every one must earn their place in this world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred with blood

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Honey Bee Baby

Recommended by

  • Fig Lefevre: Honey Bee Baby by Erlina Ortiz
    “

    A surreal & unique take on reproductive rights and biopolitics. This play runs at a clip, pushing ever forward in to a storm, into a swarm. The odd cadence to the dialogue is reminiscent of Father Comes Home from the Wars, and the almost farcical characters heighten the feeling of Uncanny Valley throughout the play.

    A surreal & unique take on reproductive rights and biopolitics. This play runs at a clip, pushing ever forward in to a storm, into a swarm. The odd cadence to the dialogue is reminiscent of Father Comes Home from the Wars, and the almost farcical characters heighten the feeling of Uncanny Valley throughout the play.

    ”
  • David Templeton: Honey Bee Baby by Erlina Ortiz
    “

    Wow! This is as unsettling as it is riveting. Ortiz has packed the elegant structure of her storytelling with oddly specific and interesting details, and an escalating tension that builds to a literal storm of nightmarish choices. Through all that, it never fails to be entertaining and, at times, genuinely delightful. The monstrous future described in "Honey Bee Baby" is seeded with small potent touches of humor, and even a few promises of genuine hope.

    Wow! This is as unsettling as it is riveting. Ortiz has packed the elegant structure of her storytelling with oddly specific and interesting details, and an escalating tension that builds to a literal storm of nightmarish choices. Through all that, it never fails to be entertaining and, at times, genuinely delightful. The monstrous future described in "Honey Bee Baby" is seeded with small potent touches of humor, and even a few promises of genuine hope.

    ”
  • Jeremy Gable: Honey Bee Baby by Erlina Ortiz
    “

    This is a piece that just gets more relevant with each passing year. With an Octavia Butler-like prescience, Erlina has crafted a terrifying and believable world that builds to one of the most terrifying climaxes I've read in a very long time. I really hope I can see this one on stage.

    This is a piece that just gets more relevant with each passing year. With an Octavia Butler-like prescience, Erlina has crafted a terrifying and believable world that builds to one of the most terrifying climaxes I've read in a very long time. I really hope I can see this one on stage.

    ”
View all 7 recommendations
Citizens.
MELISA, early 30s. A caregiver, a simple woman. A rule follower. A Random. She is not extraordinary in any way, but she is good and kind. Mixed-race
CLARISA, 7-10 years old. A difficult child. Maybe a genius. Clarisa always knows what’s up. Mixed-race, white-passing
MOTHER/ JOY, late 30s to early 40s. Clarisa’s mother. An Engine. White or White-passing

These roles may double:
RAY, early to mid 30s. Melisa’s husband. A pragmatist. Mixed-race or black
VICTORIA, Melisa’s friend, an ‘extremist.’ A bookworm. Mixed-race, ethnically ambiguous
ASHANAY, Melisa’s friend, a peacemaker, pregnant. Black
OFFICER, always watching (can be played by actor playing Ray)
MARIA, late 110s to early 120s, an elderly woman Melisa cares for
ADAMA, a caregiver (Can be played by actor playing Ashanay)
DOCTOR (Can be played by actor playing Ray, or Ashanay)
ANCHOR (Can be played by actor playing Victoria)
WEATHER Person (Can be played by Actor playing Ray or Ashanay)
RESCUER (Can be played by actor playing Ray)

Development History

  • Workshop, Rivendell Theatre, 2023
  • Reading, The Foundry @ Playpenn , 2019
  • Workshop, The Foundry @ PlayPenn , 2018
  • Workshop, New Pages at Azuka Theatre , 2018