Echoes of a Hollow Body

by Mary DeCarlo

Winnie and her grandmother, Gerry, live in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico where Winnie works as a tram operator bringing tourists up and down the mountain. Her routine is interrupted by the return of seasonal co-worker Doug, a guitar playing charmer who enlists her help in scattering the ashes of his recently deceased friend. Winnie struggles to make peace with her mother’s death while stuck between the...

Winnie and her grandmother, Gerry, live in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico where Winnie works as a tram operator bringing tourists up and down the mountain. Her routine is interrupted by the return of seasonal co-worker Doug, a guitar playing charmer who enlists her help in scattering the ashes of his recently deceased friend. Winnie struggles to make peace with her mother’s death while stuck between the strong-will of her grandmother and her own desire to see a world beyond the desert.

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Echoes of a Hollow Body

Recommended by

  • Emily McClain: Echoes of a Hollow Body

    This play is a moving portrait of how grief can shape relationships in profound ways. DeCarlo creates a world where the slanted floor can answer questions and drawers open on their own when they're tired of holding onto secrets. Ghosts and memories hold equal power, and the audience holds its breath hoping Winnie can break their spell. Brilliant role for an older actress!

    This play is a moving portrait of how grief can shape relationships in profound ways. DeCarlo creates a world where the slanted floor can answer questions and drawers open on their own when they're tired of holding onto secrets. Ghosts and memories hold equal power, and the audience holds its breath hoping Winnie can break their spell. Brilliant role for an older actress!

  • Greg Lam: Echoes of a Hollow Body

    A three-character study of small-town life. The three characters all care for one another in a way but are uncertain about how the relationship between the younger characters should develop, with past events casting a shadow on the future. DeCarlo breathes life into the well-drawn characters to allow the plot to unfold organically.

    A three-character study of small-town life. The three characters all care for one another in a way but are uncertain about how the relationship between the younger characters should develop, with past events casting a shadow on the future. DeCarlo breathes life into the well-drawn characters to allow the plot to unfold organically.

  • Karen Ruetz: Echoes of a Hollow Body

    DeCarlo creates a haunting tale about two women stuck in time, and stuck in their lives because of a past loss. Both Gerry and her granddaughter, Winnie, are strong and complicated female characters. The audience will want to see Doug, ever hopeful, succeed in helping both Winnie and Gerry move forward with their lives. Doug and Winnie are both tram operators, and this monotonous job performed on stage while the scene is ongoing, is the perfect metaphor for the lives these characters lead. Toss in some eerie sound effects and visuals, and the end result is compelling and magical.

    DeCarlo creates a haunting tale about two women stuck in time, and stuck in their lives because of a past loss. Both Gerry and her granddaughter, Winnie, are strong and complicated female characters. The audience will want to see Doug, ever hopeful, succeed in helping both Winnie and Gerry move forward with their lives. Doug and Winnie are both tram operators, and this monotonous job performed on stage while the scene is ongoing, is the perfect metaphor for the lives these characters lead. Toss in some eerie sound effects and visuals, and the end result is compelling and magical.

View all 4 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Last Frontier Theatre Conference, Year 2022