A Safe(r) Space (Work In Progress)

by Ashley Lauren Rogers

FULL LENGTH - This is a work in progress. The current draft was the draft we used as a reading for Letter of Marque's Ensemble Playwright's Lab.

We’ve all seen a zombie story. But what happens afterward? After the world falls apart and people learn to live with the violent reality of a zombie apocalypse? And what happens if, for no explainable reason, the zombies get better? A Safe(r) Space is a new piece by...

FULL LENGTH - This is a work in progress. The current draft was the draft we used as a reading for Letter of Marque's Ensemble Playwright's Lab.

We’ve all seen a zombie story. But what happens afterward? After the world falls apart and people learn to live with the violent reality of a zombie apocalypse? And what happens if, for no explainable reason, the zombies get better? A Safe(r) Space is a new piece by Ashley Lauren Rogers all about the lives of people after a zombie apocalypse trying to rebuild, move forward, and find some sense of normalcy… If they can.

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A Safe(r) Space (Work In Progress)

Recommended by

  • The Workshop Theater: A Safe(r) Space (Work In Progress) by Ashley Lauren Rogers
    “

    The Workshop Theater is pleased to recognize Ashley Lauren Rogers as a playwright selected out of a competitive pool of applicants for our Winter 2021 Writer’s Intensive. The Writer’s Intensive is an eight-week long, playwright-driven process geared towards revising an existing play. A Safe(r) Space tackles an utterly unique question: what if zombies could get better? Suddenly, the actions one takes to survive, and the memories attached to those actions, have long reaching scars that affect not only yourself but everyone around you. In that situation, who can you lean on? Our congratulations...

    The Workshop Theater is pleased to recognize Ashley Lauren Rogers as a playwright selected out of a competitive pool of applicants for our Winter 2021 Writer’s Intensive. The Writer’s Intensive is an eight-week long, playwright-driven process geared towards revising an existing play. A Safe(r) Space tackles an utterly unique question: what if zombies could get better? Suddenly, the actions one takes to survive, and the memories attached to those actions, have long reaching scars that affect not only yourself but everyone around you. In that situation, who can you lean on? Our congratulations and thanks to Ashley.

    read more
    ”

Character Information

This play can be done with the main characters being cast (ANGELICA, CELES, FIONA, JAYLEN, TAMERA, ZHI, and ALEC) and all of those actors portraying secondary characters (Medic Buddy, Shayna, Amelia’s Mom, Scavenger 1, Scavenger 2, Husband, Driver, Shopper, and various Zombies) or a large cast could embody all of those.
  • ZHI (Zee)
    Named Zhi (pronounced “jree”) but goes by Zee to people in the group. Highly distrustful of men.
    Age 30-40
    East Asian descent
    Female identifying actor
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • ALEC
    A man who has, seemingly, wandered into the space, into Brooklyn, into society.
    Age 40-50
    Any
    Male identifying actor
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Various Side Characters
    SIDE CHARACTERS
    (To be performed by separate actors or reenacted by main cast)
    Zombie(s), Medic Buddy, Shayna, Amelia’s Mom, Scavenger 1, Scavenger 2, Husband, Driver, Shopper
    Various
    Various
  • ANGELICA
    A therapist… But kind of, and not really anymore… The somewhat defacto leader of the group. A mother.
    Age 35-50
    Any
    Female identifying actor
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • CELES
    Formerly experienced homelessness. Has lived through a lot prior to the zombie times so continued to adapt.
    Age 25-35
    Any
    Trans Femme actor
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • FIONA
    Street Medic, anarchist, warm and helpful attitude but very willing to root out problems.
    Age 25-35
    Any
    Female identifying actor
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • JAYLEN
    Was a college student but began taking care of a young girl, Shayna, who tried to attack her during the zombie times. Now she ponders her place, how to stay safe, and how to protect the ones she loves even as society rebuilds.
    Age 25-30
    Any
    Female identifying actor
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • TAMERA -
    Lawyer who has experienced memory loss and succumbed to the Zombie-like symptoms many others have experienced.
    age 30-45
    Any Race (BIPOC preferred)
    woman
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Residency, Letter of Marque Theater, 2020