unconformity

by Mak Shealy

Geology grad students, Christine, Cyril and Ari are bound by a shared love of trying to decipher the secrets of the ancient earth. After a tragic accident fractures their dynamic forever, each is forced to grapple with legacy, grief and unanswerable questions. At the center of it all, curiosity and fear battle it out. Much like the Great Unconformity itself, leaps of imagination are required to fill in the gaps.

Geology grad students, Christine, Cyril and Ari are bound by a shared love of trying to decipher the secrets of the ancient earth. After a tragic accident fractures their dynamic forever, each is forced to grapple with legacy, grief and unanswerable questions. At the center of it all, curiosity and fear battle it out. Much like the Great Unconformity itself, leaps of imagination are required to fill in the gaps.

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unconformity

Recommended by

  • Jasmine Sharma: unconformity

    A deeply moving ensemble piece tracking tectonic shifts of grief. Beautiful rhythm to the dialogue and some really juicy monologues in here for hungry actors!

    A deeply moving ensemble piece tracking tectonic shifts of grief. Beautiful rhythm to the dialogue and some really juicy monologues in here for hungry actors!

  • Adam Hunter Howard: unconformity

    O to have Shealy's gift for nuanced metaphor and language! Shealy masterfully finds a connection between a geological anomaly and the layers of grief that can also deeply affect someone's journey through life - whether it's romance, career, family, you name it. Shealy has such a grasp on language - so many wonderful moments of poetry that give insight to how we live, who we love and protect, and how we might look more deeply at the details of the world on which we literally walk.

    O to have Shealy's gift for nuanced metaphor and language! Shealy masterfully finds a connection between a geological anomaly and the layers of grief that can also deeply affect someone's journey through life - whether it's romance, career, family, you name it. Shealy has such a grasp on language - so many wonderful moments of poetry that give insight to how we live, who we love and protect, and how we might look more deeply at the details of the world on which we literally walk.

  • Tira Palmquist: unconformity

    I watched Unconformity take shape this past year in The Road Theater’s playwrights group, and I admire this play so much — in particular, the way science and grief intersects with such beautiful specificity. An unconformity in geology is a break in time in an otherwise continuous rock record (a thing I did not know until this play!), and there’s a break in Christine’s life as well with the loss of Ari. The struggle (and failure) to repair that break, to answer unanswerable questions, drives her - and that drive is poignant and relatable.

    I watched Unconformity take shape this past year in The Road Theater’s playwrights group, and I admire this play so much — in particular, the way science and grief intersects with such beautiful specificity. An unconformity in geology is a break in time in an otherwise continuous rock record (a thing I did not know until this play!), and there’s a break in Christine’s life as well with the loss of Ari. The struggle (and failure) to repair that break, to answer unanswerable questions, drives her - and that drive is poignant and relatable.

View all 4 recommendations

Character Information

  • Christine
    (24 & 50s; she/her) At 24, she is a grad student specializing in Oceanography and Thermochronology at Arizona State University. In her 50s, she is a tenured professor at ASU. Christine is fiercely curious -- she can hold space for impossible things.
    Character Age
    50s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Any female/femme-identifying
  • Pep
    (16 & 29; she/they) Christine's child. Pep questions everything, burns bright. At 29, Pep has a masters degree in psychology but works as a journalist and travel writer.
    Character Age
    20s-30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    (assigned female at birth) Non-binary; (assigned male at birth) Non-binary
  • Cyril
    (24 & 50s; they/them) At 24 Cyril is a grad student studying Geology and Hydro-Ecology. Cyril is competitive, but not ruthless. In their 50s, Cyril is an esteemed researcher and eld geologist, returning to ASU to teach after a long fellowship has ended.
    Character Age
    50s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    Gender Queer/Trans/Non-binary/ Agender (IT+/THEY+)
  • Ari
    (Frozen in time at 24 years old, he/him) a grad student at ASU with Cyril and Christine. They are a tight knit bunch. Ari is lovable and brave. Doubles as THERAPIST, DEALER & BOXING COACH
    Character Age
    20s-30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    A Queer Actor
  • Laela
    (29; she/her) Pep's girlfriend. Social media strategist and all around charmer. She lost her twin sister to a freak bacterial infection a few years back. Doubles as Grad Student ALEX.
    Character Age
    20s-30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    A Queer Actor

Development History

Awards

  • Festival Selection
    SheArts LA/NY
    Semi-Finalist
    2023