I Am An Island

by Julia Lederer

"Moving is like a heart transplant. Don't do it unless you have to."
May and everyone she knows live on an island that is sinking into the sea. Yet, no one will listen to her and leave. Not her twin sister, her fiancé, or anyone else. The ghost of May's grandmother haunts and mocks her while drinking martinis.
Everyone agrees that the island is a wonderful place to live. They would rather chase ostriches and...

"Moving is like a heart transplant. Don't do it unless you have to."
May and everyone she knows live on an island that is sinking into the sea. Yet, no one will listen to her and leave. Not her twin sister, her fiancé, or anyone else. The ghost of May's grandmother haunts and mocks her while drinking martinis.
Everyone agrees that the island is a wonderful place to live. They would rather chase ostriches and build floating gardens than acknowledge waking up in puddles or fish falling from above.
But May starts sinking herself. Lower and lower, as the world moves around her, she finds she cannot or does not want to pull herself out. When an unexpected visitor arrives and mistakes May's sinking for a political protest, she makes it one: a movement so everyone will leave the island. But as she continues to sink lower, she struggles to know what she can do to make any difference at all.
Poetic, playful, and pressing, a play that asks: How do we stand on a sinking world and maintain hope?

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I Am An Island

Recommended by

  • Len Cuthbert: I Am An Island by Julia Lederer
    “

    I Am An Island is a beautifully imaginative and deeply human play that balances humour and heartbreak with remarkable ease. Julia Lederer creates a vivid, theatrical world that feels both whimsical and urgently relevant, exploring connection, denial, and survival with clarity and compassion. It’s smart. Looking forward to seeing it when it opens at the Here For Now Theatre in Stratford, ON

    I Am An Island is a beautifully imaginative and deeply human play that balances humour and heartbreak with remarkable ease. Julia Lederer creates a vivid, theatrical world that feels both whimsical and urgently relevant, exploring connection, denial, and survival with clarity and compassion. It’s smart. Looking forward to seeing it when it opens at the Here For Now Theatre in Stratford, ON

    ”

Character Information

This play must be cast diversely. Two of the characters are twins, but they should not look alike (though they should be similar in age).
  • May
    Dry and thoughtful, curious. Runs melancholy, but is not without humor. An outsider who cares about others, and wants to feel connection. Forceful at times. Trying, or trying to try.
    Twins with Sandra, but they should NOT look alike.
    30s-40s
    Any
    Femme,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Sandra
    Optimistic, resourceful, strives to live on the bright side. Runs joyful, but not without depth. A true caretaker, always moving.
    Twins with May but they should not look alike. (They can be bi-racial). The twins should appear the same age.
    30s-40s
    Any
    Femme,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Ben
    Enthusiastic, inventive, awkward. Ben is a doer, a fixer, a dreamer at all costs. If he cannot find hope, he will build it.
    30s-40s
    Any
    Male presenting,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • April
    On vacation -- from our world. Feels modern, brings a new energy to this space from somewhere strong and specific, like New York or LA. Where Sandra is a caretaker, April takes care of herself. Confident in everything she says. Can be condescending, but believes she means well.
    20s-40s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Grandma
    Brash and a little hard. She used to be haunted, but now she does the haunting. Because she's a ghost. Her haunting is fun for her, even a little glamorous. She was softer once, probably. Loves a good martini.
    20s-70s
    Any
    Female,
    Femme
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+

Development History

  • Workshop, Watering Hole Collective, 2024