In the not-too-distant future, two border guards in a barren wasteland pass a long night's watch by spinning a tale set in the “halcyon days” of their civil war. This story plays out before our eyes. Two young women -- bold Jelena and her shy admirer, Hika -- will soon be on opposite sides of a war fueled by religious and ethnic hatred. The two meet a pair of soldiers in a bar celebrating one last night of...
In the not-too-distant future, two border guards in a barren wasteland pass a long night's watch by spinning a tale set in the “halcyon days” of their civil war. This story plays out before our eyes. Two young women -- bold Jelena and her shy admirer, Hika -- will soon be on opposite sides of a war fueled by religious and ethnic hatred. The two meet a pair of soldiers in a bar celebrating one last night of freedom before they deploy. This meeting ends unexpectedly in violence. The two women must separate and flee. Jelena assumes the identity of a male soldier to escape, and she ends up fighting for the brutal regime. Hika struggles to maintain her identity and sanity as a refugee and a prisoner. When the two women are reunited at last, the cost of their survival is devastatingly clear.
The original version of this play about women, war, identity, and ethnic cleansing was written as a response to the Bosnian War, and was based on research and interviews.
The 8-person cast features 2 WOMEN (20s-30s) in leading roles and an ENSEMBLE of 6 actors (20s-50s). The ENSEMBLE can be all male, or males + some females. Everyone in the ENSEMBLE plays multiple roles; those roles are listed below, in order of appearance and grouped by scene. A sample doubling plan is available upon request.
Jelena
20s-30s,
Any
,
Female
Charismatic, compelling, free-spirited woman with few boundaries and rough edges
Can be played by:
Age:
Teens, 20s, 30s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Female
Hika
20s-30s,
Any
,
Female
Jelena’s lifelong friend and admirer; she's quiet, introverted, thoughtful, anxious
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Female
ENSEMBLE: Border Guards 1 & 2
40s-50s,
Any
,
Male
Serve opposite sides in an endless civil war - late in the war
Can be played by:
Age:
30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: Jovan & Marko
20s-30s,
Any
,
Male
Soldiers of the regime - early in the war
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: Policeman
20s-50s,
Any
,
Any
A shady policeman who supports the regime - early in the war
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s, 40s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Any gender
ENSEMBLE: Soldiers 2 & 3
20s-30s,
Any
,
Any (but probably Male)
Soldiers of the regime, they overgrown boy scouts - early in the war
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: Smuggler
20s-50s,
Any
,
Any (but probably Male)
Trades on the black market - early in the war
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: Tailor, Wartnose, Old Man, & Teenager
20s-50s,
Any
,
Any
Refugees on the run - early in the war
Can be played by:
Age:
Any adult age
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Any gender
ENSEMBLE: Haris
20s-30s,
Any
,
Male
Soldier of the regime who serves with "Jovan" (Jovan is Jelena, in disguise)
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: UN Observer
Any,
Any
,
Any
Wears protective clothing; documents and collects information on the war
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Any gender
ENSEMBLE: BBC Reporter & Cameraman 1
Any,
Any
,
Any
Journalists for the west
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Any gender
ENSEMBLE: Regime Reporter & Cameraman 2
Any,
Any
,
Any (but probably Male)
Propagandists for the regime
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Any gender
ENSEMBLE: Commander
30s-50s,
Any
,
Male
Oversees "Tiki Hut" rape camp and prison
Can be played by:
Age:
30s, 40s, 50s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: Soldiers 1, 2, & 3
20s-30s,
Any
,
Any (but probably Male)
Soldiers of the regime who visit the "Tiki Hut"
Can be played by:
Age:
20s, 30s
Race/Ethnicity:
Any race/ethnicity
Gender:
Male
ENSEMBLE: Wanderer
30s-50s,
Any
,
Any
A refugee during the endless civil war - late in the war