The Broken Machine by Liz Duffy Adams

A burnt-out coder has become a hermit in the wilderness, nursing a broken arm and making lists from memory—of endangered species, moments of Lost Time, Incorrect States of Mind—in company with her only friend, a gray fox with a bad attitude. When wild fires approach they flee through the wilderness to the sea, pursued by feckless would-be rescuers and threatened by a punk psychopomp. A climate-chaos comi-tragedy.

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The Broken Machine

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear:
    5 Sep. 2021
    “ A riveting journey as a one finds themselves recuperating in nature and making friends with it. With threat approaching, will they make it through? Well done. ”

THE BROKEN MACHINE aka MAC: a woman with a broken arm
GRAY: a male gray fox but not evidently so (no fox costume)
JANE: a young woman wearing a rural sheriff’s uniform
JOE: a young man, same uniform
THE PSYCHOPOMP: a non-binary glam punk/club kid young person with iridescent green wings
All characters may be played by cis, trans, or nb actors, of any race.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Magic Theater
    ,
    2021
  • Commission
    ,
    Lehigh University
    ,
    2018
  • Residency
    ,
    Stillwright
    ,
    2018
  • Residency
    ,
    Blue Mountain Center
    ,
    2018

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Magic Theater, San Francisco, announced premiere cancelled because of COVID
    ,
    2021
  • University
    ,
    Lehigh University, Department of Theater
    ,
    2019