In the Presence of Things Unseen by William J. Meyer

Sometime after the war, the new recruit of a secretive Clinic is dismayed when she is prematurely thrust into the line of duty and forced to communicate with an ancient, extra-dimensional intelligence. The terrifying experience triggers confrontational memories of her recently deceased brother, invites the erosion of her ethics, and underscores the Clinic’s promise of power.

An Atomic Gothic sci-...
Sometime after the war, the new recruit of a secretive Clinic is dismayed when she is prematurely thrust into the line of duty and forced to communicate with an ancient, extra-dimensional intelligence. The terrifying experience triggers confrontational memories of her recently deceased brother, invites the erosion of her ethics, and underscores the Clinic’s promise of power.

An Atomic Gothic sci-fi set in a fictitious nation during the 1950s.
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In the Presence of Things Unseen

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Character Information

1F, 2M, 3X (or more).
'Rebekah' ought to be younger than 'Professor' to accentuate the apprentice/master dynamic.
'The TIR Machine' can be doubled or pre-recorded.
'The Intelligence' can be doubled, pre-recorded, or created through sound design.
'Technicians' can be implied, pre-recorded, removed, or played by two or more performers.

  • Rebekah
    Young adult,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Apprentice.
    Curious, determined, rash.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Professor
    Older adult,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Instructor.
    Smug, deceptive, warm.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Jacob
    Young adult,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Rebekah’s brother.
    Troubled, eager, anxious.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Leonard / Leonore
    Middle-aged,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    Clinic Director.
    Stoic, stern, egotistic.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • The TIR Machine
    Any Adult Age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    Translates for The Intelligence, speaks in a slow modulated pitch, an analog computer resembling an accordion mixed with a typewriter, worn with straps over the chest.
    Calm, casual, insistent.
    Can be doubled or pre-recorded.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • The Intelligence
    Any Adult Age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    Ancient extra-dimensional entity, communicates in deep guttural animal sounds.
    Inscrutable.
    Can be doubled or pre-recorded.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Technicians
    Any Adult Age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    Various support crew.
    Frantic, earnest, thorough.
    Can be implied, removed, or two or more performers.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Dramatists Guild End of Play Virtual Table Reading
    ,
    2021