THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD by Dwayne Yancey

FIVE-MINUTE PLAY: THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD
A police officer’s somber monologue: He was at the scene of a mass shooting, and could literally hear the awful news start to spread -- as the cellphones of the victims started to ring with desperate messages from their frantic friends. This was inspired by the mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, where this macabre phenomenon played out. Cast:...
FIVE-MINUTE PLAY: THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD
A police officer’s somber monologue: He was at the scene of a mass shooting, and could literally hear the awful news start to spread -- as the cellphones of the victims started to ring with desperate messages from their frantic friends. This was inspired by the mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, where this macabre phenomenon played out. Cast: One speaker, with as many bodies as you muster. I've put in the number "10" in the form only because it required a number.
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THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD

Recommended by

  • Kenley Smith:
    30 May. 2018
    “ I was there for the first performance (actually, I was in it), just days after the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. Based on actual circumstances, this short play retains its power and poignancy even a decade later. Highly recommended. ”
  • Jordan Elizabeth Henry:
    10 Apr. 2018
    “ I first encountered this play a month ago and was grateful to include it in a reading of gun reform plays I produced. I can only imagine the impact this heart-wrenching monologue play would have with a full production. A snapshot, one facet of the impact of gun violence. It has stayed with me since the moment I read it; it will stay with you, too. ”
  • Asher Wyndham:
    5 Mar. 2018
    “ Yancey's unsettling images of a scene after a shooting, that time for a police officer to count and recount the dead, the sounds of ringing cellphones and the calls from love ones..it's a heartbreaking read. As a fully-produced solo show, the officer's narration of the crime scene that's haunting his memory, with the victims of that memory strewn across the stage, will be a heart-wrenching experience for the audience. Highly recommended short play for your festival on gun control. ”
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Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    No Shame Theatre, Roanoke, Virginia
    ,
    2007