The Universe on Ice by Maury Zeff

TEN MINUTE: When famed explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Peary encounter each other in a polar dreamscape, they must contend with a hungry, disoriented polar bear and an argumentative penguin who demand to know why it's getting so damn warm.
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The Universe on Ice

Recommended by

  • Rachel Bublitz:
    28 Jul. 2018
    “ Hilarious and strange. A great short play that deals with climate change with humor and a ridiculous situation. ”

Character Information

  • Narrator
    Adult,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Physically imposing. Stentorian, British accent, the most authoritative voice you’ve ever heard. Reminiscent of the very self-assured, stodgy narrators from documentaries of an earlier era.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Sir Ernest Shackleton
    30s to 50s,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Hearty, sturdy, stocky. The great polar explorer. British accent with the mildest Irish brogue. Unflaggingly confident, relentlessly ambitious, ravenously hungry. Focused on the singular goal of reaching the South Pole.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Emperor Penguin
    Adult (but needs to be able to play adolescent),
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Any race – Diminutive. Confident, outspoken, principled, impassioned. Has the physicality of a penguin and the gravitas and strength of character of an emperor. Wants humanity to leave him and his egg alone. (Although PENGUIN is a serious character, actor should use the unique physicality of penguins to contrast the character’s seriousness.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary
    30s to 50s,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Physically imposing. American, with a vague, ironic resemblance to a walrus. The slightly less great polar explorer. Ruthlessly ambitious, occasionally lecherous, ravenously hungry. Desperately wants to reach the pole—the northern one.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Polar Bear
    Any adult age,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Physically imposing. Maternal figure, protective, gentle. Wants to know how the hell she got here, but, even more, wants to protect her family and home.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Planet Earth Arts
    ,
    2015

Awards

Audience Choice
,
People's Choice
,
PlayGround
,
2014