On Every Link a Heart Does Dangle; or, Owed by Tim J. Lord

The town of Thebes was once the jewel of Southern Illinois, but the river has turned poisonous, the crops are failing, and pregnant women and their unborn babies are dying mysterious deaths, all while the town's leader has locked himself away, leaving the residents to cast about for answers. Suspicion falls on Mellie, a young woman born with a serious disability. Despised from birth by the gods and barely...
The town of Thebes was once the jewel of Southern Illinois, but the river has turned poisonous, the crops are failing, and pregnant women and their unborn babies are dying mysterious deaths, all while the town's leader has locked himself away, leaving the residents to cast about for answers. Suspicion falls on Mellie, a young woman born with a serious disability. Despised from birth by the gods and barely tolerated by the rest of town, it falls on her and the other women of Thebes to wrest power from the man who has led them to catastrophe in this radical reimagining of the Oedipus myth.
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On Every Link a Heart Does Dangle; or, Owed

Recommended by

  • Navida Stein:
    26 Jul. 2019
    “ I experienced this extraordinary play as a staged reading in May 2019 at The Lark. It was riveting, powerful and funny. Very unique storytelling of an ancient myth, resonating deeply with our societal issues. I am looking forward to it's next incarnation. ”
  • Timothy Thompson:
    17 Feb. 2019
    “ 'Owed' is epic in structure and has a way of both adhering to and playfully deviating from the hero's journey and the Greek tragedy structure. The dialogue, for me, is so very exciting, poetic, active, and captivating. The characters in this play (most of them women) are complex power-houses! I cannot wait to see where this play goes next! ”

Character Information

Thebes, Illinois, is a real place on the real-life Mississippi River. In real life Thebes, among its 200 or so inhabitants, you will likely find all of them to be of a single race. But this Thebes is a mythic, imaginative construction—another version of an American Heartland. It is peopled with citizens of every race. Families too are more fluid, so I insist that the casting reflect a world that looks more like the America we all live in today.

The actor playing MELLIE should be cast with an actor with a disability. Mellie’s disability affects her mobility. How this is incorporated can be determined by the production in collaboration with the actor playing her. Other characters’ descriptions of Mellie may be changed to fit the actor’s reality, but any line changes should be executed in collaboration with and with prior written approval from the playwright.

The play is written for a chorus of 3 plus the Chorus Leader; however, the chorus could be much larger or smaller and individual parts redistributed.

  • Mellie
    18-early 20s,
    Female
    Late teens-early 20s, shy but precocious, severely disabled by a birth defect, and a boat builder with visions both imaginative and prophetic.

    Must be cast with an actor who identifies as having a disability.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Aga
    Early-mid 20s,
    Female
    Casta’s secretary and Mellie’s older sister, though she’s not allowed to acknowledge the relationship.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Casta
    Late 30s-early 40s,
    Female
    Late 30s-early 40s, the First Lady of Thebes, married to Ode.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Kree
    Mid 40s,
    Female
    The Defender of Thebes, older sister to Casta, advisor to Ode, a warrior trying to thrive in peacetime.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Zebulon
    30s,
    Male
    A golden young man, looks early 30s, feels much older.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Chorus Leader
    50s-70s,
    Presents Female
    Also plays TARE, 60s, blind, wise, some say a seer, shunned by the town; THEBAN ELDER; THE MONSTER; THE RIVER
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Chorus 1
    Younger than Chorus 2,
    Female
    Also plays YOUNG THEBAN; MESS, a mysterious young woman with a message to deliver.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Chorus 2
    Older than Chorus 1,
    Female
    Also plays, ORA, late 40s, the mouthpiece of the gods, kidnapped and held captive by Missourian Mud-worshippers; NURSE .
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Chorus 3
    Male
    Also plays THE VIGILANT; ECK, early 20s, Aga’s boyfriend; PRIEST; HERD, elderly finder of lost animals
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History