the anatomy of light by juliany taveras

when we carry the pain of our histories and our loved ones in our blood, bruises are not so quick to fade. 'the anatomy of light' is a play about a young boy, a family, an island or two, and what it means to love and to lose. set in the brooklyn of the 21st century, it swims back and forth in time, exploring how there can be healing in the wake of broken bones, colorful bullets, and a mother gone—with...
when we carry the pain of our histories and our loved ones in our blood, bruises are not so quick to fade. 'the anatomy of light' is a play about a young boy, a family, an island or two, and what it means to love and to lose. set in the brooklyn of the 21st century, it swims back and forth in time, exploring how there can be healing in the wake of broken bones, colorful bullets, and a mother gone—with fireworks bursting all the while.
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the anatomy of light

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher:
    15 Feb. 2024
    “ A work of pure poetry. A love letter to Coney Island. ”

Character Information

the brief appearance of GAMEKEEPER should be filled by the actor playing MAMA.
all characters except for CLEO must be cast as black or brown caribbean/latinx folks.

  • BOY
    11,
    afro-latino
    eleven years old; only child
    caramel-apple brown skin (but only eats the red ones)
    sees the world in scribbles, in sharpie, in shards
    demons: falling // absence // wordless teeth
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Child
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • FREAK
    30,
    afro-latino
    thirty years old; (the) father
    an unarmed target, made of paint scabs and potential
    living on the edge of a failed ultimatum
    demons: the barrel of a gun // the bottom of a bottle
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • MAMI
    33,
    afro- or mixed-race latina
    thirty-three years old; mother / daughter
    haunted and haunting and the bridge of all things
    patient, kind, honest—but perhaps never all three at once
    demons: an island in the wrong waters // a god she left behind
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American, Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • CLEO
    13
    thirteen years old; stranger / friend / foe
    tough cookie and long distance spit champ
    beginning to learn of strength, of softness
    demons: fear // frailty // frills // fists
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Child, Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • MAMA
    52
    fifty-two years old; a mother twice over
    storyteller, healer—ink-stained fingers and powdered chin
    she left / she learned / she returned
    demons: her trembling hands // the cruelty of time
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American, Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Vassar College Drama Department
    ,
    2016

Awards

Winner
,
Best Unproduced Latinx Plays
,
50 Playwrights Project
,
2018
Honorable Mention
,
The List
,
The Kilroys
,
2016
Winner
,
The Marilyn Swartz Seven '69 Playwriting Award
,
Vassar College
,
2016