Borderlands

by Mona Z. Smith

In the not-too-distant future, two border guards in a barren wasteland pass a long night's watch by spinning a tale set in the “halcyon days” of their civil war. This story plays out before our eyes. Two young women -- bold Jelena and her shy admirer, Hika -- will soon be on opposite sides of a war fueled by religious and ethnic hatred. The two meet a pair of soldiers in a bar celebrating one last night of freedom before they deploy. This meeting ends unexpectedly in violence. The two women must separate and flee. Jelena assumes the identity of a male soldier to escape, and she ends up fighting for the brutal regime. Hika struggles to maintain her identity and sanity as a refugee and a prisoner. When the two women are reunited at last, the cost of their survival is devastatingly clear.

The original version of this play about women, war, identity, and ethnic cleansing was written as a response to the Bosnian War, and was based on research and interviews.

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Borderlands

Character Information

The 8-person cast features 2 WOMEN (20s-30s) in leading roles and an ENSEMBLE of 6 actors (20s-50s). The ENSEMBLE can be all male, or males + some females. Everyone in the ENSEMBLE plays multiple roles; those roles are listed below, in order of appearance and grouped by scene. A sample doubling plan is available upon request.

Jelena

Charismatic, compelling, free-spirited woman with few boundaries and rough edges

Character Age

20s-30s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  Teens,
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Woman
Hika

Jelena’s lifelong friend and admirer; she's quiet, introverted, thoughtful, anxious

Character Age

20s-30s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Woman
ENSEMBLE: Border Guards 1 & 2

Serve opposite sides in an endless civil war - late in the war

Character Age

40s-50s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: Jovan & Marko

Soldiers of the regime - early in the war

Character Age

20s-30s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: Policeman

A shady policeman who supports the regime - early in the war

Character Age

20s-50s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s
ENSEMBLE: Soldiers 2 & 3

Soldiers of the regime, they overgrown boy scouts - early in the war

Character Age

20s-30s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: Smuggler

Trades on the black market - early in the war

Character Age

20s-50s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: Tailor, Wartnose, Old Man, & Teenager

Refugees on the run - early in the war

Character Age

20s-50s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  Teens,
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s
ENSEMBLE: Haris

Soldier of the regime who serves with "Jovan" (Jovan is Jelena, in disguise)

Character Age

20s-30s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: UN Observer

Wears protective clothing; documents and collects information on the war

Character Age

Any

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s
ENSEMBLE: BBC Reporter & Cameraman 1

Journalists for the west

Character Age

Any

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s
ENSEMBLE: Regime Reporter & Cameraman 2

Propagandists for the regime

Character Age

Any

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s
ENSEMBLE: Commander

Oversees "Tiki Hut" rape camp and prison

Character Age

30s-50s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: Soldiers 1, 2, & 3

Soldiers of the regime who visit the "Tiki Hut"

Character Age

20s-30s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Man
ENSEMBLE: Wanderer

A refugee during the endless civil war - late in the war

Character Age

30s-50s

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Any
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s

Development History

Type Reading, Organization Playwrights Center of San Francisco, Year 1996

Production History

Type Workshop, Organization Orange Tea Theatre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Year 2016
Type Workshop, Organization LiveArts, Charlottesville, VA, Year 1995
Type Workshop, Organization Rose Theatre, L.A., Year 1995
Type Workshop, Organization SoHo Rep, Year 1994

Awards

Berilla Kerr Award for Playwriting

Berilla Kerr Foundation

Winner

1994

Genre

drama,

experimental,

movement/physical,

political,

tragedy

Subject Matter Keywords

women,

war,

ethnic cleansing

Length

60-90 minutes

Cast Size

Age of Intended Audience

all ages

Narrative Attributes

Centers Female Characters,

Centers LGBTQ Characters

Supporting Materials

Script Sample

BORDERLANDS - 20 PAGES.pdf

Reviews

Los Angeles Times

“
A tragic parable told through the interlocking stories of two girlfriends. . .could have been ripped from the headlines. . raises unsettling questions about whether we’re more likely to be affected by television images than by 3-D events. . .
”