A Man with Nothing to Lose by Tamar Shai Bolkvadze

FULL LENGTH: Jane Austen's Persuasion set in a homeless camp in Portland’s South Blocks in the not so distant future.
Anne is a nurse who has lost her permit to live within the city limits of Portland because she blocked the illegal blood draw of a homeless teenager after a judge hit him with his car. She now lives in a homeless camp on the city's outskirts where she takes care of her fellow...
FULL LENGTH: Jane Austen's Persuasion set in a homeless camp in Portland’s South Blocks in the not so distant future.
Anne is a nurse who has lost her permit to live within the city limits of Portland because she blocked the illegal blood draw of a homeless teenager after a judge hit him with his car. She now lives in a homeless camp on the city's outskirts where she takes care of her fellow camp residents and fights to appeal the council’s decision to strip her of both her permit and nursing license.
Anne’s prospects for returning to her old life are threatened when Mr. Elliot, the town’s liaison, announces to the residents of the camp that they have been given relocation orders and will be transported to a camp in rural Oregon, hundreds of miles away.
As Anne fights to keep their camp from being dismantled, the man that Anne had been persuaded to give up returns after a long absence. But, as part of the resistance, Captain has fought his own battles, and may not be able to find his way back to Anne.
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A Man with Nothing to Lose

Recommended by

  • Jan Probst:
    23 Jun. 2022
    “ Evocative, at times horrifying, twist on Jane Austen's Persuasion. Exploring the dire circumstances of an un-housed population outside Portland's city limits in the not-so-distant future, Bolkvadze's three act play is incredibly timely. ”
  • Emily McClain:
    21 Jun. 2022
    “ This play is dystopic, horrifying and yet completely within the realm of possibility. The ever-widening gulf of the "haves" and the "have-nots" is illustrated with vivid clarity throughout the piecec. Bolkvadze tackles issues of homelessness, drug addiction, mental health care among unhoused populations, and the immoral bureaucracy of the broken healthcare system all within the scope of this moving and powerful play. ”
  • Arthur M Jolly:
    19 Jun. 2022
    “ A brilliant, dystopian vision of a future where the economically disenfranchised denizens of a homeless camp struggle for their survival, their place in the world, and their human dignity. It might be loosely based on Persuasion, but it is a deeply original, fascinating version. I saw the reading at the Valdez theatre conference, and it was mesmerizing. Well worth a read! ”
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Anne: town resident; female-identifying or non-binary; mid-twenties; any ethnicity

Captain: resistance fighter; male-identifying or non-binary; mid-twenties; any ethnicity

Lady: town resident; plays the violin; female-identifying or non-binary; mid-forties to mid-fifties; any ethnicity

Mr. Elliot: town liaison; male-identifying or non-binary; thirties; any ethnicity

James Bennick: town resident; Benwick is pronounced “Bennick”; also referred to as "Jamie"; male-identifying or non-binary; mid-twenties; any ethnicity

Louisa: town resident; female-identifying or non-binary; late-teens; any ethnicity

Mrs. Clay: town resident; female-identifying or non-binary; late twenties to early thirties; any ethnicity

Hitch: drifts in and out of the town by bike; played by multi-role actor; male-identifying or non-binary; mid-twenties; any ethnicity

Shower Attendant: played by multi-role actor

Border Patrol Agent: played by multi-role actor

3 Sanitation Workers: played by the actors playing Anne, James Bennick and Louisa

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Valdez Theatre Conference
    ,
    2022
  • Reading
    ,
    PDX Playwrights
    ,
    2021