Bears

by Mark Rigney

The world is going to hell in a hand-basket, but neither Growl Bear nor Timmy Bear, two grizzlies stuck in a suddenly deserted zoo, have the least idea what a hand-basket might be. What they do know is that their keeper is in tears more often than not, and the treats they used to get from cheerful zoo visitors are long gone. Enter Suzie Wild Bear, a committed loner brought to the zoo for breeding purposes. As...

The world is going to hell in a hand-basket, but neither Growl Bear nor Timmy Bear, two grizzlies stuck in a suddenly deserted zoo, have the least idea what a hand-basket might be. What they do know is that their keeper is in tears more often than not, and the treats they used to get from cheerful zoo visitors are long gone. Enter Suzie Wild Bear, a committed loner brought to the zoo for breeding purposes. As the zoo shuts down around them, the three bears form an alliance and escape to the supposed paradise of the wilderness.

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Bears

Recommended by

  • Straton Rushing: Bears by Mark Rigney
    “

    I really did not expect a play about bears titled "Bears" to touch on so many topics from ethics, to society, to what it means to be an "animal". These 3 characters are brilliantly written and Rigney creates a world that feels vast yet never contrived. I cannot recommend this play enough, one of my favorite reads of 2020 (speaking of which, with the apocalyptic backdrop, the pay feels relevant in a totally new way).

    I really did not expect a play about bears titled "Bears" to touch on so many topics from ethics, to society, to what it means to be an "animal". These 3 characters are brilliantly written and Rigney creates a world that feels vast yet never contrived. I cannot recommend this play enough, one of my favorite reads of 2020 (speaking of which, with the apocalyptic backdrop, the pay feels relevant in a totally new way).

    ”
  • Diane Brewer: Bears by Mark Rigney
    “

    Actors play bears. Without furry costumes. And they have a dilemma: how can they sustain life in a world where people have abandoned their responsibilities? This play, which premiered at 59e59, is a theatrical, funny, and poignant look at a very human question.

    Actors play bears. Without furry costumes. And they have a dilemma: how can they sustain life in a world where people have abandoned their responsibilities? This play, which premiered at 59e59, is a theatrical, funny, and poignant look at a very human question.

    ”

Character Information

Three of the four actors involved portray bears, so traditional discussions of race in casting have no bearing (pardon the pun) here.
  • Growl Bear
    Middle-aged
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Timmy Bear
    Teens through twenties
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Susie Wild Bear
    Twenties
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Radio Broadcaster
    Twenties through Fifties
    Any
    Femme or non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Non-binary

Development History

  • Workshop, Northern Michigan University Department of Theatre, 2012
  • Workshop, Sans A Productions, 2012
  • Workshop, EMOS Ecodrama Festival (at Carnegie Mellon University), 2012

Production History

  • Professional, Sans A Productions at 59e59, NYC, 2013
  • University, Northern Michigan University Department of Theatre, 2012

Awards

  • Winner, Panowski Playwriting Award
    Northern Michigan University Theatre Department
    2012