The Broken Machine

A burnt-out coder has become a hermit in the wilderness, nursing a broken arm and making lists from memory—of endangered species, moments of Lost Time, Incorrect States of Mind—in company with her only friend, a gray fox with a bad attitude. When wild fires approach they flee through the wilderness to the sea, pursued by feckless would-be rescuers and threatened by a punk psychopomp. A climate-chaos comi-tragedy...

A burnt-out coder has become a hermit in the wilderness, nursing a broken arm and making lists from memory—of endangered species, moments of Lost Time, Incorrect States of Mind—in company with her only friend, a gray fox with a bad attitude. When wild fires approach they flee through the wilderness to the sea, pursued by feckless would-be rescuers and threatened by a punk psychopomp. A climate-chaos comi-tragedy.

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The Broken Machine

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: The Broken Machine

    A riveting journey as a one finds themselves recuperating in nature and making friends with it. With threat approaching, will they make it through? Well done.

    A riveting journey as a one finds themselves recuperating in nature and making friends with it. With threat approaching, will they make it through? Well done.

THE BROKEN MACHINE aka MAC: a woman with a broken arm
GRAY: a male gray fox but not evidently so (no fox costume)
JANE: a young woman wearing a rural sheriff’s uniform
JOE: a young man, same uniform
THE PSYCHOPOMP: a non-binary glam punk/club kid young person with iridescent green wings
All characters may be played by cis, trans, or nb actors, of any race.

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Magic Theater, Year 2021
  • Type Commission, Organization Lehigh University, Year 2018
  • Type Residency, Organization Stillwright, Year 2018
  • Type Residency, Organization Blue Mountain Center, Year 2018

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Magic Theater, San Francisco, announced premiere cancelled because of COVID, Year 2021
  • Type University, Organization Lehigh University, Department of Theater, Year 2019