Last Night in Inwood by Alix Sobler
A disaster in NYC has everyone on the island looking for high ground. Danny, a Jewish 30-something social worker, has holed up in her one-bedroom apartment in Inwood, where she is joined by her father Max, a conservative dentist, and her aunt Sheila, an aging hippy. They are waiting for Danny’s husband Cal to return from a supply run, and for Danny’s brother and his family who were headed north from the West...
A disaster in NYC has everyone on the island looking for high ground. Danny, a Jewish 30-something social worker, has holed up in her one-bedroom apartment in Inwood, where she is joined by her father Max, a conservative dentist, and her aunt Sheila, an aging hippy. They are waiting for Danny’s husband Cal to return from a supply run, and for Danny’s brother and his family who were headed north from the West Village. They are soon joined by neighbor Jazz, a 19-year old Dominican-American college student, and Billy, a 30-something Asian-American, gay actor. It becomes clear that the immediate disaster is the culmination of the entire country falling apart, a combined effect of climate change disasters, economic distress, the rise of white supremacy militias, and the increase of looting and rioting across the country. As the impending doom creeps into the apartment, the tensions between these very different people begins to mount. There are arguments based on different generational views, disagreements based on race, economic status, religious views and political leanings. As the play goes on, the crisis they are facing becomes more and more real. First they watch as Times Square is flooded by sea water live on NY1, then, the power goes out. They are warned not to leave the apartment by the Emergency Broadcast System through a short wave radio. When Cal returns to the apartment in Act 2, he reveals that things outside are worse than they imagined. The people that are left on the island are being rounded up by the army and put into encampments, where they are separating people based on religion and race to “keep the peace”. ISIS is suspected to be behind major explosions in other states. Packs of wild dogs are terrorizing New Jersey. Cal wants to head for Canada immediately. Major arguments ensue, revealing an ongoing argument between Cal and Danny about what it will take to survive this kind of crisis, and finally, between Danny and her father about being willing to face the truth, and relying on each other instead of faith to save them. In the end, Canada is too far, and the camps are too dangerous, so they decide to head for the caves in Inwood Hill park, where they will do their best to survive on their own, but together, as a new tribe. Before they are able to leave, there is a knock at the door. Unsure who it is, Danny approaches the door with a drawn gun, her family and friends behind her, ready to face whoever waits on the other side of the door.
Contact Leah Hamos for a reader's draft.