darklight

darklight examines depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope.

This is a relevant and necessary issue to explore.

Drama Experimental Form Issue-Based Movement-based Vignettes

Average Producer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This is a vignette play!

Recommended for High Schools

Running Time

About 35 minutes

Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes

Cast

16 Characters

2 M4 F10 Any Gender, Plus THOUGHTS (10 to 20 actors)

Set

Simple set

Length

38 pages

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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

16 Characters

2 M, 4 F, 10 Any Gender, Plus THOUGHTS (10 to 20 actors)

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

Group One (5E)

Anxiety [A] 46 lines

A sharp pointed coach figure; One monologue

Depression [A] 43 lines

A grandmotherly type, soft, flowing, smothering figure

Luz [A] 7 lines

The light. Moves, acts and speaks with positive purpose; One monologue

Moe [A] 24 lines

Suffering from Anxiety

Van [A] 37 lines

Suffering from Depression

Group Two: 5 to 10 actors (1M, 4-9E)

Depression Thoughts [A] 24 lines

5-10 actors; This is a group that represents Depression. They move slowly, always as a tight mass. They are rounded, heavy, and carry a narrow light.

Anxiety Thoughts [A] 24 lines

5-10 actors; This is a group that represents Anxiety. They move with a scattered, straight legged frenzy. They carry a searching frantic light.

The following vignettes are played by members of the THOUGHTS group: [A, E, E, E, E, M]

Anxiety Questions, Anxiety Awake, Anxiety Alone, Depression Questions, Depression Awake, Depression Alone/Dad

Group Three: 4F 2M 5E

Mr/Mrs Halycon / Rey [A] 36, 36 lines

A salesman with a specific product / Suffering from Anxiety

Riya / Fallon [F] 17, 17 lines

Best Friends talking about dating. Mostly.

Theo / Theo / Kari / Liv / Mason / Jyn [M / E / F / F / M / E] 33, 12, 4, 4, 7, 13 lines

Theo is a friendly, welcoming character who his friends rely on. Theo2 is Theo’s inside depression, slowly taking over. Kari, Liv and Mason are friends of Theo. Jyn is a new student, who sees right through Theo.

Van / Death [A, E] 37, 37 lines

Death and Van meet in the in-between world. Death is cheerful and very much the anti-stereotype of a Death character. Van is also a Group One character. One monologue each.

Praise for darklight

Natalie Safley

Freeport High School

This show made discussing mental illness accessible to young people. It created a safe environment for friends and family to talk about their challenges with anxiety, depression and suicide.

Fallon Prince

Langenburg Central School

The technical elements fit so well with the action - a fabulous challenge for our lighting and sound techs.

Karah Janssen

Marie Murphy School

This show gave our students a challenge both in scene work and in ensemble work. We felt good about doing a show with a relevant, meaningful social message. It prompted fantastic, meaningful discussions in classes after the school saw the play.

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