in first-person action and in third-person commentary.
A Note on Setting
Afterimage was written to be performed in an electrified environment. Artistic Fraud’s production included a set made of copper, and costumes wired to transmit live DC current. While the voltage was kept low and every precaution was met to ensure the safety of all actors and staff, the living electricity component allowed for all effects listed in stage directions. Thus, where noted in the play, sparks, flashes, fire, and the like were manifested quite literally in production.
A Note on Production
Afterimage was accompanied by an original score for voice and guitar-string harp performed by the ensemble.
Afterimage received its premiere production from Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland at the Enwave Theatre of the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto on April 16, 2009, as part of World Stage. The company was as follows:
Lise: Mary-Colin Chisholm
Winston: Christian Murray
Theresa: Melanie Brooks
Jerome: Kevin Woolridge
Leo: Colin Furlong
Maggie: Petrina Bromley
Leonard: Phil Churchill
Connie: Melanie Caines
Director: Jillian Keiley
Score and musical direction: Jonathan Monro
Set design: Shawn Kerwin
Costume design: Marie Sharpe
Lighting design: Renate Pohl
Technical director: Rick Banville
Production manager: Erin French
Stage manager: Flora Planchat
Assistant director: Anita Rochon
Assistant director: Michael Worthman
Afterimage was written with generous assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts. Artistic Fraud developed the piece with pre-production dramaturgy by Iris Turcott, and post-production dramaturgy by Sarah Stanley.
Lights up on WINSTON, his back to us. He stands centre stage, looking up at a hydro pole. In his hand is a downed power line. A pause on this.
Chorus (Winston): It does strange things to people, to not be connected.
The others enter as they speak.
Chorus (Lise): People need to feel that spark.
Chorus (Maggie): In our town, people need hope, that’s all. And when they need hope they need the priest.
Chorus (Lise): Sssh.
She plucks a harp string.
You hear that?
MAGGIE shakes her head no.
Chorus (Winston): What people need are men who can climb.
He takes the line and walks to the hydro pole, begins to climb through the following.
Chorus (Theresa): People are afraid. That’s all.
Chorus (Leonard): Afraid of the future.
Chorus (Lise): The past.
Chorus (Jerome): Red hair.
Chorus (Theresa): They throw rocks.
Chorus (Jerome): Call names.
Chorus (Connie): Here, the doctors they always arrive late.
Chorus (Lise): The nurses, they need to be brave.
Chorus (Maggie): In our town…
Chorus (Leonard): Pictures can’t help it, they tell the truth.
Chorus (Leo): Even when you don’t want it.
Chorus (Lise): But the truth is worth telling.
Chorus (Connie): Like how love can hit you hard, leave you bleeding.
Chorus (Leonard): And promises are hard to keep, but secrets even harder.
Chorus (Leo): In our town, fire reveals everything.
Beat.
Chorus (Leonard): The future is a burden.
Chorus (Lise): But people want to know it.
Chorus (Connie): And when they want to know it, they go see Lise.
A public place now, LISE is face to face with CONNIE and LEONARD. She surprises herself with what she says.
Lise: Congratulations.
CONNIE and LEONARD look confused and guarded.
Leonard: For what?
LISE smiles and suddenly reaches with both hands and touches CONNIE’s stomach.
Behind and above them, WINSTON has made the connection between the downed wire and the pole and he is brutally shocked, a shower of sparks, noise, the buzz of the current through the space. The harp strings now powerful and loud when plucked, music.
An emergency. WINSTON falls slowly from his height. MAGGIE races to prep the hospital space.
Everything settles.
WINSTON is laid out, MAGGIE with him. LISE stands a short distance away, staring, entering and stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of him.
She speaks and startles
A Note on Setting
Afterimage was written to be performed in an electrified environment. Artistic Fraud’s production included a set made of copper, and costumes wired to transmit live DC current. While the voltage was kept low and every precaution was met to ensure the safety of all actors and staff, the living electricity component allowed for all effects listed in stage directions. Thus, where noted in the play, sparks, flashes, fire, and the like were manifested quite literally in production.
A Note on Production
Afterimage was accompanied by an original score for voice and guitar-string harp performed by the ensemble.
Afterimage received its premiere production from Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland at the Enwave Theatre of the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto on April 16, 2009, as part of World Stage. The company was as follows:
Lise: Mary-Colin Chisholm
Winston: Christian Murray
Theresa: Melanie Brooks
Jerome: Kevin Woolridge
Leo: Colin Furlong
Maggie: Petrina Bromley
Leonard: Phil Churchill
Connie: Melanie Caines
Director: Jillian Keiley
Score and musical direction: Jonathan Monro
Set design: Shawn Kerwin
Costume design: Marie Sharpe
Lighting design: Renate Pohl
Technical director: Rick Banville
Production manager: Erin French
Stage manager: Flora Planchat
Assistant director: Anita Rochon
Assistant director: Michael Worthman
Afterimage was written with generous assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts. Artistic Fraud developed the piece with pre-production dramaturgy by Iris Turcott, and post-production dramaturgy by Sarah Stanley.
Lights up on WINSTON, his back to us. He stands centre stage, looking up at a hydro pole. In his hand is a downed power line. A pause on this.
Chorus (Winston): It does strange things to people, to not be connected.
The others enter as they speak.
Chorus (Lise): People need to feel that spark.
Chorus (Maggie): In our town, people need hope, that’s all. And when they need hope they need the priest.
Chorus (Lise): Sssh.
She plucks a harp string.
You hear that?
MAGGIE shakes her head no.
Chorus (Winston): What people need are men who can climb.
He takes the line and walks to the hydro pole, begins to climb through the following.
Chorus (Theresa): People are afraid. That’s all.
Chorus (Leonard): Afraid of the future.
Chorus (Lise): The past.
Chorus (Jerome): Red hair.
Chorus (Theresa): They throw rocks.
Chorus (Jerome): Call names.
Chorus (Connie): Here, the doctors they always arrive late.
Chorus (Lise): The nurses, they need to be brave.
Chorus (Maggie): In our town…
Chorus (Leonard): Pictures can’t help it, they tell the truth.
Chorus (Leo): Even when you don’t want it.
Chorus (Lise): But the truth is worth telling.
Chorus (Connie): Like how love can hit you hard, leave you bleeding.
Chorus (Leonard): And promises are hard to keep, but secrets even harder.
Chorus (Leo): In our town, fire reveals everything.
Beat.
Chorus (Leonard): The future is a burden.
Chorus (Lise): But people want to know it.
Chorus (Connie): And when they want to know it, they go see Lise.
A public place now, LISE is face to face with CONNIE and LEONARD. She surprises herself with what she says.
Lise: Congratulations.
CONNIE and LEONARD look confused and guarded.
Leonard: For what?
LISE smiles and suddenly reaches with both hands and touches CONNIE’s stomach.
Behind and above them, WINSTON has made the connection between the downed wire and the pole and he is brutally shocked, a shower of sparks, noise, the buzz of the current through the space. The harp strings now powerful and loud when plucked, music.
An emergency. WINSTON falls slowly from his height. MAGGIE races to prep the hospital space.
Everything settles.
WINSTON is laid out, MAGGIE with him. LISE stands a short distance away, staring, entering and stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of him.
She speaks and startles
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