Communication Breakdown (an Original Play) |
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Author:
| Hahn, James |
Editor:
| Keme, Shailah |
Contribution by:
| White, Alexander |
ISBN: | 978-1-5084-0076-9 |
Publication Date: | Feb 2015 |
Publisher: | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $35.00 |
Book Description:
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Synopsis Etan, the town drunk, is an abusive and loud man. No one knows this better than Tmira, his wife. Being from a different style of life has never made things easy for them as Tmira is an educated and arrogant woman who only finds "popularity" through manipulation which, of course, angers Etan to no end. In the end, how does he react? With murder... But, the next morning when he awakes, sober and ready to get drunk all over again, he has no recollection of the night's events. So,...
More DescriptionSynopsis Etan, the town drunk, is an abusive and loud man. No one knows this better than Tmira, his wife. Being from a different style of life has never made things easy for them as Tmira is an educated and arrogant woman who only finds "popularity" through manipulation which, of course, angers Etan to no end. In the end, how does he react? With murder... But, the next morning when he awakes, sober and ready to get drunk all over again, he has no recollection of the night's events. So, imagine the confusion when Tmira's old friend Temperance comes to visit and sees what he has done. Too hungover to put up much of a fight he is no match as Temperance lashes out and puts him down for good. The second time that he awakes, everything is in a haze. With no idea which way is up you could imagine his surprise at encountering his dead wife at the morgue no less. After recovering his senses he tries to tell her she's dead and to his shock he eventually finds he is as well. With both of them now ghosts there is no alternative than to try and find what happened and what they are supposed to do next. Etan and Tmira then go looking for clues by following Temperance around from their memorial service, Temperance's commitment to an asylum, and by resolving their own history. We now, through these events, see her story and how she came to know Tmira and how through her she was saved from a place of abuse only to be left back in the middle of it all upon Etan's devastation in Tmira's own life. She then continues to tell of the transgressions Etan made in separating her from Tmira and then to rationalize her actions in his murder. We see through her story that her life has left her afraid and, in the end, we see her come to a point of wanting to rectify her mistakes through justice and by creating for herself a higher standing in her own eyes. But, the question arises for Etan and Tmira; why have they been left "alive"? They soon realize they have their own "unfinished business". They have a past of fighting through a terrible loss and an abusive marriage that they have been left to deal with. And, until they do, they are doomed to remain forever on planet Earth. And so, in the climax of the story we see their story unfold and in that process we see how they became the unhappy couple they are now. We see the blood, sweat, and tears that brought them together and the lack of a common purpose and sense of value that ultimately tore them apart. They are forced to duke it out once and for eternity and, finally, after crying, laughing, and a visceral agony they come to find what they have wasted and are able to find a point of resolve and admittance in their failures. But, since their actions are connected with those of Temperance, regardless of any forgiveness and compassion they may have with each other, there is no moving on if Temperance does not take responsibility.