NPX Weekly Round-Up: Backyard Stonehenge by Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn
A sweet short play about the bumps in the road of romance, plus three other works I discovered this week.
What a busy week I’ve had!
As you may or may not know, I recently moved down to North Carolina after a personal life explosion that I can’t really talk about currently (wee). And I dove RIGHT into getting out and socializing, joining the local theater community, all that stuff. It’s sort of a relief and a revelation to see how many things there are to do, even in a smaller city. So many awesome people to meet, so many interesting places to see, and the beach is only 15 minutes away! I’ve already met people who have been incredibly welcoming— it’s really improved my faith in humanity.
Needless to say, I’m exhausted.
So, when looking for a play this week, I purposefully looked for a short and sweet one. Hell, I even debated going over a one minute play, since I had never read one before. But this little piece, called Backyard Stonehenge by Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn, kept calling to me. It has 21 recommendations on NPX, and for those of you who don’t frequent NPX, that’s a LOT (especially for a short play). So, I figured, why not?
Here’s the summary of Backyard Stonehenge from NPX:
TJ is setting up a mini Stonehenge in the backyard to surprise Kendra. It's TJ's fault they had to cancel their trip to the real Stonehenge and TJ wants to do something special for Kendra to apologize. But Kendra is still a little upset with TJ for getting a DUI and ruining their dream vacation. Now it's time for them to meet in the middle.
This is a sweet play that depicts a funny, quirky, and realistic interaction between a couple that is struggling, but clearly loves each other very much. It’s also a part of a larger collection of short plays by Floyd-Priskorn called The Stone Circle Stories, which also include the plays Ancient Wisdom of the Shoebill Stork, Backyard Stonehenge Reclaimed, Faerie Ring, High Ground, Olly Olly Oxen Free, The Owl Who Saw The World, Polar Opposites, Tree, and Under the Stones. I had no idea at the time of reading Backyard Stonehenge just how many pieces were in this short play cycle, and I’m glad I haven’t read them (yet). I want to analyze this work alone, then read it in context and see if I learn something new.
Anyways.
The play opens with TJ making a circle of stones, Stonehenge-like, in their backyard. When their spouse, Kendra, comes home and sees this, it sets off a conversation about their relationship, Kendra’s current disappointment in TJ, and what they should do to make it better. Turns out, TJ got a DUI recently and has to appear in court. Their court date overlapped with a vacation to England they were about to take, and therefore had to cancel.
It’s clear that Kendra definitely is holding resentment towards TJ. After all, it really is their fault that their trip had to be canceled…right? The lovely thing about this play is that it somehow manages to present both sides to the couple’s story without making a value judgement on either of them. It turns out that Kendra works as a bartender, and TJ would go to work with her to hang out. And, of course, if you want to sit at the bar…you gotta drink. Yes, TJ could have gotten a mocktail or soda, but it does show that while perhaps 90% of the situation is TJ’s fault, Kendra is not TOTALLY innocent. And isn’t that the thing that builds strong relationships? Taking accountability?
Over the next few pages, that is indeed what the couple does. TJ admits that while they are happy in their marriage, they aren’t happy in the REST of their life, which is affecting their marriage. Once they get some much needed yelling out of their system, they are able to talk about the present, what’s really in front of them—they love each other, deeply, which is shown through TJ’s silly but genuine gesture of the backyard Stonehenge. TJ admits that they need to put in work, and that they are willing to. In a way, that’s what the root of the Stonehenge idea was. Kendra acknowledges this, and the couple are able to have a nice moment together. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re growing, and that’s what matters.
What I really learned from reading this play was that a story doesn’t need to be flashy, all high stakes and big emotions, to be entertaining as well as impactful. This piece isn’t about life and death, or about a relationship ending— it’s about a relationship hitting a speed bump and moving through it. It’s small, very “mundane”, but there is a certain peace within it. What I took from this piece was that there are meaningful stories not just in the extreme highs and lows of life, but in the “normal” bits, too. It’s something I definitely need to be reminded of frequently!
Do you think I should read the whole play cycle? I feel like I might see this play differently when it’s followed by other works…let me know!
Here’s my official recommendation on NPX:
This short but sweet play was a refreshing read. I liked how it showed an impactful scene from everyday life, proving that stories don't need to have crazy high stakes to be meaningful. The romance is realistic, and that's what makes it a joy to read (or watch, I assume!). There are speed bumps in every relationship-- the interesting part from a storyteller or audience perspective is how the couple gets over those speed bumps. Overall I greatly enjoyed reading this work.
Did you read this play? Let me know what you think of it by replying to this email or messaging me on the SubStack app!
Here are three other plays that I discovered this week:
Close to Home by Sharifa Yasmin
Anarchy by Mary Glen Fredrick
TRANSPORT by L.C. Bernadine
Have a great week, and happy reading!
~Brynn