NPX Weekly Round-Up: Kairos by Lisa Sanaye Dring
A sci-fi play asking the hard questions, and three other plays I added to my NPX Library this week!
Before we begin, I just want to acknowledge that yes, I did miss last week, and yes, I am very sorry about it. Life got ahead of me and before I knew it, it was Monday, and I thought, “Shit! I didn’t write a SubStack!” Such is life as a busy human with a raging case of unmedicated ADHD.
But never fear my beloved playwrights, theater artists, and theater enthusiasts alike— I’m back, and hopefully won’t be missing another week any time soon! (Send up an offering to the gods of procrastination for me though, would ya?)
This week I was once again in the mood for something “different”, a genre perhaps that does not get as much love in the theatrical space. Namely, I was in the headspace to read something fantasy, magical realism, or maybe sci-fi. Once again, it was like NPX had read my mind! When I went to look, the home page had a list called “Black-Box Sci-Fi” and I knew where the week would be taking us.
I added quite a few to my reading list (I’m a sci-fi enthusiast, what can I say?) but ultimately decided to explore Kairos by Lisa Sanaye Dring. The summary just utterly captivated me, and I had to know what happened.
Here is that summary from NPX:
Kairos is the story of two people falling in love during a tectonic shift in society. Their nascent relationship is tested by the advent of Prometheus, a procedure that grants immortality to a select few. What happens to commitment, meaning, and care when linear time breaks open?
I mean, wow, right? That last question really hit me— I loved that the playwright put their thematic question right in the summary for us to consider. I wanted not only to read about the different answers the play presented, but ponder my own. That’s how you hook somebody.
We first meet the couple, David and Gina, when they themselves meet! They have an adorable rom-com-meet-cute moment when they get into a little fender-bender in front of the mall during the holidays. They have an immediate spark, and as a reader I wondered how far into the relationship the true “inciting incident” of Prometheus would occur.
The answer was “only a few months in”! This had a monumental effect on how the “death cure” is received by the two. I feel that if they had been in a serious relationship already, perhaps even married, that they might have acted or felt differently. Having David and Gina still be a new thing makes the stakes all the more heightened. Both of them question how this will not only effect society but their own lives.
It becomes apparent in later scenes that the world is having large and varied reactions such as no longer celebrating birthdays or (on the complete opposite end of the spectrum) “offing themselves en masse”. It makes the situation feel more tangible, that’s for sure.
Eventually the couple learns that Prometheus can only be given to healthy people between the ages of 25 and 34. This causes yet another revelation-type moment, as David and Gina are 33, and they both (obviously) have loved ones older than that. The two must contemplate and navigate relationships that change abruptly. Gina’s sister, Alex, is revealed to be 36 with a 37 year old husband, and this fact eventually leads to the two sisters disconnecting entirely. A lottery is formed for people who would like to get Prometheus, and spouses are automatically included if one spouse wins. David and Gina both sign up— and David wins a slot.
In order to take Gina with him, he proposes on the spot. The two get married, and prepare to receive their treatment. However, there is just one little problem— Gina is pregnant. Without telling David, Gina gets an abortion in order to be able to do the treatment with him. Around this same time, David’s father unexpectedly dies.
What follows is an expertly crafted exploration of grief, love, and an age old question: If you were offered immortality, would you take it?
I feel that I shouldn’t say any more, for fear of spoiling what turned out to be a beautifully crafted and yet unexpected ending. What I learned from this play is that so much can be said about extremely large and even delicate questions and topicwhen you look at it from the perspective of an “average” person. I was always told in classes to write about large issues from “small” perspectives, for example, don’t tell the story of the Civil War from the perspective of President Lincoln or a general, tell it from the perspective of an average soldier or townsperson to really explore the nuances. Of course there is a time and a place to not do that (I mean, just look at Hamilton) but it really works here. It wouldn’t be the same story, asking the same questions, if this play was told from the perspective of the scientist who created Prometheus. So, perspective is important— why are these characters telling this story? Why does it have to be them and not others? Important questions we can ask ourselves about our own plays!
Here’s my official recommendation from NPX:
Absolutely adored this play. The realistic dialogue, the small inspection of what is an extremely large question-- would immortality actually be worth it? I fell in love with Gina and David, and was ultimately very satisfied with how things were left at the end of the play. A very character driven piece that would present an electrifying challenge to two talented actors.
If you read this play, let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Reply to this email or message me on SubStack!
Here are three other plays that excited me this week:
Antony and Cleopatra (After) by Emily C.A. Snyder
Degenerates by Else Went
PEACHY: a sorta chekhovian traumedy by Jasmine Sharma
Want me to read any of these plays? Want me to read yours? Let me know by replying to this email or messaging me on SubStack!
Happy reading!
~Brynn