the Broken Machine

full-length
Comedy-Drama
2w, 2m, 1nb
play

Overview

In this climate-chaos comic-tragedy, a burnt-out coder has become a hermit in the wilderness, nursing a broken arm and making lists from memory—of endangered species, moments of Lost Time, Incorrect States of Mind—in company with her only friend, a gray fox with a bad attitude. When wildfires approach, they flee through the wilderness to the sea, pursued by feckless would-be rescuers and threatened by a punk psychopomp.

Casting & Production

Casting

MAC a woman with a broken arm
GRAY
a gray fox but not evidently so (no fox costume), played by a man
JANE
 a young woman wearing a rural sheriff’s uniform
JOE
 a young man, same uniform
PSYCHOPOMP
 a glam/punk non-binary or gender-fluid young person, possibly with iridescent green wings

Casting Note:
All characters may be played by actors of any race or ethnicity, and
gender requirements are flexible.

Setting

Very soon.
One summer evening into night in a coastal wilderness.

Part 1 — In a hut
Part 2 — In the woods

Part 3 — On a beach