Cavepaint

Length: 90 min

Casting: 12-15*(9 with doubling)

What seems to be a series of short stories of grief and obsession collide.

SYNOPSIS: A cavepainter paints the stories of those who get lost in the cave throughout time.

Some are lost in guilt; some in grief, some in shame, some in career, some in the hard parts of creating art. Each one is alone in those big feelings – until one of them starts to mix up the paintings. Timelines intermingle, and while people may not be able to solve their problems, they can see outside themselves and experience each other.

WHY THIS PLAY: Haven’t we all been lost in that dark cave? At first glance the play seems like Almost, Maine meets Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man with a cave acting as a core metaphor; midway, the play’s structure breaks as the characters from different ‘stories’ (and time periods) see each other. Though not a comedy, this artsy drama is often comedic. It’s character-forward, with a modern geologist and her obnoxious brother, mystery-seeking characters inspired by Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, miners on the search for treasure, a crusty old loner who runs into his own mother as a child, and more.

This was originally written as a deeply challenging play for middle school actors for the kind of school that embraces queer and non-binary characters. For those looking for it, the play asks what can younger and older generations offer each other? Set in a cave covered with paintings, it also offers ample design opportunities.

Script available via The New Play Exchange or by contacting Briandaniel.