Title

American Rusałki

Playwright/Composer

Christopher Lysik

Director

Kayla Adams

Music Director

Olivia Gould

Dramaturg

Rebecca Weaver

Stage Manager

Sophie Young

Category

Production, Thayer Theatre

First Rehearsal

March 28

Load In/Tech /Dress

April 30 – May 1

Performances

May 2

Roles to be cast

Age (Presentation)

Gender (Presentation)

Description

(Note: Voice ranges are approximate)

Bronisława

Late 20’s

Female

A rusałka; elder sister to Wioletta (ALTO)

Wioletta

Early 20’s

Female

Also a rusałka; younger sister to Bronisława (SOPRANO)

Margaret

Late 40’s or Early 50’s

Female

Been around the block a few times; Jack’s wife (ALTO)

 Jack

Early 30’s

Male

Trying his best despite his youth; Margaret’s husband (BARITONE)

Esther

22

Female

More than just the daughter of a wealthy landowner (SOPRANO)

Benjamin/Dr. Oliver/Thomas’s Figure

Mid to Late 40’s

Male

One bad dude. (BASS)

Thomas

15

Male-presenting, non-binary

A caretaker at their core (TENOR)

Synopsis

Northern Rhode Island, 1830s. The Blackstone River runs through the woods of a small, rural town... and there’s Something in the water.

Notices

American Rusałki is a play with music, based in dark Polish and American folklore. Within this context, there are discussions/depictions of murder, suicide, self-harm, weaponization of religion, animal sacrifice, infant illness/mortality, and the supernatural.

INTIMACY BREAKDOWN

Page

Stage Direction/Planned Action

Characters

Notes

2

A man appears in the shadows. One of the women approaches him, and they begin to make love. Over the following lines, we see the woman turn, revealing she has become pregnant. The man, enraged, goes to hit her, but the second woman steps in. A struggle occurs, and the man overpowers them both. We watch as he drowns them in a River. 

Benjamin, Bronisława, Wioletta

Stylized, in silhouette 

12

Wioletta kisses him. 

BENJAMIN  No...
 I don’t suppose she Would. 

And he kisses back. It grows. They go to the ground, beside the River bank. She unbuttons his shirt, takes it off. They continue to kiss. She rolls him over, climbs on top. As she starts to undo his pants, though, she... 

Begins to tickle him. He’s confused for a moment, but begins to laugh. It continues for a while, even as he starts to lose his breath. He tries to tap out... 

BENJAMIN Hey... Hey— Stop! 

She Doesn’t stop, though, and suddenly another pair of hands reaches out of the River, joining in. It takes him a moment to realize, but a glint of terror shoots across his face. 

He looks back to the original woman, but... she’s changed. Her hair is Green, her skin is peeling flesh. He tries to scream, but the new hands cover his mouth. Together, the women grab him— and pull him Deep into the River. 

Benjamin, Bronisława, Wioletta

60

Dr. Oliver never stops moving: performing magic tricks for bystanders, mixing random bottles together, pickpocketing customers. Hell, he probably pisses in a bottle at some point and manages to sell it. 

Dr. Oliver

No nudity shown

72

THOMAS So after school, I rush home,
 and I grab Adelaide,
 and together we Walk to the Forest, and I tell her how much I love her, and I take the wooden knife, and I 

Lay her down, Gently, on the Stump. 

Thomas

Describing the sacrifice of a pet rodent

92

They shake hands, and Jack begins to walk away. As he does though, Doctor Oliver snaps his Fingers, and Something causes Jack to Trip— directly into Dr. Oliver, who “drops” the bottle of liquid into the campfire. 

Feigning concern, Dr. Oliver leaps to the flame and throws his hands in. He fishes the Bottle from the Flames, but as he does— the fire releases a plume of noxious green smoke. This sends him into a trance state, foaming at the mouth, and speaking in tongues. 

Dr. Oliver plunges his face into the fire. When he emerges, he is holding a red-hot coal between his lips. He tips his head back... and swallows it. When he exhales, smoke comes pouring out. He begins to interpret the smoke cloud.

Jack, Dr. Oliver

93

Jack sprints into action, and sees the pot of coffee nearby. He grabs it, and throws it over the fire and Doctor Oliver. 

Jack, Dr. Oliver

98

Thomas rolls up their shirt, revealing a large, gaping wound over their ribcage. From their back pocket, Thomas takes the wooden knife, now covered in Red. 

Thomas

Actual act of self-harm occurs offstage— all we see is the wound

120

Margaret turns and sees the baby for the first time— and rushes to get up. As she steps, though, her foot immediately gives way and she falls to the ground. 

Margaret

121

As she approaches the River, Margaret falls again. She is able to contort her body to protect her child, but she lands hard. 

Margaret