Story to Stage: How a Story Becomes a Performance

The Text:
Excerpt from "The Healer" by Aimee Bender:
Our town was ringed by a circle of hills and because of this no one really came in and no one ever left. Only one boy made it out. He'd been very gifted at public speech and one afternoon he climed over Old Midge, the shortest of the ring, and vanished forever. After six months or so he mailed his mother a postcard with a fish on it that said: In the Big City. Giving Speeches All Over. Love, J. She Xeroxed the postcard and gave every citizen a copy. I stuck it on the wall by my bed. I made up his speeches, regularly, on my way to school: they always involved me. Today we focuse on Lisa, J's voice would sail out, Lisa with the two flesh hands. This was generally where I'd stop -- I wasn't sure what to add.

The Script:
LISA
Our town was ringed by a circle of hills and because of this no one really came in and no one left. Only one boy made it out. He’d been very gifted at public speech and one afternoon he climbed over Old Midge, the shortest of the ring, and vanished forever.

POSTCARD 1
After six months or so

POSTCARD 2
he mailed his mother a postcard

POSTCARD 3
with a fish on it

J’S MOM
that said: In the Big City. Giving Speeches All Over. Love, J. she Xeroxed the postcard and gave every citizen a copy.

LISA
I stuck it on the wall by my bed. I made up his speeches, regularly, on my way to school; they always involved me.

J
Today we focus on Lisa, J.’s voice would sail out, Lisa with the two flesh hands.

LISA
This is generally where I’d stop- I wasn’t sure what to add.

The Final Result

Performed by students at Tamalpais High School

Tamalpais High School students