"I see him walk across the parking lot..."
by the Blood and the Bones
I see him walk across the parking lot. It’s 7 am and he’s stopped to get a gas station coffee. Most of the time he’s got the walk perfected. Something he was taught long ago about how a man carries himself. Confident, shoulders back, ready to face the day. Work clothes clean but still stained, even if you can’t see it, with yesterday’s work day remnants. Sometimes it’s a pressed uniform or suit or old jeans but I can still look at him and see the hard years and how he’s worn this like armor..this everyday warrior. As I watched him and his weary face holding tired eyes, I thought of the weight on this man’s shoulders.. It seemed too heavy to me. He is the protector, the bread winner, husband, father, friend. Working before the sun even rises to shine and well past when she’s dipped below the skyline. Then honey-do lists, piggy back rides and the not tonights. Start all over again the next day. Provide. Maintain. Even if you’re lost or struggling. Push it down. Everyone is watching. Macho bravado. Don’t cry. Emotion is weak. Hold it together with gripped hands, nails, barbed wire, sheer fucking willpower. They’re depending on me. Can I work overtime so we can go on vacation or to buy her the things she wants or so I can afford a good Christmas for my family? Did I do enough today for our tomorrow? Did I show enough love even though I’m not even sure what that means? Did I say the right things? Treading through life’s quick sand. Sinking, sinking, sinking. Back broken from so much responsibility. Body hurting, heart hurting. I’m hurting and yet no one even asks me how I’m doing. Taking the long way home just for a little peace. Pulling in, sitting in the driveway. Get it together. I hope she’s in a good mood tonight. I hope the kids are happy to see me. All I can think is..I see you. And I see that you are doing the best you can. And I am proud of you. I want to say this to you but it won’t mean anything coming from a stranger like me. So I pray someone you love tells you soon that you are appreciated, you are valued, you are worthy. It is enough. You are enough. Strong, handsome, smart, loving, hard working, warrior, king.
The Blood and the Bones is the pseudonym for a former lover of a US servicemember. Follow her here.
Want the best date night possible this Saturday night? Drinks, dessert, a hilarious live performance, professional actors, an intimate unforgettable space, pay-what-you-can tickets…it simply does not get better than this. So come on out and join us at our Parlor on Quaker Avenue for our staged reading of Ira Levin’s legendary Broadway comedy/thriller Deathtrap.
Don’t know Deathtrap? It was the winner of the 1978 Edgar Award for Best Play and record holder for the longest-running comedy thriller on Broadway. It’s about Sidney Bruhl - a successful Broadway playwright with writer’s block and a recent spate of box office failures. Desperate to break his dry-spell, Sidney finds hope in Clifford Anderson, a student in his seminar class who has submitted a thriller script, cleverly titled Deathtrap as well. Can Sidney convince Clifford to collaborate and give him co-credit? Or is there a way to cut Clifford out altogether and get sole credit?
As always, you’re welcome to show up and hope for a cancellation. But if you really want to see the show, why not book now and save yourself the uncertainty?
This week on the Savage Wonder podcast…
Phanésia Pharel is our third-place finalist in our inaugural full-length playwriting competition for her drama LUCKY.
About her play, our judges said, "Beguiling, moving, deeply satisfying — and genuinely original. Her theatrical devices were both enchanting and extremely credible. She offers a fresh look at Creole and Haitian cultures and how both have been affected by wartime. The pacing and dialogue are terrific, and the end of the play delivers a richly-earned gut punch."
Phanésia is a playwright from the great state of Florida and even greater city of Miami!! Grounded in poetry and Afrofuturism she often writes about the divine metaphysical dilemma of colored girlhood. Her plays span revolutions, islands, and explores futures built on love by centering women's pleasure, safety, and joy. AKA hopeful and magical survivor stories for the young, poor, women, colored, and those audacious enough to be all of the above. Full lengths; LUCKY (developed at New York Stage and Film) . BLACK GIRL JOY (Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened Finalist Prize, Jane Chambers Finalist, Bay Area Playwrights Festival Finalist, O’Neill Semi-Finalist). Other Honors include City Theatre National Short Playwriting Finalist and Blank Stage “Future of Playwriting” Semi-Finalist. Phanésia is a member of the Obie award-winning EST/ Youngblood group. Commissions include City Theatre Miami, the Latinx Playwrights Circle & Pregones/PRTT Greater Good Commission and Thrown Stone Theatre. Residencies include New York Stage and Film, Echo Theater Company of Los Angeles, the Playwrights Center Core Apprenticeship and the Inaugural 068 Magazine Thrown Stone Theatre Fellowship. Publishing: Concord Theatricals, Smith and Kraus Best Plays of 2020, Reset Coalition 2020 Anthology and the City Theatre Anthology. BA: Urban Studies, Barnard College of Columbia University.
Follow Phanésia here.