STAGE MANAGEMENT
DESIGN
ACTING
AND MORE
ERICKA LEE
CONKLIN
Writing Samples
The Building is a short satire inspired by when The Climenhaga Fine Arts Center (the arts building at Messiah Collge where Ericka recieved her BA in Theatre) was renamed The Climenhaga Building following the construction of The High Center for Worship and Performing Arts (where the music department is housed).
Director Drama is a brief, entirely ficticious comedy about the potential working relationship between Constantine Stanislavski and Anton Chekhov. It is a fabricated rehearsal of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard in which 'Annie' and 'Connie' are on a mission to decide what is funny.
Selki is a drama adapted from Ericka's unpublished work of prose which explores the story of a family struck by tragedy and three siblings who have all responded to the loss very differently.
Never Again is a work in progress, inspired by the tragedy of The Holocaust. It is informed by various books, documenteries, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. It is written in free form with no explicit division of text between characters.
The Building
SOPHIE : (quietly, contemplatively) Building... (Pause, disoriented) Building? (Shakes her head, going back the way she came, going towards the next sidewalk, laughing a bit to herself) You'd never know I've worked here two and a half years...getting lost - (stops, looking around for the medical laboratory, very confused. Looks back to the first building at a slight distance now.) No...no this is definitely where I work...but (walks quickly, all business to stare at the sign, looking back to her coworkers incredulously) Have you seen this? (A pause) Climenhaga Building...did the lab move without sending out a notice? No...you're all here, couldn't have done. Well then-(JERRY, the manager approaches and SOPHIE sees him) Jerry! Good you're here. I have a question. (She opens her mouth to voice the question but JERRY jumps in)
JERRY : Ah yes, you've seen the ...change. Orders from above I'm afraid, my hands are tied.
SOPHIE : What do you mean orders from above? That doesn't make any sense. We're a medical laboratory...why would they take that title away?
JERRY : I mean orders from on high. Look (Points to Boyer) That there is the new regional hospital, all new and state of the art. SOPHIE : (looks confused at the apparent change of topic) Yes, they've been working on it for some time. I hear it's really something...(significant pause) And?
JERRY : Well that's the reason the name had to change.
SOPHIE : That's a hospital...
JERRY : That it is
SOPHIE : Is it a hospital with a medical research facility?
JERRY : No, no, nothing like that. I was just taking a tour, all very posh, practical type stuff.
SOPHIE : Then why aren't we still the Climenhaga Medical Research facility?
Full Text Available on Request
Director Drama
(A beat, FIERS looks up at ANNIE as if for approval who in turn looks to CONNIE for the same approval, an awkward pause)
ANNIE: Well?
CONNIE: Well...
ANNIE: ...Well?
CONNIE: Well -
ANNIE: (fed up with the back and forth) It's funny...right?
CONNIE: I...don't know...
ANNIE: You can be honest with me Connie. I can take it, and I trust your assessment of my works entirely.
CONNIE: (no hesitation) It isn't funny. (ANNIE immediately looks shocked and hurt. CONNIE is in disbelief.) Well Annie is it meant to be?
ANNIE: What? (A beat) Yes! ...yes... Of course it is. (A hesitation, less sure.) Connie of course it is. (ANNIE looks at CONNIE who looks back doubtfully.) I wrote it to be funny! I mean...look... (Dashes dramatically up to the scene, forcing FIERS back into position and beckoning the others back, yelling up to CONNIE) Look, the Bourgeoisie, the finest of clothes, highest in education, forced out of their home, their own undoing!
CONNIE: (moderately) Yes...and the people will... love it. But Annie listen... That's vindicating for the people, not necessarily funny.
ANNIE: Well does it have the potential to be funny? (The actors are attempting to shuffle slowly off stage, unnoticed, they should not succeed.)
CONNIE :(pacifying) Of course it does! ...course it does...um...
ANNIE : Well?
CONNIE : Well??
ANNIE : You trailed off.
Full Text Available on Request
Selki
(BRENWYN sits on the peninsula, dangling her feet in the water. She throws bits of bread to ducks/fish. She is smiling slightly with honest pleasure.)
BRYANN: (off) Brenwyn?! (BRENWYN starts and looks fearfully towards the bridge. She shuffles to hide behind the tree as BRYANN comes towards the peninsula from over the bridge) There’s no use hiding, I’ve seen you. (BRENWYN peaks her head hesitantly around the tree) I’ve told you a million times to stay in eye sight. You never listen! (Drags BRENWYN around the tree by her arm) What have you been up to? (Spots the bread in BRENWYN’s hand) Of course, wasting good food. (Forcefully takes the bread) This is for us, not for stupid animals. Ergh! It’s no good now. (BRENWYN reaches out to take it but BRYANN smacks her hand away harshly) No, you’ve played enough. (Throws bread away from her and grabs BRENWYN’s wrist, starting to drag her away. TYLER appears quietly from a wooded or otherwise hidden area and shakes his head when he sees BRYANN and BRENWYN) We’re going home.
TYLER: Look what I’ve found, Ren. (BRYANN quickly releases BRENWYN and TYLER holds out some type of creature/nature thing to BRENWYN. She takes it and walks back to the water, sitting back down while TYLER pulls BRYANN slightly away. Quietly) Bryann, this is getting out of hand.
BRYANN: Don’t bother, you’ve already told me a hundred times.
TYLER: You’re going to hear it again and again and a thousand times until you actually listen to me.
BRYANN: It isn’t going to happen, Tyler.
TYLER: (Sitting down)Look at her, Bryann. (pause) I’m serious, look at her.
BRYANN: You’re my brother, not my father, you can’t order me around.
TYLER: I don’t understand. You loved her before she was born. Why can’t you love her now? She’s still –
BRYANN: What is this conversation going to prove except that she’s tearing this family apart?
TYLER: Sh! How can you say that? She had –
BRYANN: How? How can I say it? Because it’s true, Tyler! We’d still have a mother if it wasn’t for her.
TYLER: Mom’s death wasn’t her fault.
BRYANN: Oh my God! How can you say that with a straight face? Mom could have run! She wasn’t locked up, she stayed for her (Gestures furiously at BRENWYN) and now she’s dead.
Full Text Upon Request
Never Again
-In Theiresenstadt
-Terezine
-In Theiresenstadt
-The Children
-In Theresienstadt, the Children performed this Opera called Brundibar for the International Red Cross
-It worked, the ruse worked. The Opera, The Potempkin Village
-Maybe the world only saw what they wanted to see
-No one cared
-How?
-The children weren't orphans when they were brought to Terezine
-Theiresenstadt
-The Fuhrer gave the Jews a City
-Stop it
-In Theresienstadt, the children performed this opera called Brundibar for the International Red Cross. The ruse worked.
-The lyrics of the final song are about father, mother, and homeland
-They couldn't sing about that
-What would they know about it?
-Ripped away from their parents. Considered Rootless by all of Europe.
-They changed the lyrics
-They sang about victory
-Victory over the Fuhrer
-In Theresienstadt, the children performed this opera called Brundibar for the International Red Cross. The ruse worked. …They sang about victory.
-When they were on stage they didn’t have to wear the star.
-They could forget who they were.
-Where they were
-What had happened
-What could still happen
Further Text Upon Request