The Paschal Readings

Focus On Screenplays: Readings at Paschal Invite

Catatonia of The Fairies

by David Hill

I have always known myself to be called, Katie Spears, and that I am the 28 year old younger sister of Janet, the highly successful and beautiful older sister.  Because of this, I never felt as if I belonged in this family, in this world, always felt out of place somehow.  It wasn't until two years ago when I was "diagnosed" as they believe, that I finally discovered the truth about myself and that this feeling of not belonging had been the truth all along.  I discovered who I really am, where I am really from, and that brought such peace that I had yet never experienced.  But also this brought a sense of despair because I still remained in this world, this plane of existence, and had yet to reach fully my final destination and true home.  

Although the world labels me "mentally-ill", I, alone, know the truth about who I am.  I am the queen, the Queen Fairy, and my true identity is Catatonia.  This is the place I find myself in moments of meditative stillness; my ultimate escape and destination.  

Realizing all of this these past two years came when a presence I had long felt with me but never quite understood, who brought himself into fullness of my mind, that of Bumpass, my guardian angel, my higher self, and my King.  It is when no one else understands or sees or accepts, he truly knows and he who has promised to take me home, when the time is ready.

Catatonia of the Fairies is a screenplay written by David C. Hill and will be performed at the Paschal Readings on October 16th and 17th at 7 pm at the Paschal Winery in Talent, Oregon.  The show also stars Mike Vest, Reece Bredl, Martha Thatcher, V. Simone Stewart, Robyn Fichter, and Michael Meyer.  Michael Meyer also directs.

Troubled By Joy

by Diane Nichols

I was invented by Mr. Ted Lawson, an engineer from United Robotronics.  He is most famous for inventing V.I.C.I, or Voice. Input. Child. Identicant, infamously known as Vicki, the robot he adopted as his own child, rather hid away this amazing invention in a closet in his house in the suburbs.  Vicki was an early and primitive version and thus Ted continued to fine-tune his invention through the years.  He eventually realized that hiding robots in his closets was not the smartest thing and also saw how beneficial this technology could be to the world, but mostly to his pocketbook. What the hell was he thinking all these years?  Thus, he began selling his creations, making a fortune, divored his wife of many years, left his family behind, and moved to the Hollywood hills where he dated a string of Playboy bunnies, only keeping Vicki for times when the bunnies couldn't be found.  His life ultimately ended in his Hollywood mansion, alone, with only the hollow, mechanized voices of his many robots, unsuccessfully stemming of the haunting cries of the many he had wronged and realizing the error of his ways.

Small Wonder

Meanwhile, the United Robotronics grew more and more successful, in fact it united the world over, creating the one-world government all the right-wing Christians and the conspiracy theorists warned about and obsessively worried over.  But enough about that!  Did I worry? Did I care? No, I'm a robot.  Not even sharing the factual information about my creator and his demise.  It is no trouble at all.

Troubled by Joy is a screenplay written by Diane Nichols and will be performed at the Paschal Readings on October 16th and 17th at 7 pm at the Paschal Winery in Talent, Oregon.  The show also stars Reece Bredl, Mike Vest, and Robyn Fichter.  Michael Meyer directs.

Two On A Match

by Ray Robison

My name is Danielle Rodgers, the second wife of Michael Rodgers and the step mother of his son, Jimmy.  His first wife died in a car accident due to her excessive drinking brought upon by the depression over her son's ailing and potentially fatal illness.  After her death, Michael went into a tailspin, dedicating his life to finding a cure.  He dated various women, only to test to see if they were appropriate "matches" to save his son, if not, he'd break it off suddenly and without explanation.  Then, he met me.  When I failed to be a match, he attempted to break it off until he saw how dedicated and patient I was in caring for Jimmy.  

So, we got married.  We settled down to care for Jimmy together and to pray for a miracle.  I believed that Michael gave up his quest to save his son, but an offspring's life at risk will prompt some rather dangerous notions in a parent.  Michael was committed to his cause.

Two On A Match is a screenplay written by Ray Robison and will be performed at the Paschal Readings on October 16th and 17th at 7 pm at the Paschal Winery in Talent, Oregon.  The show also stars Michael Meyer, Martha Thatcher, and Reece Bredl.  Michael Meyer also directs.

London Fog For Here

by Mig Windows

Hi, I'm Sam.  I'm somewhere in my twenties, if you're wondering.  I've always wanted to be a barista, until I became one.  Now, I realize its not all its cracked up to be, endlessly making coffee drinks for the faithfully addicted to the 'bean' can become a bit tiresome and make me wonder where my life is heading. 

Still, it has its perks.  For example, members of the opposite sex seem to find all baristas sexually appealing which results in good tipping.  However, there is one boy that I find rather appealing myself.  His name is Sam too, though perhaps not short for the same thing.  Mine is Samantha and his is Samuel, most likely, but who can tell, really these days.  He's cute in that slender like a breakable reed kind of way that makes you want to walk with him in a mighty windstorm just to see...only problem is, he's got a girlfriend or a love interest of some sort.  They come in together and I'm always trying to grab his attention away from her, always.  That's like my main mission in life now that I've successfully procured the barista gig.

London Fog For Here is a screenplay written by Mig Windows and will be performed at the Paschal Readings on October 16th and 17th at 7 pm at the Paschal Winery in Talent, Oregon.  They show also stars Martha Thatcher, Reece Bredl, Robyn Fichter, and Mike Vest.  Michael Meyer directs.

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Meet Laura Sullivan

For the first twelve years of my life, I was raised, on and off, by my mother, Penny.  She was an alcoholic, I can admit now, although then I tried desperately to cover for her, to make her drinking not such a big deal, at least for me not so much for her.  I wanted to hold onto some kernel of belief that my childhood was happy, healthy, normal, in some way, albeit only fantasy.  For so many reasons, I was older than my age for at twelve years I had already seen and been exposed to so much.

Eventually, it became too hard to pretend.  We bounced from place to place, sometimes staying for a few days and sometimes longer.  She had many different boyfriends during those times, sometimes even girlfriends, but the most permanent fixture in our lives (if you can call anything in my childhood "permanent") was life with Leon, the worst of all.  I never felt particularly safe with him, for myself or mostly for my mother's sake.  For years, I watched, in terror, while he hit and physically abused her, yet always she went back to him.  She took most of the blows from him, on both of our behalf, so, I guess, that's one way she showed her motherly affection and duty.  Although with no lock on the bathroom door, I never truly felt secure while taking a shower, because Leon could come in whenever he wanted.  My mother tried to assure me he wasn't interested in my childish body, yet I was never convinced.

The one bright spot in those years of my life was the few weeks I spent with Captain Royal.  I hoped, during that time, that he would become my dad and a good match for my mom.  However, our paths seem destined to not be chosen for us.  My mom bounced back and forth between Leon's place and Royal's house, finally getting herself arrested on association with Leon's drug dealing habits.  It was then that she gave up custody and all rights to her parentage.  Thus, I became a ward of the state and was taken away from Royal, who was restricted from seeing me based on false allegations due to my shaky testimony during the trial.

I went to live in foster care with a family in the country, on a big farm with lots of children, chickens, and other livestock.  I grew to love and appreciate them, but at first felt isolated, alone, and trapped.  I never forgot Royal or the times I spent in his presence.  Those times were my first glimpse at the reality of hope and love.

I often wondered, as I grew up, why my mother was as she was, did what she did, and just couldn't stop drinking--but years later when we finally reunited, she explained to me why, how she drank to hide from the pain, to fill the aching void in her heart, the need for love.  In turn, this helped me understand my own addiction of co-dependency and need for love.

I have since married a wonderful man, Jorge, and together we have a beautiful daughter.  We have just opened a seafood restaurant together, our long-term dream.

Before her death, I found peace at last with my mother and even some form of mother-daughter relationship.  I have also reunited with Captain Royal, the only real father figure with whom I ever truly connected.

Come hear more of my store this Monday, October 27 at 6:30 pm at the Ashland Public Library in the Gresham Room.

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Meet Penny Sullivan

Hi! I'm Penny Sullivan and I am 30 years old.  Growing up, I was raised in a very wealthy family, good schools, summer camps, everything I could possibly want, except my daddy wasn't around much, away on business as it always was (though what "business" he could possibly attend to, is beyond me).  My mother, God bless her, due to his absence was absent herself, addicted to sleeping pills and whatever booze she could get her hands on.  I guess that's where I got my crutch, as it were.

So there I was, left to my own devices, hungry for love and seeking approval, and not finding it at home, I went out to the wide world looking for it, into the arms of men, their drugs, whatever they offered, or wanted.  Being the eighties, cocaine was the drug of choice, however, trying it once (or twice) I quickly realized it wasn't for me.  But, the drink, well, that was a different story.

When I drink, I forget the pain, rather felt nothing, finally felt...free, beautifully numb yet strangely alive.

On my 17th birthday, I met Jason, who was 21 at the time ( I looked older than I was) and was allowed into all the bars.  (And even though I was younger than 21, the Sam the bartender let me in because I let him feel me up and gave him BJs whenever he wanted, anything for approval, right?)

But, Jason was different, or so I thought, with sparkling blue eyes, a good college boy home for the summer, a dream come true in my father's eyes.  But, just as in Grease, it was only "Summer lovin" and it happened so fast.  He went back to his prep school girlfriend and decided not to have anything to do with the baby in my belly.  Even my "good Catholic parents" didn't want to have anything to do with my shameful act so I was forced to move out, first into a homeless shelter, then bounced around from friends houses to random boys' houses as "house-keeper", hoping it would lead to more, a father for my daughter, Laura, and someone to love me after all.  But, no one fit the bill, or wanted to, wanted me.

When Laura was 6, I met Leon, at a bar, of course.  We moved in together, became lovers due to our mutual affection for the bottle, as well as I became his personal punching bag.  I have tried to leave many times, to get a better life, for Laura mostly, but can never seem to find my way out of it entirely, with numerous broken promises to my daughter along the way.  I guess that's another thing I've failed at.

Eventually though, my life-style choices caught up with me, after landing in jail for association with Leon, and deciding once and for all, that I was a dead-beat mom in no way deserving of Laura, so I gave up legal right to her.  She ended up in a foster care somewhere and I spent many of my days, in jail.

Finally, began the slow process to drying up, finding recovery, and healing, at last acceptance and approval from my higher power.

Come hear more of my story on Monday, October 27th at the Playwright's Atelier at the Ashland
Public Library in the Gresham Room at 7 pm.   Free to the public!

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