Zalipie by Rachel Bykowski
Sinners in search of redemption. A treat for lighting designers. Features an all-female cast.
A full-length play
There is a small village in Zalipie, Poland, where the women uphold the sacred tradition of painting colorful mosaics of flowers covering their homes. The tradition began in the late 1800’s when wood-burning stoves left deep soot stains that could not be washed away. Instead, the women of Zalipie covered those dark stains with striking colors and floral patterns.
Sophie comes from this line of artists, although she doesn’t know it. In fact, she would be content to know absolutely nothing of her past. Growing up in Southeastern Ohio, her family fell victim to the opioid epidemic in the 2000s that claimed her mother. After high school, Sophie left her small town behind in the hopes of becoming a famous artist and illustrator. She transformed her passion into a tattooing career. After struggling for many years in the big city to open her own tattoo shop, she receives the offer of a lifetime. Her grandmother bought an old Queen Anne Victorian-style house. Located in the former Skid Row neighborhood of her childhood town, the house is falling apart and covered in stains from its tumultuous past as a drug den.
This is Sophie’s chance not just to practice, but to own her dream. She comes back to Ohio to open up shop. However, the house isn’t the only thing covered in stains of the past. When Sophie arrives, she is confronted head-on with some of her old stains when her long-forgotten friend, Lizzy, appears, wanting to clean her past and cover a few of her sins.
Characters
- Sophie:(She/her) 30’s, black wavelength, absorbs and runs hot.
- Lizzy:(She/Her) 30’s, white wavelength, reflects and runs cool.
- Yvonne:(She/Her) 50’s
- Prababcia Sophie: (She/Her) 20’s
- Anne:(She/Her) 30’s
- Rosalie:(She/Her) Teens then 80’s
- Mary:(She/Her) 20’s
Doubling: Certain characters can be doubled, depending on the production needs. Four women actors minimum or seven women actors maximum.
Run-time
Estimated 100 minutes
Production history and awards
None – You can be the first