Copyright © 2024 by The Circle Arts Collective and the Authors mentioned herein. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
BOUND: A Dance Drama
Scene 1: Opening by Ashley Hirsh
The Company:
(words are spoken rhythmically while people move and dance through the space)
Flexible, Rigid, Physical, Energetic, Necessary, Honored, Bent, Broken
A fence, A wall, A word, A promise, A prayer
To learn, To hold, To keep out, Keep in, Keep secret, Keep safe
A leap Of faith Your destiny Awaits
Bound
Scene 2: Shadows in the Night by Kimberly A. Blanchette and Teresa Nguyen Edited for the stage by Ashley Hirsh
PERSON unconsciously traveling through life, thinks they hear VOICE.
VOICE 1: Do you belong…
PERSON continues walking, definitely hears VOICE 2
VOICE 2: Do you belong…
P: Who’s there?
V: Do you belong?
V 2: With me?
Music by Kyle Marx “Spring Beyond the Dawn of Time” begins to play. V and V2 engage P in a dance, pushing and pulling them between the two like two paths beckoning a traveler. Both enticing, exhilarating, and frightening.
V 2: (cries triumphantly) I AM FREEDOM!
V: (replies nonchalant) I am Love…
BOTH: I am you.
P: Is this true?
V: Where doubt suppresses soul…
V 2: With strength like storm clouds drawing near
V: Shrouding sun rays meant to shine!
V 2: Let go of your fear.
P: (takes a deep breath like waking up from a long sleep) To be resurrected by the light! (noticing the beauty of their companions for the first time) The sun in your eyes…
V: (confidentially) The journey of the soul whispers…
V 2: (playfully) The weight of travel through time and space! (moves as if shaking this heaviness from their bones, laughs)
V: The stars close in…
V 2: And we will come to know… all there is to know!
ALL laugh and dance and twirl
P: (realizing and laughing at the simplicity of it all) LOVE?!
V 2: And love washing over us.
V: The only substance that quenches what the soul thirsts for.
P: Night after night?
V: And day after day.
V 2: Come now, let us disappear into the eternal sacred wilderness! Each footstep between Earth and Sky and ALL of it!
P: Yes. You belong with me.
V: And I you.
V 2: And I you. Come!
Like a child dragging their parents to the playground V 2 leads P and V out
Scene 3: Bound to You Part 1: A Wedding Reception Music and Lyrics by Teresa Nguyen
The Singer sings as the Bride and Groom dance and celebrate with their friends. Focus is on the Bride, this is, after all, her day.
LYRICS:
In love I’m bound to you
In life, in space, in time
In love I give to you
New life of yours and mine
In love I’m bound to you
By choice, not fate or chance
In love I cherish you
With joy I’ll take this dance
In love I’m bound to you
On land, in sky and sea
In love I’ll stay with you
For all eternity
In love I’m bound to you
By choice, not fate or chance
In love I cherish you
With joy I’ll take this dance
With joy I’ll take this dance
Scene 4: Voices Take Growth Music by Kyle Marx
Lost Voices by Alexia Hollis
When people talk about their mothers, grandmothers, those who have shaped them- those who have passed-
A common thing to say is that they never heard their loved one yell, or be angry.
Oh they were so calm and quiet and peaceful.
This is something we think is sweet-
Almost something to aspire to.
But when people speak about women that way- all I tend to think is how sad that is.
Somewhere they lost their voice.
Give and Take by Ashley Hirsh
I don’t want to try and sound special or anything but I wonder if many other people feel the line between them and the rest of the world blur like I do. With each breath I feel all of creation enter my lungs and with each exhale, I feel the release of little particles of my being escape into the ether. I am breathing existence and existence breathes me. I think the best time to die, is when all the exchanges have been made. You have received all that you can hold and you have released all you can. Sometimes when I feel I just can’t take anymore, I try to remember all I still have left to give.
Soul Growth by Stephanie Agnew
When you’re here to grow your soul,
You become fearless and whole.
You find the blessings in your pain.
Sunshine overcomes the rain.
You thank the ones who caused you grief.
It’s hard, but you will find relief.
You know that when you feel it all,
No matter how far you may fall,
You’ll find the joy and be okay,
You may not find it every day,
But inside you are filled with love,
A knowing sent from up above.
Forgiveness, patience, gratitude
Become your chosen attitude.
The way of love is yours to keep
Especially when your pain is deep
And obstacles may feel so steep,
Faith makes you brave enough to leap.
Scene 5: The Lovers by Ashley Hirsh
Lover 1: We’ve been friends for some time…
Lover 2: A bit of time yes.
L1: I enjoy your company…
L2: I feel the same.
L1: I might regret saying this but lately when we are spending time together, I feel this urge, this strong desire… to reach out and trace the line of your jaw with my fingertips…
L2: Well…
L1: What if… what if the rules were just… be honest and… maybe… enjoy each other… if those were the rules, could I ask your permission to kiss you? Maybe even speaking this crosses a line… (backpedaling) I don’t need to keep you. I already have enough to own… But would it be so terrible if I loved you just a little… or more?
L2: For how long?
L1: I don’t know. Maybe a while, maybe forever, maybe a moment. Is there a way to tell before you try?
L2: I think you just have to decide. You can’t have everything. You have to choose.
L1: But what if there are so many wonderful, beautiful people in the world?
L2: It hardly ever seems that way to most of us.
L1: It seems that way to me. I can’t stop finding people fascinating. Each in different ways. Don’t get me wrong I believe in setting boundaries. For example, I wouldn’t kiss you without asking politely. But if I did ask, if I said… Could I run my tongue along the edge of your teeth… would that be to much? Too much to ask, I mean.
L2: It might be.
L1: So the question lingers. Struggling in my heart, beating like wings against my ribcage. But every time you speak, I find myself watching your lips move and wondering if they would feel as warm as your smile.
L2: They would.
L1: (laughs) There you go again
L2: I’m not going anywhere.
L1: Are you sure?
L2: Not in the slightest.
L1: But maybe it would be worth it to try?
L2: What have we got to lose?
L1: Only everything.
Cherry Eater by Kimberly A. Blanchette
CE: Desire… longing to roll… with hips and thighs. Entangled like silk ribbons across our mouths. Forbidden to touch. Longing for more than words between us… Rolling between two fingers, back and forth. Slowly so slowly. Now touching lips, teasing between teeth, sliding across tongue. Cherries have such a short season.
Scene 6 Boundaries of A Woman Music and Lyrics by Teresa Nguyen
It was so long ago
When he crossed that line
Why was I so timid
I didn’t speak my mind
I should have been more angry
I should have been ashamed
Not for what had happened
But for safeguarding his name
The boundaries of a woman
Need to stand straight firm and tall
For your respect and honor
Is no invisible wall
And those with good intention
Will see it standing there
They will wait outside the front gate
With a flower and a prayer
It took a while to find you
One who treats me right
One who loves me for myself
Who in the dark brings light
Oh, how my heart is grateful
For you and, yes, for me
For my courage through it all
And finding liberty
The boundaries of a woman
Need to stand straight firm and tall
For your respect and honor
Is no invisible wall
And those with good intention
Will see it standing there
They will wait outside the front gate
With a flower and a prayer
They will wait outside the front gate
With a flower… and a prayer
The following by Stephanie Agnew, edited for the stage by Ashley Hirsh
Crowd 1: A shame, he is such a good guy.
Crowd 2: (sighs) He had such a bright future.
HEALER: (to C1 & C2 with growing intensity) You know, I thought of you today, and sent my love your way. I cannot hold grudges for reputation (struggles to find the right word) smudges! I understand your fear, you didn’t want to hear that such a charming guy was telling you a lie!
WITNESS 1: Oh darling, dear, sweet, miserable one,
WITNESS 2: I see you as you bravely tell your tale.
WITNESS 3: And though life changing trials can’t be undone, The love you know inside will never fail.
WITNESS 4: The victim turned survivor learns to heal -A story old as time, but ever true.
WITNESS 1: You’re busting through the shame you used to feel, Dispelling myths the world put onto you.
WITNESS 2: Although it’s hard to turn bad into goodAs trauma’s scars tell you you’re not so tough,
WITNESS 3: You’ll overcome the patriarchy’s “should,” In freedom, love and truth, you are enough.
WITNESS 4: And though your contribution may be small,
WITNESS 1: The ripples you create help heal us all.
Scene 7 Downtown Romance Music by Teresa Nguyen
The Couple from the Wedding, but not everything is as rosy as it appears. The Bride and Groom are in constant conflict while they try to put on a happy face for the outside world. Their friends and family drift away as the couple retreats further and further into lies and isolation. The music stops and starts and some moments are in total silence.
Scene 8 The Coven
Woman 2:
As the tips of my fingers graze the blades of grass overgrown to the height of my waist.
As the mountains meet my gaze.
As the bubbling stream whispers my name and invites me in.
As I splash and wash away the dirt from the soles of my tired feet, the pain in my chest, and the sin in my soul.
As the leaves crumble and crack and fall victim to my own relationship with gravity.
As the wind changes my course.
As the sun heats and heals my cold and brittle bones.
As She heals my very spirit…
I know
That I am bound to the stars.
That I am bound by the pull of the moon and this rotation.
I am bound to something much greater than myself.
I am bound to my Mother.
by Micaela Miller
Woman 1:
I walk toward the trees with conviction.
The sun tries to warm me through the cool spring breezes.
There are puddles in the grass.
This is my church today.
I go to the woods to have a good cry about the state of the world.
I pray.
I ask God what we can do for it all.
She says it’s okay to rest. To care for myself.
I have worked hard, though I have much left to do.
I feel so small against the way things are,
But She reminds me that I’m more powerful when I’m well rested.
by Stephanie Agnew
Woman 3:
You don’t just wake up one day and find that your thinking has changed.
It’s a gradual shift, a growing up.
Through love and loss and heartache,
And most of all, connection with others,
The literal interpretations of old stories no longer suffice.
Some days, it’s the younger self that still shows up,
Frightened and judgmental,
Clinging to any validation you can find for your old ways of thinking.
You feel naked and ashamed.
And you clothe yourself in the expectations of others.
Losing yourself again in the old, familiar roles.
For a time.
But those garments are transient. They weren’t made by God.
Something will happen to wake you.
It may or may not feel like a choice.
But you find yourself deconstructing and making sense of old stories in new ways.
And you know that you are moving forward on your best path,
That God is still speaking in little synchronicities and moments of joy.
Clothing you in love and abundance.
And you see yourself in the myths.
You recognize the patterns and archetypes and universal stories that play out in the individual, human lives all around you.
And in your own journey.
You see yourself in the ones you wanted to see as other.
You learn to forgive and love the parts of yourself that you pretended weren’t yours.
You feel the Love first within yourself and then toward others.
And you find some peace without needing answers.
You no longer make up your mind without involving your heart.
And you find that the best thing you can do with the knowledge of good and evil, is to live lovingly in the gray area between those extremes.
by Stephanie Agnew
Woman 1: Today I felt the vibration of the world
Woman 2: And connected with my higher self.
Woman 3: I wrapped myself in music and art
Woman 1: And didn't worry about anyone else.
Woman 2: I threw away the thoughts that did not validate me.
Woman 3: I blossomed forth through the things that push and carry me.
Woman 1: I smiled and reminded myself that it's okay to not be okay, but let's still try to manifest positivity and gifts anyway.
Woman 2: Quiet and peace.
Woman 3: And occasional Cacophonies.
Woman 1: I listened to the powers that be.
Woman 2: Thought long and hard about the power of three.
Woman 3: And became a better woman-
ALL: Blessed be.
by Alexia Hollis
Scene 9: Broken Glass, Electric, Joy by Kimberly A. Blanchette Music by Kyle Marx
I thought about it…
Somehow I just couldn’t pick them up
I tried.
Oh, I always tried.
But my hands didn’t respond
Only my heart did.
I walked past the broken pieces of glass.
This I could do.
This I could do.
This I could do.
Invisible warmth tingling over flesh
Electric sensation of movement
Such power, without force
Breathe for me
Let me feel your breath of life
Feverish
Flushed
No words
Between us
Only sacred sounds
Sometimes its easy to forget
That we are flesh
For bone and muscle melt away
Blood becomes mist
And thought becomes dreamscapes of many
But the spirit never changes
In such moments
I am untouched
Unclothed
I become a new creature
Singing with the wind
Giving thanks in the language of sound
To the one whose every name translates as Joy.
Scene 10: Bound to You Part 2: Bittersweet Music and Lyrics by Teresa Nguyen
The Singer sings while the Bride dances to soothe her child. Once the dance is done and the baby is settled the Bride speaks.
The following by Stephanie Agnew
BRIDE: Till death do us part wasn’t physical death. Sometimes we must leave while we still have some breath.
GROOM: Relationships die, people change, we cause pain.
BRIDE: What once felt like love turns to fear and disdain.
GROOM: As winter returns, we reflect on the year.
BRIDE: In these darker days, we can choose to feel cheer.
GROOM: The cold and the dark may feel much like a tomb.
BRIDE: If we look for the warmth, though, it’s really a womb. In nature, things die and then things are reborn.
GROOM: This happens each year without judgement or scorn. And so in this cold, as we process our grief.
BRIDE: Let’s look for the warmth and for love and belief.
Scene 11: Speaking Truth to Power by Stephanie Agnew, Edited for the stage by Ashley Hirsh
MEDIATOR: Power is something to consider, Present in every human interaction, Currency or current, direct or alternating. How does it make you behave?
Party 1: Are you someone who feels powerless?
Party 2: How willingly we give our power away to another…
Party 1: (scoffs)
MEDIATOR: Becoming a yes man or woman, afraid to speak up, Following people who we see as powerful,
Party 1: Whether for gain or ego or status, We are not speaking truth to them,
MEDIATOR: Even when that truth would help them grow?
Party 2: Maybe we think our truth won’t be heard. Some people wield their power out loud, Defending, deflecting, dominating, Draining us of our desire to be heard.
Party 1: We know how it goes to speak our truth, How it went last time. We lack the energy to try again!
MEDIATOR: We settle for hurt feelings, Dishonesty as self preservation. For those who create this dynamic, Power ceases to flow. Relationships stagnate when we refuse to grow, to preserve the status quo.
Party 2: How many leaders got to the top this way? Their power preserved by silence and lies, Stopping the exchange of power…
MEDIATOR: Which must flow freely if we want there to be light.
Party 1 & 2: Which must flow freely if we want there to be light.
Scene 12: Chord Cutting Choreographed by Taylor Manney in Collaboration with the Dancers
Scene 13: Picking Up the Pieces by Ashley Hirsh
I have a small habit of breaking things. I’m holding something and I think I have a firm grasp on it but all of a sudden it slips through my fingers and shatters. And I have to pick up the pieces. I know this about myself and yet, I can’t stop it from happening. I try to be careful, so careful, hold on so tight, don’t let it slip but… it happens again and again. So I pick up the pieces. Sometimes it’s nothing much, a coffee cup. Other times, it’s her smile. And I hope every time it’s the last time, the last time I have to get on my knees and search for each missing piece.
Scene 14: Finding Me Lyrics by Alexia Hollis, Music by Teresa Nguyen
I did my time, looking in the mirror
Hating the things that I see
Bending till breaking,
Bleeding and shaking
Drowning in mediocrity
I gave and I gave everything away
While you ignored my every need
Turning a blind eye to your insides
Go ahead and make me the enemy
People are people and people often make mistakes
People are people and people look for other ways, yeah
We are just people who didn't love the right way
Singing your praises, defending you
From all those who criticized
There is a plan- it'll be my turn
Have faith, my time will arrive
I waited so long that I realized
Painfully, I didn't know me
Being You was exhausting
Kept myself hostage
Allowing you to be happy
People are people and people often make mistakes
People are people and people look for other ways
We are just people who didn't love the right way
I hope you find you
I finally found me
I hope you find you
Cuz I finally found me
Scene 15: Closing by Ashley Hirsh
When you know your worth
You can forgive yourself
For what you didn’t know
Before you found yourself
You will find your people
Who will light your way
The ones you can lean on
At the end of each day
You give all you can
It’s not too late to start
Listen to understand
Never hold back your heart
Embrace chaos!
What else can you do?
Resistance
Or surrender?
Just let it flow through
You have no choice!
What will be, will be!
You are Bound to have learned at least that
Now you are FREE!