A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Rights of Passage

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  2w, 6m

Robert Leone, Ed Decker

Mixing puppetry, mask and dance with modern devices such as digital media, Rights of Passage explores the struggle of Wayan, a young, gay Hindu man in Indonesia. Beyond Wayan's journey, the play expands to tell true stories of LGBTQ struggles and triumphs from around the world.

Rights of Passage

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 6m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fables/Folktales
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
Wayan is a young, gay Hindu man who lives on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Wayan searches for a way to reconcile who he is with what his family and community expect of him. Mixing traditional forms of storytelling, including puppetry, mask, and dance with modern devices such as digital media, the play nimbly explores the struggle that each of us faces in establishing our identity and living in a way that is true to ourselves. From the central story of Wayan’s journey, the play expands to tell true stories of LGBTQ struggles and triumphs from around the world. Each story fits into the play’s overall narrative arc, which is built around three key “rites” of passage in life – childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

History
Rights of Passage premiered at the New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, CA in August 2012 under the direction of Arturo Catricala.
Keywords
Performing Groups
NINI - (NEE-nee) Elderly Balinese matriarch (shadow puppet)
PUTU - (POOH-too) Young Balinese boy (shadow puppet)
MOON - Moon goddess who watches over the earth
WAYAN - (Why-ANN) Gay Balinese man who ages from child to adult (puppet through age 10)
MADE - (MAH-day) Wayan's grandmother,Nyoman’s mother, a traditional Balinese woman
NYOMAN - (NEE-oh-mon) Wayan’s father, Made’s son
ATIN - (AH-tin) Wayan’s mother (shadow puppet)
ARDHANARI SWARI - (Ardha-naree SWA-ree) Hindu god depicted as half-male and half-female (shadow puppet)
RANGDA - (RANG-da) Demon queen of the Layaks in Balinese mythology
SELA - (SAY-la) Ten-year-old Indonesian girl. Wayan’s best friend (puppet)
SHE - Pre-adolescent Muslim girl in a burka (puppet)
HE - Pre-adolescent American boy in modern dress (puppet)
KLAUS - (Klouse) Nine-year-old German boy in Peter Pan pajamas (puppet)
NDUMI - (Neh-DOO-me) Teenage Senegalese lesbian
COLIN - (CALL-in) Teenage boy in London
DHIRA - (DEER-ah) Teenage girl from Iran raised in the UK
MUM - Dhira’s mother (offstage voice)
KADEK - (Kah-DECK) Young Balinese male, from age 18 through 28
YANOS - (YAW-noce) Serbian male nationalist, age 20-25
VICTIM -  Central European gay man, age 20-25
KUNYARAT - (COON-ya-rot) Transgender Asian woman
SAVANNA - (Sa-VAN-ah) Black Mississippi drag queen
GUY - (rhymes with eye) Homophobic male plumber
JUSTIN - Gay guy at plumbing company
DOUGIE - Guy’s friend
NORMA - Guy’s wife
MAVUTO - (Mah-VOO-toe) Malawian male, age 20
CHITUWE - (Chi-TOO-way) Malawian male, age 21
MURNI - (MUR-nee) Indonesian teenage girl
FACEBOOK - Postings from around the globe (voices)
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting Bali and several other locations, circa 2012.
  • Additional Features Play w/ Music, Puppetry
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Nuanced and engrossing, riveting... the impact is undeniable.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“In an exceptional juxtaposition, [one actor] projects transcendent transgender calm in Thailand while [two others] enact a harrowing scene of homophobia in Serbia. Moments like that keep you glued to your seat.” – San Francisco Chronicle, Read More

Videos

  • New Conservatory Theatre Company trailer for Rights of Passage youtube thumbnail

    New Conservatory Theatre Company trailer for Rights of Passage

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Robert Leone

Robert Leone

Robert Leone and Ed Decker (Playwrights) have been together for 35 years and are dedicated to live theatre and the arts. Ed founded the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco 40 years ago and remains the Artistic Director. Robert is recently retired from his work as ...

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Ed Decker

Ed Decker

Robert Leone and Ed Decker (Playwrights) have been together for 35 years and are dedicated to live theatre and the arts. Ed founded the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco 40 years ago and remains the Artistic Director. Robert is recently retired from his work as ...

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