70 minutes. 2f.
In the wake of a tragic and senseless act of gun violence, two women strive to connect despite their grief and guilt. Zayne is determined to learn if Hannah could have foreseen the shooting, or even prevented it. Hannah is fed up with clichéd calls for “thoughts and prayers.” She has a secret, daring plan to put an end to the violence once and for all. But will her idea work … or might it cause collateral damage? Inside a culture that’s inundated with news of everyday shootings, two citizens struggle to understand their duties as bystanders.
This drama examines the link between misogyny and gun violence, and interrogates the survivor guilt of its characters. Can one person make a difference: stopping a cataclysm of violence with a single act?
Bystanders unfolds over real time in the living room of a small apartment. There are two women characters, Zayne is Black or Biracial; Hannah may be cast with an actor of color or a white actor.
Bystanders was adapted into an audio play, and was released in September, 2020, by Central Works, starring Maria Marquis and Kimberly Ridgeway, with direction by Gary Graves, sound design, editing, and engineering by Gregory Scharpen.