An original play performed at Out of the Blue Community Arts from August 22-24, 2023. Continue reading for Playwright's Note and sound credits:
Playwright's note:
Selkie Play was named after the Irish fairy tales I grew up reading, stories in which the human world is pervaded by untamable spirits connected to nature and to some of our best and most base instincts, and which reveal that sometimes the real monsters come from among our own. Not only is the line blurred in this play between the human and faerie world, but also between the settings of 1830s Ireland and those of fantasy Denmark and a Nantucket harbor, between metaphor and reality, between lighthouse and mother, and between man, woman, and seal.
The gender binary also pretends to offer two distinct worlds but upon inspection is more fragile than many are comfortable admitting, despite evidence like the selkie in our folklore about how we admire those with the intuitive connection between mind and body and their freedom to freely transition between identities at will.
It’s taken me a long time to feel not only comfortable in femininity but also confident in saying I think it’s something I’ve mostly been able to freely chose for myself despite societal pressures. The freedom to choose what feels right for your own body, your own hands, your own dancing feet, is worth fighting for. And we must continue fighting, to prevent legislators from trying to take that from us.
- Kara O'Rourke
Many thanks to Patrick Mangan for allowing us use of his beautiful fiddle music throughout the show tonight (specifically “Reel Angst,” “Amhran na Leabhar,” “Jackon’s #1,” “Doctor Gilbert’s,” “Queen Tamar’s Court,” and “Summer Storm”). Based in Brooklyn, Mangan is a Riverdance veteran fiddle soloist and two-time All Ireland champion. Check out the full versions of the music you heard tonight plus much more cheerful tunes on his website or anywhere you listen to music. patrickmangan.com
All other music and sound effects with gratitude from the following freesound.org users:
• "Rain Thunder Roll" by 2hear, licensed under CCBY 3.0
• “53 blackhead_minifjord_closeup.wav” by LukeIRL, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Wind through the trees Atmosphere.wav” by DavidSkinnerMusic, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Stenhagen chatting Seagulls.wav” by Owl, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Sea Waves Rocky Beach” by Suncord_Audiolab, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Beach, Pebble: Walk, Jog” by OroborosNZ, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Beach, Pebble” by OroborosNZ, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “metallic screetch drone 1.wav" by thatjeffcarter, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “I cannot see the road” by thatjeffcarter, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Suspense chimes slow.wav” by domestophonics, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Furnace Burning” by EminYILDIRIM, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Wind blowing on the top of a hill” by caquet, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Music box” by _SmoKer_, licensed under CCBY 3.0
• “Horror_Ambience_Atmos-10.wav” by Headphaze, licensed under CCBY 4.0
• “Ambient Soundscape with Shimmer.flac” by NickR2020, licensed under CCBY 3.0
• “Tension build up #01” by tyops, licensed under CCBY 4.0
Video by Kara O'Rourke of her script, Selkie Play. © 2023 Kara O'Rourke