Photo by Lia Ottaviano
Set
Play Synopsis: One summer afternoon in a swimming pool, pre-teen siblings Lis and Ry push each other into adulthood. Set unpacks the American Suburban Dream, questioning its underlying values and its bubble of innocence.
***
LIS: I’m not scared. There’s nothing to be scared about. Everything is fine.
Pause.
RY: (pointing to LIS’ book) I read that book
LIS: Shut up, no you didn’t.
RY: It’s okay. It didn’t change my life.
LIS: Oh. Ohhh-kay.
RY: I read all the books on your reading list like last year.
LIS: Don’t lie.
RY: It’s the whole honest truth.
LIS: You’re an obvious liar.
RY laughs and paddles away a little bit. A few moments pass.
RY: We’re not gonna need books soon. They’ll be extinct. Everyone knows that.
LIS: Books will never become extinct.
RY: They will. Like the dinosaurs.
LIS: They won’t. It’s impossible. Humans need books. For books to become extinct, robots would have to replace humans entirely. Robots don’t have the ability to express existential angst, so they wouldn’t need books. But that’s not gonna happen. Actually, you might be a robot, come to think of it. Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
LIS: Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
LIS: Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
LIS: Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
LIS: Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
LIS: Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
LIS: Do you know what existential angst is?
RY dips down under water while she’s speaking, when he comes up...
RY: You say something?
LIS: You don’t know. You’ve never felt existential angst.
RY: I’m very naive. What can I say?
LIS: Oh, I don’t think so, I’ve seen your —
RY dunks his head under water again.
LIS: — I’ve
When he comes back up, LIS leans towards him so he can hear.
LIS: — seen your search history.