Between Breaths

by Robert Chafe

Dr. Jon Lien is a risk-taker and respected researcher, working for over twenty years in the dangerous waters off Newfoundland to rescue massive humpback whales and save the fishing gear in which they’re trapped. With his head down in freezing waters and armed only with a snorkel and knife, Lien saves the lives of over five hundred animals and earns the hard-won respect of Newfoundland’s fishermen. But his toughest battle comes at the end, as his body is slowly conquered by a relentlessly progressing paralysis and dementia.

Between Breaths moves backward in time, from Lien’s final moments to his very first whale intervention. As his life becomes further and further confined, his mind stretches back in memories of release and salvation. Based on a true story, Robert Chafe crafts a raw portrayal Newfoundland’s “Whale Man” in this beautiful and poignant play about the parts of ourselves we hold on to after everything else has gone.

Genres: Plays, Canada

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2018

Reviews

[Jeff Bursey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an earnest three-hander about a real scientist/professor who rescued whales from fishing lines. Probably impossible to stage as it involves whales and water. Film, though... but is it worth that? No.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Chafe turns the life of Newfoundland's "whale man," Dr. Jon Lien, into a consideration of the nature of freedom. Lien was a pioneer in saving whales that had been beached or caught in fishing nets, but eventually fell victim to an automobile accident that left him paralyzed. Rather than move toward that sad ending, Chafe tells his story backwards, starting with Lien just before his death and moving back to show him in his prime and depict the sacrifices that grew from his accidental discovery of the need for someone to save the whales. It's a very moving play that should be produced everywhere.