Seascape With Sharks and Dancer

by Don Nigro

Drama / Casting: 1m, 1f / Scenery: Interior

This fine work in the Pendragon cycle of plays enjoyed a sold out, critically acclaimed production at the world famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The play is set in a beach bungalow. The young man who lives there has pulled a lost young woman from the ocean. Soon, she finds herself trapped in his life and torn between her need to come to rest somewhere and her certainty that all human relationships turn eventually into nightmares. The struggle between his tolerant and gently ironic approach to life and her strategy of suspicion and attack becomes a kind of war about love and creation which neither can afford to lose. This is an offbeat, wonderful love story. Note: The play contains a wealth of excellent monologue and scene material.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

66 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1985

Reviews

[Mehrshad Zarei · Rating 3 out of 5]

_اسمت چیه؟ بهم نگفتی.
_نه نگفتم، و اسم تو رو هم نمی‌خوام بدونم. آدما اسم‌شون رو به ‌هم می‌گن اون‌وخ قبل از اینکه متوجه بشن تبدیل می‌شن به یه کسی، به جای اینکه همون هیچ‌کس باقی بمونن و دیگه گیر می‌افتن.
پدر و مادر من بهم از این جونورا می‌دادن، می‌فهمی، نه فقط گربه و سگ، یه راکن باردار و دوتا مرغابی که اسم‌شون میکی بود. واقعاً احمق بودن. حیوون‌ها رو نمی‌گم، پدر و مادرم. و خونه‌ای که توش زندگی می‌کردم خیلی به جاده نزدیک بود، و وقتی خیلی نزدیک جاده زندگی می‌کنی چیزی که اتفاق می‌افته اینه که همه‌ی حیووانات مدام پخش جاده می‌شن، و برادرات مجبورن برن با بیلچه جمعشون کنن و ببرن‌شون یه گوشه‌ای تا دفن کنن و گاهی که اونا کاملاً له شدن اما هنوز کاملاً نمرده‌ن برادرهات اون‌قدر با بیلچه بزنن‌شون که دیگه جیغ نزنن یا کواک‌کواک یا قد‌قد یا میو‌میو نکنن. و اینکه روشون اسم بذاری قضیه رو بدتر می‌کنه اما من این کارو دوست داشتم و نمی‌تونستم جلوی خودم رو بگیرم و این کارو می‌کردم. وقتی اونا له می‌شدن دیگه اون‌وقت فقط یک گربه یا اردک نبود، یه کسی بود با یک اسم که تو باهاش زندگی می‌کردی و باهاش می‌خوابیدی و حرف می‌زدی و به حرفاش گوش می‌دادی و بهش توجه می‌کردی و بهش توجه می‌کردی و ازش مراقبت می‌کردی بعد تبدیل به چیزی می‌شه که رو جاده جا می‌مونه.

[Seyed Mohammad Reza Mahdavi · Rating 2 out of 5]

نمایشنامه منظره ی دریا با کوسه ها و رقصنده
دان نیگرو
ترجمه رضا عابدین زاده
نشر قطره
تعداد صفحات 80

در پشت جلد می خوانید
نویسنده ی بسیار مطرح و پرکار، دان نیگرو با روایتی بسیار دل نشین نمایش نامه ای به نام منظره ی دریا با کوسه ها و رقصنده درباره ی عشق و اعتماد نوشته است. داستان آشنایی غیر معمول دو انسان در پی یافتن عشق که در جست و جوی اعتماد و پذیرفتن و سرانجام دوست داشتن، ترس و لذت و درد را تجربه می کنند. یکی زخم خورده و در هراس از نزدیک شدن و دیگری در پی آن ... و چه دشوار است عشق هنگامی که آدمی از درون با خود در ستیز است

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really entertaining! Fast paced and eye catching characters.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don Nigro's classic about a young couple who meet in an unusual way, only to find themselves dealing with the usual problems of commitment and disillusionment, would be borderline cliche and somewhat unbelievable (it seems, at certain points, that Tracy contains some aspect of virtually every psychological problem that can be found in the human psyche, and that Ben is abnormally tolerant of a person most people would run from without a second thought), were it not for the excellence of Nigro's writing and the unexpected charm of both characters, who emerge as fully fleshed people- him not just a hero, her not just a mess to be saved. When the threat of an unplanned pregnancy enters the story it manages to feel authentic instead of like a forced climax, and the ending, though it's been done before, feels real and satisfying. The play can be read as an extended allegory for the relationship between the writer and his muse, or as a literal snapshot of a passionate but troubled relationship, or both, and that flexibility of interpretation plus the juiceyness of both roles more than justifies the shows popularity. Is it as profound as it thinks it is? No. But then stories about young people are less about how profound they are, and more about how profound they aspire to be, and in its own thoroughly entertaining way, Seascape manages to be both the epitome of this kind of a show, and a sort of fascinating revisioning of it that still feels fresh and modern.

[Tommy Harkness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great two person play about a man and a woman who fall in love after he saves her from drowning in the ocean. Full of conflict, it’s the classic opposites attract situation. The woman, Tracy, is one of the better female parts I’ve read in quite some time. She’s complicated, funny, angry, sweet, damaged, brilliant, toxic and crazy all at once. So many layers to her. And the play itself is full of great dialogue and a plot that unfolds very naturally with an ending that I found to be very satisfying in the sense that it leaves you wondering what might happen next for these characters.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trying to go through the books on my shelf rn; I got this back when I was studying acting and looking for monologues and haven’t gotten around to reading it until now. This is soo BADDDD both characters are unlikeable and the dialogue is so cringy and clichéd Idk what exactly I’m missing here but I kinda wished I has DNF’d it once I got halfway through even though this even though it’s only 62 pages. 🚽💩🥴

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: A warning to those who have experienced an abortion as this play does touch on sensitive material.

Really enjoyed Nigro's style of dialogue and his obvious talent for drawing the naturally absurd and hilarious from the spectrum of human relationships. A great play that did not outstay it's welcome with perfect length as well as believable characters.

[jaime ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful. i will put this play on one day.

[Ray Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite plays- Don Nigro's work is always raw, witty, and powerful. This is a must-read for all theatre artists, young and old.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Messy, sticky, and fascinating.

4.5

[billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best thing I’ve ever read

[Grace Wissink · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just read this bc it has a lot of monologues but it is… imo…. Not good

[Sophia Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

January play 3/3

[Alexis Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

love dis cute lil play

[Skkyler Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very captivating drama. A premise I would never have thought of, but some deep dialogue and a great build in tension.

[Sonia Tandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will forever and always be my favorite play of all time ❤️

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this play when I was assigned to do a scene from it for a scene study class. I went into the reading of this play immediately from an actor's perspective. Man, was it good!

It was a bit of a strange premise at first. I mean, this man pulls a naked woman out of the ocean to save her. She doesn't want to be saved. But then the romance begins. This play is heartbreaking. But it's also funny. The dysfunctional relationship has so much passion to be found. If you look beyond the absurd premise (come on, it's a play) and examine the relationship between the characters, you will love it.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little play with an emotional twist I didn't expect.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't think it was really a love story...

[Becky Raines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unexpectedly drew me in...though the characters annoyed me at first, the action became watching how they interacted through time. Cool use of language, too.

[Nathaniel Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Jasmine Arellano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the hilarious dialogue between the two characters but there were times where I also found them very obnoxious. Overall it was a really easy read.