Single Numberless Death Play

A Single Numberless Death is a powerful docudrama that celebrates and testifies to the worth as well as to the fragility of humanitarian values, despite the most shocking atrocities our contemporary world has been forced to witness.

Characters Naomi, an Argentine Jew of indeterminate age who has experienced, and who remembers vividly, more pain and suffering than most of us will ever know

Gerardo, Naomi's brother

Narrators, a half dozen or so actors, male and female, who narrate Naomi's story, assuming minor roles as prisoners, mothers, fathers and guards as necessary

Milicos, the Argentine secret military police, 3 or 4 males, brutal and indifferent

Commander, head of the Milicos, ironic, subtle, even witty Except for Naomi, any of the other characters might double as Narrators.

Music The song referred to in the last scene, El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido, is a popular song of revolution from South America, although not necessarily Argentinian in its source, nor factually based on what political demonstrators have sung and chanted in Argentina. Numerous recorded versions can be found, with the help of which the cast can easily learn it. The version used for the world premiere can be found on CD, and was done by the composer/performers Sergio Ortega & Quilapayun.

Setting The stage is empty except for the shell of a '60s Ford Falcon, green, without doors or windows, conspicuously missing its license plate, sitting on blocks or perhaps suspended from above, but arranged so actors can climb in and out of it, even on it, and so the audience can see them beneath the green bug-like shell.

A Single Numberless Death was first produced in November, 2001, at Grand Valley State University, Michigan, with the following cast and crew:
Stage Director: Michael Page
Lighting Design: Andrew Dorland
Set Design: Alfred Sheffield
Costume Design: Jill Dole Hamilton
Stage Manager: Jeff Williams
Technical Direction: Paul Collins
Choreography & Combatives: Erin Merritt
Original Music: Alex Hamel & Gregory Secor
NAOMI: Heather Hartnett
GERARDO: Rodel Salazar
MILICOS: Jayme Wooster, Matt Wilson, Eddie Kleinfeld
COMMANDER: Scott Rosendall
NARRATORS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, RELATIVES, FRIENDS, PRISONERS, GUARDS: Dan Kennedy, Becky Black, Nick Randall, Carolyn Ratkowski, Justin Fournier, Tamira A. Henry, Rachel Roos, Jennifer L. Rashleigh, Megan Lynette Staples, Christina Hoffman, Michael L. Houser, Nathan Bauer.