VESTIGES

AUGUST 2013

@THE SECRET THEATER NYC, Queens

directed and written by Rayka Kobiella
assistant director Leonie Ettinger
actors Zoe Hutmacher, Miriam Ibrahim

The play opens at a dinner party hosted by successful Emily. Initially, her guests seem like a well-behaved group of Europeans and Americans, who have gathered for a pleasant evening. However, all of this changes when the local Helena appears with a new guest. It becomes evident that the play is set in a futuristic dystopia, where the Western world has collapsed and we find ourselves transported deeply into Siberia - the home of an ethnic group called 'Traces'. In this part of the world the economy is still stable and the party guests, who are all new immigrants, are trying to assimilate without having to lose the social status they had in their home countries.

Emily is desperately trying to adopt the local culture, which puts her odds with Helena and the other guests. Helena, on the other hand, is engaged to the billionaire Quasimodo, who unexpectedly meets an old acquaintance – the garbageman Silvio. In the old world, Silvio's family was rich and treated the deformed Quasimodo like an animal. In the new world, people seem to love the benevolent Quasimodo, however, have difficulties looking at him. Silvio is blatantly cynical towards Quasimodo, which reopens old wounds. He meets the proud Gina, who is caring for her loony uncle Tom after following him when he was expelled from his home country. Silvio is fascinated by her. Gina is the only one who manages to charm Silvio and keep him under control. Emily, on the other hand, is enchanted by Helena. The ensuing chaos comes to a hold when the old revolutionary Tom reveals the truth about their existence, which leaves everybody in shocked and speechless. At this point, the guests realize their own hypocrisy, they have to open their eyes and face reality.

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