WE ARE BLOOD - 1 - stage play

Aug 26, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

WE ARE BLOOD is a stage play draft centered on Raymond and Kathleen arriving with suitcases to a dilapidated split-level house in the woods of Yancy Mills, Missouri. Their tense conversation blends grief, denial, and bargaining as they plan to move forward by confronting family conflicts, especially the presence of Aunt Nance. The script frames catharsis through intimate dialogue and layered voice presentation, while hinting that extreme supernatural impulses may reflect emotional coping rather than literal miracles.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages85

Reading Time2 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Characters

Scene 1

Arrival and confrontation

Grief, denial, and family conflict

Catharsis and unresolved history

WE ARE BLOOD by Ryan Bernsten December 2023 Draft Copyright 2019 Ryan Bernsten [ryan.bernsten@gmail.com](ryan.bernsten@gmail.com) Characters Kathleen-40s-50s, a widow. a socialite. a skeptic. Raymond-20s, a graduate. a disappointment. a desperate believer. Nance-40s-50s, a zealot. a freethinker. a host. Lydia-20s, a daughter. a harlot. a conjurer. Gran-80s, a secret. The actor playing Nance may also play Gran. Setting A split-level home in the woods. Yancy Mills, Missouri. A“/”marks a moment of interruption. A character speaks in their own voice in this font, with emphasis and repetitions italicized. All other fonts indicate someone else “speaking” for them. Note: The supernatural could simply be extreme measures for catharsis. “The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart, You'll always be a part of me.” -Billy Joel, Lullabye “All the times that I've cried Keeping all the things I knew inside It’s hard, but it's harder to ignore it If they were right I'd agree But it's them they know, not me Now there's a way And I know that I have to go away I know, I have to go.” -Cat Stevens, Father and Son Development/Award History: ScreenCraft Stage Play Competition (Finalist, 2023) Jewish Theatre Project Play Competition (Semiﬁnalist, 2023) Olathe Civic Theatre Association (Spotlight Series Production, 2023) Angels Theatre Company (Reading, 2023) CoverFly RedList (\#1 Horror Stage Play, 2022) Ashland New Play Festival (Semiﬁnalist, 2022) Kansas City Public Theatre (Theatre Lab, 2021) Northwestern University (Faculty Reading, 2020) Austin Film Festival (Semiﬁnalist, 2020) Rave Theatre Festival (Finalist, 2020) Kansas City Script Circle (2020) University of Oxford (Workshop, 2019) NPXLINK: [https://newplayexchange.org/plays/815257/we-are-blood](https://newplayexchange.org/plays/815257/we-are-blood) 12/12/2023 1 SCENE 1 Raymond and Kathleen stand, suitcases in hand, looking up at an old dilapidated house. In the sunlight, their shadows lengthen dramatically. It’s almost as if something is trying to escape their bodies. Suddenly, unbidden, Raymond covers his mouth and begins to sob silently. Kathleen doesn’t look at him. He ﬁghts through it, trying to push his grief back down, but sobs again and continues to repress it. When he stiﬂes it, Kathleen looks at him. RAYMOND I’m sorry. KATHLEEN You shouldn’t have had that extra drink at the airport. RAYMOND You have a way of making people want to drink. KATHLEEN Keep it together. Just for the weekend. (Kathleen surveys the house.) Whoever buys this place is going to have to tear it down. It’s completely unsalvageable. I’m sure there’s asbestos and all kinds of shit in there. We’ll have to send them in with a hazmat suit. But the land is nice. Don’t you think? RAYMOND For Missouri, I guess. KATHLEEN It has potential! Little “tiny home” in the woods. View of the lake. It will make a great vacation home for someone. RAYMOND Now all you have to do is kick out Aunt Nance and tear down the house. KATHLEEN Raymond. Does it hurt to try to be charming? RAYMOND Does being charming mean being fake? KATHLEEN Well, you can’t be real with them. They’re family. (spying a truck) Did you see that truck parked back there? 12/12/2023 2 RAYMOND God KATHLEEN They’ve got money coming in from somewhere. It looks pretty new. Wouldn’t be surprised if— RAYMOND (surprisingly forceful) CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME A HUG OR SOMETHING? KATHLEEN Shhhh. Do you need a hug? He motions to himself.“Look at me!” She hugs him. KATHLEEN Better? RAYMOND Mm. KATHLEEN Don’t “mm” at me! What? What’s that what’s that what’s that face? RAYMOND I’m thinking. KATHLEEN About how you want to be back in New York with Dad’s family? RAYMOND That’s a big leap to take from a single “mm.” KATHLEEN Oh sweetie, you’ve been clear. RAYMOND I need to be with people who support me— KATHLEEN Oh, I don’

FAQs

Who are the central characters introduced in this draft?

Raymond and Kathleen anchor the story, with additional family members such as Aunt Nance and Lydia set up as key presences. The character list also includes Gran, whose role is tied to a secret.

Where does Scene 1 take place?

Scene 1 unfolds at a split-level home in the woods near Yancy Mills, Missouri, with the characters surveying the house as shadows lengthen in sunlight.

What theme does the draft emphasize through the dialogue?

The dialogue repeatedly turns grief and repression into a question of catharsis, contrasting suppressed emotion with the pressure to present a controlled, socially acceptable version of themselves.

Aug 26, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia