What’s The Word I’m Looking For? – “The Realm” Will Leave You Speechless
by Karen Tortora-Lee on April 11, 2010
I think it’s happened to all of us; there’s that one great memory – a perfectly time phrase at just the right moment, or a they’ll-never-believe-this experience you shared with someone, or a you-had-to-be-there anecdote that left the two of you shaking with laughter. Years later you bring up the treasure to your partner in crime with a face-splitting grin: “Hey, remember the time we . . .” only to be greeted with a blank stare. They shake their head, look confused, eyes are vacant . . . no, no . . . they can’t remember. Are you SURE it was them? You start retelling the whole thing in earnest, hoping something will spark their memory but suddenly even though it’s just like yesterday for you, for your friend the moment is gone and might as well have never happened. It leaves you with almost the opposite of deja vu, not a “this happened before” moment, but a “did it really happen?” moment. Now imagine a world where everyone is losing their language; words they said to you just moments ago suddenly become meaningless to them. And if the word becomes meaningless so does the concept. And therefore, so does the conversation. And soon, possibly the whole delicate framework of your relationship begins to lose its meaning. And you can’t do a thing to make them remember . . . so you might as well have experienced it all alone. For all intents and purposes, the whole history of your existence is lost.
Click Here To Read My Interview With Playwright Sarah Myers
Stepping foot into The Realm (written by Sarah Myers and directed by Jessica Fisch) is a little like that experience, and a little like no experience you’ve ever had.
