# What Light?

## Metadata

- Slug: what-light
- Type: Short Play
- Genre: Comedy
- Acts: 1 act
- Duration: 20–40 minutes
- Cast: Small (1-6)
- Cast Summary: Flexible: 6 characters (4 principal / 2 supporting, pronouns may be changed according to casting needs)
- Movement Requirements: Minimal to comically bad dance and stage combat
- Technical Requirements: Flexible
- Suitable For:
  - Community Theatre
  - College/University
  - High School/Secondary
- Primary Image: https://content.uproartheatrics.com/vwle9nq698v25a96ie38c4xevz2w

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## Authors

- By [Erin Dealey](https://www.uproartheatrics.com/md/authors/erin-dealey)

## Overview

You know how you're always looking for that Shakespeare-adjacent witty one-act comedy that takes place in the ER? Problem solved: It's *What Light?* by Erin Dealey.
This play explores the answers to the following questions:  How can light break a window? Is partying such sweet sorrow? How much do you remember from your 7th grade *Romeo & Juliet* unit (JK you're on your own there).
Strangers become friends when they stage their own fractured, misquoted version of those famous star-crossed lovers, on a not-so-quiet-after-all night in the Emergency Department of a university hospital.
**For extra credit, look for meta-R&J easter eggs hidden throughout****Want more like this? *What Light?* appears alongside two more Shakespeare-inspired one-acts by Dealey, forming the full length piece [*All The World.*](https://www.uproartheatrics.com/shows/all-the-world)

## Plot

It’s a slow night on a snowy November, in the ER of a university hospital, where an overwhelmed and overly-cheerful nurse tends to three undergrads, each with a painful break that needs medical attention. Lucy may have broken her wrist, and worries she’s lost her big theatrical break in her first college play. Jake swears his abdominal pain stems from a recent breakup. Finn may need stitches for the laceration caused by a lacrosse stick to the head as she entered-but-for-the-record-did-NOT-break-into the dorm room next door. As they open the curtains between their exam rooms, their hearts open as well. And when Lucy finally confesses she’s been cast as the Nurse, and not Juliet as everyone has assumed, the others rally to create their own mis-quoted version of R&J, so she can have her moment, and possibly find her Romeo.

## Cast

| Name | Description |
| ---- | ---- |
| A NOTE ON CASTING: | Casting is flexible--pronouns may be changed according to casting needs (no need to seek out additional permission from Uproar). |
| JAKE | Male. 20ish college sophomore, fresh from an unexpected break-up. |
| LUCY | Female. 18ish, freshman, theater major, with a possible break that may ruin her big break. |
| FINN | Female. 18ish, Don’t-call-me-Elizabeth freshman, suspected of breaking and entering. |
| NURSE | Female. 1 part Mary Poppins + 2 parts Lorelai Gilmore. |
| R.A. | Female. 22ish grad student, Pre-law/ Sociology, hoping for a break-through with FINN. |
| DR. SCOTT | Male. Overworked ER doc who needs a break. |

## Materials

### Available for additional fee:

| Name | Description |
| ---- | ----------- |
| Video Recording License | License to create an archival recording of the show that may be distributed to the cast and crew. This does not allow publicly posting the performance. |
| 60-Minute Talkback with the Creator | A 60-minute Zoom/Google Meet with one or more of the show's creator(s). Licensees and guests can ask questions, share experiences, and hear about the artistic journey of the show and creative team. This can be scheduled before or after the performances. If we are unable to make scheduling work, the cost will be refunded. |

## Links

- [View HTML page](https://www.uproartheatrics.com/shows/what-light)