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AND THE LIGHTS OF THE BOREALIS WERE SHINING

1 Woman, 5 Gender Neutral (doubling possible, 4 actors min, 6 max)

​​The agreement was simple: Bee would live with Al, a talking polar bear, for a year. In exchange, her family would be blessed with incredible wealth. All this comes with a contract, however, and when Bee unknowingly breaks the terms, she is left alone and determined. With the help of strangers and a bit of magic, Bee embarks on a journey to rediscover the person she thought she knew, and maybe even discover what her own worth is. An adaptation of East of the Sun, West of the Moon

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SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Production: Gadfly Theater, 2017

  • Residency: Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, 2018

  • Production: The Tank, 2023​

Reviews

"While there are many stories about magic, it’s rare that you come across one that allows you to believe in it, even just for a while. Mangan’s play manages to do just that. The story is electric, weaving together brief moments of connection across time. I am such a sucker for queer twists on fables and mythologies, and this play beautifully embodies that. The characters are bursting with life, and the world is deeply immersive. There’s a lot of room for interpretation in the staging as well that would make this play dazzling to see performed live. "

- Sasha Karuc, Playwright

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A magical journey with some exceedingly well-crafted characters. Spells and curses are woven in every part of this play, present in time, space, and language. The enchantments here are not light, for magic is dangerous after all. Mangan does justice to the original tale, capturing the impossible nature of the adventure, while also telling a melancholic and carefully-written story of two young people who earnestly need one another, even though they don't see what's good in themselves. 

- Ky Weeks, Playwright

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