Seniors Hunker Down

“May 2020, only two months into the era of Covid shelter-in-place, lockdown, quarantines, etc.  A widow (age 60s) desperate to relieve her loneliness attempts to visit her neighbor, a widower (also age 60s), whom she dislikes.  He refuses to meet with her in-person but agrees to a video call.”

This scenario opens my upbeat romantic comedy, Hunker Down, about older adults coping with loneliness during the pandemic. How can seniors use hard-earned wisdom to navigate the tumultuous uncertainties of isolation? My goal has been to compose an upbeat, roller-coaster play that would not only entertain. I want to evoke audience discussion about grappling with isolation and loneliness; discovering new, unlikely friendship; giving and receiving kindness during difficult times. I want to create a heartwarming tale about seniors who struggle, then emerge for the better during Covid times.

The widow, Bari, is a clever, persistent extrovert. In contrast, Kevin is an introverted curmudgeon, who finds Covid isolation to be a blessing.  As Bari observes how Kevin finds peace and contentment within his solitude, she aspires to develop such skills and perspectives. Kevin warns her about pitfalls of such a quest, but she is determined.

Soon after I wrote the first scene as a stage play during March-May 2020, I realized the pandemic would shutter in-person theater for many months, possibly years. How to get Hunker Down produced during 2020-21? I made the bold decision to adapt the script into a “pure-bred Zoom play.” I transformed the play’s action into Zoom calls between Bari and Kevin. Audiences who attend a Live-on-Zoom performance “eavesdrop” on the characters’ video calls. I wondered, “Would audiences perceive video-eavesdropping as ‘theater?’ ”

Before I composed scene one, I watched several other stage plays presented via Zoom. The plays’ action was stage action, not video calls. I observed a mess: The performances seemed stilted. Production values were awful. Watching on Zoom was clumsy. The plays exuded no emotionality, which is vital for theater. I brashly believed I could do better to create live theater on Zoom.

Kevin makes a last-ditch effort to save Bari from herself.  His gambit is a remarkable offer that surprises both of them. Bari reluctantly accepts his offer, but then pursues her quest anyway. It goes awry, in part because of Kevin. Bari nosedives into a whirlpool of confusion.

A problem during isolation is exercising emotions.  Although emotions are not muscles, they need to be exercised regularly to promote well-being.  So it seems to me. The Bari/Kevin story beckons strong emotional interplay. Each character needs a tortuous emotional journey. If not, why would anyone watch Hunker Down? My challenge became clear. How to transact and express emotionality on a Zoom screen between characters who themselves are communicating via Zoom screens? Had I initially thought about my challenge in these terms, I probably would have abandoned the project.  Instead, I welcomed the characters, who urged me to craft their bumpy journey from animosity into “covid friendship.”

Bari’s plight becomes complicated when her girlfriends invite her to reconvene in-person within a strict “bubble.” This complication triggers her realization about misalignment between her core values and her unkind behavior. Kevin responds with a remarkable story, their story, but recontextualized as mindful elders embarking on a wondrous adventure. He has a big decision to make. So does she.

I am sometimes asked, “to which character do you feel closest?” The answer is clear to me – both. I identify with Bari’s fearful venture into unfamiliar terrain, as well as Kevin’s clever use of playfulness to infuse kindness into conflict.

I feel grateful that Hunker Down audiences have applauded this uplifting romantic comedy. Performances by wonderful actors have taught me that strong emotions can be evoked on Zoom between the characters, and also between actors and audience.  During post-performance talkbacks, audience members have commented about how familiar are the characters, their plight, and the universality of their dilemmas. Attendees have generously shared their personal experiences of loneliness and uncertainty during Covid times.

Hunker Down is a whimsical tale of aging with grace, courage and humor, suitable for all audiences. Upcoming productions:  Firehouse Theater (Denver), March 19-21, 2021 (www.FirehouseTheaterCompany.com) and Teatro Paraguas (Santa Fe), mid-May 2021 (www.TeatroParaguas.org).

Robert F. Benjamin is a late-blooming playwright, following a distinguished career in research physics. He’s had productions and/or staged readings of eight full-length plays, most about “aging with grace, courage and humor”: Time Enough, Parted Waters, Salt & Pepper, Still in the Game, Not Quite Right (with Elaine Jarvik), Galileo’s Footsteps, Simple Gifts and Hunker Down. Also over 20 of his short plays have met audiences, including Plots, which was adapted to film and an operetta. As a science educator, he is the senior author of Spills & Ripples. He is coordinator for the Spiritual Eldering wisdom circle at Los Alamos NM. He was honored as a “Living Treasure in Los Alamos County.” He can be reached at benjamin4@me.com.