Dead Man's Cell Phone is a surrealist play by Sarah Ruhl about a woman named Jean who answers the ringing cell phone of a man who has just died at a cafe. She becomes entangled in his life, meeting his family and mistress, and in the process, begins to live her own life more fully. The play explores themes of life, death, connection, and the afterlife in a quirky and often fantastical way. It is the journey of a woman forced to confront her presumptions about morality, redemption, and isolation in a technology obsessed society.
October 23 – 1 November
Partners
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Ballaarat Mechanics Institute
About the Director
Benj Beatty
219. That’s how many unplayed voicemails I have.
One is from a man who died a day later. We never met but his ghost lives on my phone. It’s been a year and to listen now would seem like desecrating a grave. So it stays, hidden amongst the voices of the living. If I listened, would he know? If I left a message, what would I say?
Exploring this blurring of the lines between the heard and the unseen, how technology connects us as humans while robbing us of our humanity, is why I’m excited to be bringing Dead Man’s Cell Phone to BNT.