Power’s Out was written during the California wildfires, when rolling blackouts hit our Santa Barbara Airbnb, where we were long-term renters, aka, NYC refugees. There was no way to cool down the 100 degree house, and nothing for us to do after we put the toddler to bed with cool cloths laid over her. Pandemic and natural hazard led us outside to the lawn, where we laid looking up at the stars in hot silence. A couple lying and looking at stars shouldn’t feel so fundamentally wild, or especially novel. But it did, a moment stirred, and we were both aglow with loss—all we’ve lost during the pandemic, as well as ceded to technology, and time. Amidst the sense of loss came unexpected hope, and discovery—of ourselves, and each other anew, breaking for a moment the sense of monotony, and reminding us that we’re still very much alive.

Written: Mitra Parinieh

Dramatic Reading: Stephanie Sanditz & Joseph Bergen

Production & Tech: James Burns

Graphic Design: Faye Hays