Mercury (Yockey)
by Steve Yockey

Name: Mercury (Yockey)
Brand: Steve Yockey
SKU: 9780573711695
Rating: 4.25 (4 reviews)

Mercury (Yockey) Book Cover — Mercury (Yockey) Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

Three stories cross outside of Portland, OR in a pitch-black comedy featuring an illicit affair, a couple hanging on by a thread, bears at the window, the worst curiosity shop on the West Coast, and an adorable missing dog named Mr Bundles.

No one’s happy, people stop being nice and blood spills.

This mash up of myth, missing empathy and “good neighbors” explores what happens when the mercury rises.

Press Reviews

"Excellent… Playwright Steve Yockey has one of the most original and distinctive voices in modern theater. His work is often suffused with dark humor and weird or supernatural elements, but he’s equally adept with serious issues and relationship drama. [In] Mercury… his trademark combo of hilarity and horror remains gloriously intact… Yockey’s characters are credible and compelling, and his dialogue is reliably witty… His twists and surprises are many, and those who appreciate the more macabre side of life won’t be disappointed."
— Stage Raw

"A devilishly insidious play… funny as f***, dark and super bloody."
— Salt Lake Magazine

"An intricate blend of the fantastical and the real… Yockey’s flair for infusing his narratives with a vibrant, almost surreal quality, while simultaneously anchoring them in deeply human experiences, sets his work apart in the contemporary theatre landscape… In the deft hands of Yockey, the stage comes alive with characters that pulsate with authenticity and nuance."
— Stage and Cinema

"Guaranteed to make you laugh and wince at the same time… the play has a comic sensibility that never quits."
— Salt Lake Tribune

"A fun ride… a grisly and outrageous dark comedy, Mercury was made for anyone who has ever woken up on the wrong side of reality… Upbeat, offbeat and bloody funny, Mercury is a dark-horse crowd pleaser."
— City Beat

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Heather A married woman, charismatic and poised, used to relying on a friendly smile to smooth things over.	female	—	A married woman, charismatic and poised, used to relying on a friendly smile to smooth things over.
Alicia A woman, chatty with a “new age” vibe, she vacillates between flighty and ominous, steeped in the occult.	female	—	A woman, chatty with a “new age” vibe, she vacillates between flighty and ominous, steeped in the occult.
Olive A woman, a downstairs neighbor, someone who thinks of herself as good and correct, myopic, also a busybody.	female	—	A woman, a downstairs neighbor, someone who thinks of herself as good and correct, myopic, also a busybody.
Nick A man, a solid communicator, he’s doing an okay job of holding it together in hard times; the strong one.	—	—	A man, a solid communicator, he’s doing an okay job of holding it together in hard times; the strong one.
Brian A man, handsome and flippant, definitely an urbanite, still learning how to really commit during hard times.	—	—	A man, handsome and flippant, definitely an urbanite, still learning how to really commit during hard times.
“Sam” Alicia’s boyfriend. He’s not an angry guy, just very matter-of-fact, easily frustrated, and usually bloody. He’s also the physical manifestation of vengeance.	—	—	Alicia’s boyfriend. He’s not an angry guy, just very matter-of-fact, easily frustrated, and usually bloody. He’s also the physical manifestation of vengeance.
Pamela A married woman, definitely type A, used to getting her way in most things, and probably pretty lonely.	female	—	A married woman, definitely type A, used to getting her way in most things, and probably pretty lonely.