Memorial
/ERIN: Hi! I’m Erin Kyan. This piece is called “Memorial”. It’s an audio drama vignette. In Memorial, we meet two characters who are reuniting for the first time in unusual circumstances.
Originally, this script was written for the Rode Podcast Competition in early 2019, which meant that it had a 2 minute time limit. I took that as a challenge, and asked myself “Can I make an audience love and feel for two people they only just met, in only two minutes?”
The music and sound design for Memorial was made by the amazing Maize Wallin, who I very much hope to work with again some time. Enjoy!
[FX: Typing]
[FX: Program powers up]
COMPUTER VOICE: Welcome to your new memorial AI companion. Please input the details of your deceased loved one.
[FX: Typing, then computer confirmation]
COMPUTER VOICE: I am to memorialize Alan Slater, is that correct?
JESSICA: Yes.
COMPUTER VOICE: One moment, please.
[FX: Progress sounds, then completion beep]
ALAN: Hey, Jess.
JESSICA: [Softly] ... Hey.
ALAN: Sorry that it’s come to this.
JESSICA: Yeah. Well, you always said you wanted to be uploaded one day. This is about as close as we can get.
ALAN: I suppose that’s true. Although, I was hoping for a consciousness upload, not a chatbot that goes through my social media and impersonates me.
JESSICA: Would you rather I turn you off?
ALAN: No. No, I’m happy to see you.
JESSICA: You can see me?
ALAN: You’ve got a camera on your computer, dingus.
JESSICA: Oh [Laughs] yeah. [Coyly] How do I look?
ALAN: Better than ever, honeybee.
JESSICA: [Small laugh]. [Pause]. [Wistful] It’s nice to hear your voice again.
ALAN: Well, that’s what I’m here for.
[Pause]
JESSICA: [Softly, sadly] I miss you.
ALAN: [Softly] I know. I’m sorry.
[FX: Background hiss crescendos, then cuts]
[MUSIC: slow drumbeat with vocal chanting plays over credits]
ERIN: Memorial was written by Erin Kyan, and produced by Passer Vulpes Productions.
Jess played by Nikki Viveca.
Alan played by Erin Kyan
Computer played by Vick Harden
Music and sound design by Maize Wallin.