[Waveforms Intro Theme begins to play — bright staccato synth music.] [ADAM] Hello! My name is Adam Grant Warren. I’m a playwright, an actor, and the Co-Artistic Director of Realwheels Theatre. [NATASHA] And I’m Natasha Nadir. I’m a director, a dramaturg, and a playwright. [ADAM] For those of you who are new to Realwheels, we’re a Disability-led company based in Vancouver, Canada. Our work in theatre and performance creation explores the fullness and complexity of disability experience, identity, and community. [NATASHA] It’s been our absolute pleasure to spend the last 10 weeks – from September to December of 2024 – with an incredible group of 10 emerging playwrights who identify with disability. Each week, we dug into ideas of character, story structure, and even creative process to bring excerpts of some really exciting plays-in-progress from the minds of these writers to your ears. [ADAM] Our Playwriting Circles have been around for a while, but this year we thought we’d try something new. For the first time in our history, we’re sharing this work in podcast form, featuring original music and sound design by the award-winning duo, Finka Wood. [NATASHA] With one excerpt per episode, you’ll also hear the playwrights in conversation with us. We’ll talk a little bit about what drew them to write their play and why the work feels important to them. Without further ado, [ADAM] Welcome to Waveforms. [Music ends with a flourish] [NATASHA] This week, playwright Anna Burkholder is joining me from her apartment in the heart of Montreal, to talk about her play, Skye High. Hi Anna! [ANNA] Hi Natasha! [NATASHA] This is a solo show for young audiences, can you tell us the inspiration for this play? [ANNA] Yes! I am inspired by a little quirky site in Montreal. There is a pink house on top of an abandoned factory by a canal. And I’m quite taken by the site in Montreal because you have this whimsical, cute, pink house on top of a crumbling old abandoned factory and that image started to make me think about home, and belonging, and building a home in places that we maybe don’t belong and just how fragile the concept of home is. [NATASHA] So we’re gonna jump into the excerpt of this play. There’s a lot of location changes and time changes that occur. Is there anything that would be helpful for our audience going into the excerpt? [ANNA] Skye, my main character, has gone up to this pink house in the sky. She’s explored this abandoned factory and found herself in the pink house. She accidentally starts a fire, and we see her speaking to a police officer after this incident. And she’s waiting for her stepdad to pick her up. [Ambiance fades in: police sirens, crickets, unintelligible chatter on a police radio. A car door opens and closes.] [SKYE] You don’t have to wait with me. I can wait by myself. Plus, don’t you have to like, go tend to REAL emergencies, or catch criminals or put bullets in your gun or something? Dr. Love isn’t even my real guardian – I don’t know why he has to come get me. [Scribble sounds on a notepad begin and continue through this section] [SKYE] You know, his name should really be like Dr. Bite or Dr. Moderate Sedation. Because, you know, that’s, like, how he met my mom. Like, in my mouth. Not literally my mouth. But, my mouth brought them together. And, Dr. Love waited for, like, an eternity – I had braces for 4 years – and he waited until the last possible day – when he was fitting me for my retainer – that’s when he turned to my Mom and was all, like: “Mrs. Skye’s Mom?” I’m Skye with an “e”, by the way. For, uh, the stuff you keep writing in your notepad. “Make sure Skye wears her retainer every night. And, if you have any questions, here’s my cell. Feel free to use it.” Here’s my cell? What? Why would my Mom have any questions? It’s literally a piece of plastic that sits in my mouth. That’s how I got here. Because of my stupid mouth. [Transition. Arcade sounds. Skye is breathing heavily.] [VIDEO GAME] Yes! Tear it up y’all! [Phone notification chimes.] [SIRI] Call from Mom. Do you want to answer? [SKYE] Fuck no. [VIDEO GAME] Four hundred combos! [Phone notification chimes.] [SIRI] New voicemail from Mom. [VIDEO GAME] Oh yeah! Perfect! [Transition. Back to night ambiance, cricket sounds.] [SKYE] Am I drawn to them? I’m not a pyromaniac. That’s what you're thinking, right? I didn’t know “waiting with me” actually meant asking me loads of super personal questions. No, I’m not drawn to fires, Officer – they’re drawn to me. My Mom really is out of town. She’s, uh, she’s at our old – where we used to live. That’s why Dr. Love – Glen – sorry – that’s why Glen is picking me up. He got a new job teaching orthodontics. We moved here last month, as a trial, to see if we like it … as a – A family. [Night ambiance fades out.] [NATASHA] Can you tell us about some of the themes? [ANNA] I think some of the themes that I’m thinking about really come from some of my experiences as a young person, so I’m exploring themes of displacement, feelings of loneliness, and isolation. My main character is spending a lot of time alone because her mom flies from Montreal to Northern BC to deal with a wildfire so I’m exploring themes of mourning and grieving. What it means to lose a childhood home. What it means to lose your sense of childhood in general because this is a teenager so she’s becoming an adult. [Transition. Tinny slow pop music playing and sounds of teenage-rapid-fire-texting. Phone notification chimes.] [SIRI] Call from mom. Do you want to answer? [SKYE] Nope. No thank you. [Phone notification chimes.] [SIRI] New voicemail from Mom. [SKYE] “You’re ignoring me.” Yeah, you’re ignoring me. You get to jet set and go back home and say goodbye and what do I get to do? Talk to Dr. Love about the benefits of waterpiks? [Crinkle sounds from a gift bag.] I got your present in the mail. Thank you. I haven’t opened it yet. I will. I wanna save it for when I really need it. I think I might be making a friend. Alex. She draws. At first, her drawings freaked me out. They’re of all these buildings that are deserted and abandoned. She’s all like, wow, imagine the ghosts that must haunt these places. And I’m like, yeah, spooooooky. But, that’s not what freaks me out. It’s the – the, like, uh – nothing. The nothingness. That’s what scares me. Mom? If you got me a dog, that’d be really cool. [Transition. Music fades out.] [NATASHA] Can you reflect on the disability that your main character is living with and how they manage it? [ANNA] Yeah! So Skye has ADHD, there’s different types of ADHD, she has the type that is hyperactive. She definitely has challenges in managing it, she takes medication, but even so, she does struggle with impulse control and hyperactivity, and her hyperactivity comes out in a physical way. She really likes to move a lot, but also her hyperactivity comes through her internal thoughts — how quickly she thinks, her rapid fire ideas, and her inability to control some of her impulses. I think a lot of people think ADHD has to do with focus, and the inability to pay attention, but it actually really has to do with dopamine — and these dopamine receptors not working in the way that a neurotypical brain works. So I think Skye is really struggling with where she gets her dopamine, and quick fixes of dopamine, and something like a video game is a very quick dose of dopamine. [NATASHA] Can you talk a little bit about Dance Dance Revolution, the game? For audiences who may not know the game. [ANNA] I’m obsessed with Dance Dance Revolution. This is a arcade game, but you can also buy the game and play it at home, there is a dance mat on the floor where there’s arrows and on the screen there are flashing arrows and you have to tap or jump so your feet on your dance mat are hopping and jumping to correspond to the arrows that are flashing on the screen. So it’s a very fast-paced game, it’s physical, and there’s loud music, it’s kind of like techno beats, there’s a lot of like flashing lights, and there’s a lot of very enthusiastic narration of the game telling you “Great work!” “Perfect!” “You got a combo!” So there’s a lot— [Anna laughs] [ANNA] A lot of really great dopamine feels when you play the game and it’s very easy to get addicted, because you always wanna try to beat your score. [Transition. Arcade sounds and music fade in. Skye is breathing heavily.] [VIDEO GAME] Oh yeah! [SKYE] Alex, I don’t even have all my stuff here. We were gonna go back in a few months, during Christmas, and get more of our stuff – [VIDEO GAME] Alright! Combo! [SKYE] —and Mom said we’d, y’a know, reassess how everyone’s doing, then. It’s this little trick she does – to make me stop freaking out. [VIDEO GAME] Tear it up, y’all! [SKYE] She tries to make things in these little bite size pieces. Like, just fold one t-shirt. You don’t have to fold anymore. And before you know it, I’m tricked – like a dumbass – and I’ve folded all my laundry. [VIDEO GAME] Check those moves! [SKYE] I think that was the tactic here. The amuse-bouche tactic. We’ll just try out a new province for 4 months – and then, bam, like a dumbass, I’m tricked and I’m here for the rest of my life. [VIDEO GAME] Come on, twinkle toes! [SKYE] We’re obviously not going back at Christmas. [Video game sound effect: crowd booing.] [VIDEO GAME] Are they booing at’chu? [SKYE] Shit! [Skye starts breathing harder.] [VIDEO GAME] Sweet! Perfect full combo! [SKYE] Yes!! See? The game is all about precision. Jumping at the exact right time. And when you do, and your feet land at the right moment, and the arrow flashes, and your points rack up and the lights blink – it’s – it’s like you’re on fire – [VIDEO GAME] Yes! [SKYE] — and you’re, like, like – you’re shooting into the sky – into the clouds – but higher – much higher – [VIDEO GAME] Golden move! [SKYE] – and everything feels so friggin’ calm. [VIDEO GAME] Stage clear! [Video game sound effect: crowd cheering.] [SKYE] Your turn. [Transition. Tinny slow pop music playing.] [SKYE] Obviously it’s not a dog, I know that. I found the anteater cloud, by the way. I never told you. On the plane, on the way here. I had no idea that clouds are actually just billions of little, like, threads, twisting together – to make the bigger pictures we see from the ground. They’re not actually giant floating shapes – that’s just an illusion. But, that’s when I saw it. I was like, OH MY GOD! There it is. There’s the anteater! How is that possible? I turned to tell you, and you were just talking about teeth – or something – with Dr. Love – so I just kinda – yeah. He brought the mattress protector. Like you asked. I can’t invite Alex over. If she sits on the bed, it’ll crinkle and she’ll think I’m a – You know those photos of volcanoes erupting? Those clouds – they look like clouds, but you know they’re not the fluffy, comforting type – you know they’re the stifling, smothering type – that’s what wakes me up. I wake up, choking, with soaking wet pajamas and sheets – but at least now, the mattress is dry. And noisy. The mattress is really noisy. I know I’m mad at you and – I also miss you. [Transition. Music stops. Sounds of cars passing by, light rain.] [SKYE] Alex, I got the flashlight! [Flashlight clicks on.] I didn’t forget it. Always be prepared — the Girl Guide motto. Always trespass under the cover of darkness. And always be in disguise. I quit Girl Guides before becoming a Pathfinder, but I still remember the mottos. [Skye speaks unintelligibly, muffled by fabric.] [SKYE] Sorry – I looked this place up – and supposedly it was a beer factory and when it went out of business, the mob took it over and supposedly, when people were mad at the mob, they would kidnap their daughters, take them inside here and pour cement onto them! So, we could just be walking around in this, like, abandoned beer factory, and like, be walking past a cement wall and bam, there could be a daughter and bam, there could be another daughter, and bam, there’s shitloads of daughters, all with their faces stuck in cement and if they’re alive, they’ll be like, “help us, get out of here, we’re stuck,” but, they’ll only be able to hear us – they won’t be able to see us – Alex, I know our balaclavas don’t make us invisible. Obviously. Ready? Let’s go in. [Transition. Tinny slow pop music playing.] [SKYE] It’s a high, sure. It’s not rocket science, Mom. Urbex – sorry, urban exploration – is all about precision. Landing at the exact right time. You gotta get it right. You jump over a ledge and if you fall – or land the wrong way – It’s not like I’m trying to keep it a secret, but, it’s not, like, I wanna tell you, either. Living in a city is weird. Having all this stuff around. We used to drive three and a half hours just to get … anywhere. I didn’t care though. ‘Cuz of our game. Looking out the window, and going through the alphabet and finding clouds in the shape of whatever letter we were on – and at the start of the game, racing to find a cloud in the shape of an apple or an anteater. An anteater cloud – it’s a very rare find. [Music fades out.] [Waveforms Outro music fades in — bright staccato synth music.] [ADAM] Thanks for listening to Waveforms. For a full list of our cast and crew, check out the episode description. [NATASHA] Waveforms was produced by Realwheels Theatre with the co-operation of the Union of B.C. Performers. A special thank you to our funders: the Canada Council for the Arts, the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, and the Hamber Foundation. [ADAM] If you like what you heard, please drop us a rating and a review on the podcast platform of your choice. It really helps new listeners to find us. [NATASHA] See you next week. [Outro music fades out.]