The Night from the 4th to the 5th by Rachel Graton, translated by Katherine Turnbull
The Night from the 4th to the 5th tells the story of a young woman’s sexual assault and her ensuing battle. There are questions, examinations, interrogations. But her memory is playing tricks on her. She can’t remember the face of her attacker. What happened? What happens next?
Follow this woman's journey from the moment she's attacked, through an emotional rollercoaster, to developing resilience, and regaining hope. An ensemble of characters—family members, witnesses, police officers, social workers, and "concerned" citizens—express their wildly differing views as they piece together the event.
A thoughtful exploration of sexual assault, this play brings compassion, humour, and hope to a devastating and all-too-common event.
Keywords: sexual assault, trauma, recovery, hope, chorus, woman, freedom, resilience
Genre: Drama
Run time: 75 minutes
Content notes: This play deals with a sexual assault and its aftermath (being interviewed by the police, going to the hospital for tests, dealing with family and "normal life" again after the fact).
There is some sexist, racist, homophobic, and transphobic language (used intentionally to highlight these inappropriate and outdated modes of thinking).
There is some swearing.
Production Notes: No attribution of characters. No punctuation. No stage directions.
Casting notes: There are multiple characters. There can be one or more actors on stage. Regardless of gender, age, or race, none of them plays a particular character. Everyone can play them all. With several actors, the lines can be shared freely. An initial capital letter may suggest a change of performer.
Historically, the casting has been as follows: three (3) women, two (2) men.