Talking Bones

From the author: "I grew up in a house where the elders heard voices and it was understood that these voices were the voices of the ancestors. I didn't think it very odd until I went out into the world and learned that 'people who heard voices were crazy.' I felt like I was in the middle, straddling both of those worlds. So I started writing this play about women who hear voices, how these three women respond to their inner voices and how they respond to the ancestors." In Talking Bones, Ruth, dignified, aristocratic and Bohemian, is trying to settle her affairs and family before she dies. She hears voices and always interprets them to have special meaning in her life. BayBay, Ruth's daughter, gaudy and slightly out of step, is looking for a way out of a life trapped taking care of her mother. She often ignores or misinterprets the voices she hears. Eila, BayBay's daughter, is seeking to build a bridge of understanding between the two worlds she experiences with these women. It's a complex journey for all of them, but in the end, the voices of the ancestors are heard whispering—joyous and hopeful.