Summary

In her introductory note, author Schreck outlines the process by which the script came to be written, referring to how, “after years of research,” she “developed large sections of this piece through extemporaneous storytelling” (7). She suggests that the piece’s performance style should reflect its origins, and urges anyone involved in the presentation of the play to think of it as “a living encounter,” adding that it is “essential that the performer establish a genuine and spontaneous connection with the audience” (7). She suggests practices like ad-libs and other techniques that “elide the distance between performer and audience (7). She adds that it can be useful “for the performer to allow whatever might be happening in the country that day to affect their performance,” particularly “once they transition from teenager to adult” (7)

As Part One begins, stage directions describe Heidi entering the space and greeting...