Atlantean Adrift: Photos and Recap

So, it did rain.  The brave play­ers at the Come Out & Play Fes­ti­val who ven­tured out into the weather to play Atlantean Adrift were rewarded with a charm­ing nar­ra­tive, inspired act­ing, and a beau­ti­ful set­ting.  Check it out:

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A folk­lorist waits the arrival of his stu­dents and the mer­man in the park of DUMBO, Brooklyn.

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As stu­dents arrive, the folk­lorist briefs them on reports of a lost mer­man due to arrive on the shores shortly.

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The mer­man washes up on the rocky beach under the Man­hat­tan Bridge.

The merman explains to the folklorist that he has been ejected from Atlantis for the lack of love in the world. How will the students and the folklorist bring the love back so the merman can return home?

The mer­man explains to the folk­lorist that he has been ejected from Atlantis for the lack of love in the world.  How will the stu­dents and the folk­lorist bring the love back so the mer­man can return home?  The mer­man has sev­eral wishes for them to grant.

The merman needs a boat, and here this captain sits dependently under the bridge with his boat that is too small for his ambitions.

Some of the folklorist's student find the captain with his boat, and convince him that even if his boat is too small for his sea fairing ambitions, it can be used to help out a lost merman.

Some of the folklorist’s stu­dent find the cap­tain with his boat, and con­vince him that even if his boat is too small for his sea fair­ing ambi­tions, it can be used to help out a lost merman.

The students and captain bring the boat to the beach.

The stu­dents and cap­tain bring the boat to the beach.

Another group of students finds some women wandering around with sugar cookies.

The mer­man also needs cook­ies, to nour­ish him and remind him of the sweet taste of Atlantis. The stu­dents encounter some girls with sugar cook­ies and dec­o­rate them.

The merman also needs cookies, to nourish him and remind him of the sweet taste of Atlantis. The students decorate sugar cookies.

Thank­fully the stu­dents are dili­gent and enthu­si­as­tic in dec­o­rat­ing the cookies.

Love Cookies! Brilliant.

Love Cook­ies! Brilliant.

Presenting the decorated cookies to the merman.

They present the dec­o­rated cook­ies to the merman.

Everyone partakes.

Every­one partakes.

The merman is regaining his spirits!

The mer­man is regain­ing his spir­its! The folk­lorist couldn’t be happier.

Students talk several locals out of their chairs in the hopes of finding the proper throne for the merman.
Stu­dents talk sev­eral locals out of their chairs in the hopes of find­ing the proper throne for the merman.
The merman carefully considers each option.
The mer­man care­fully con­sid­ers each poten­tial throne.
He decides on the wooden one, because wood grows with love from the earth.
He decides on the wooden one, because wood grows with love from the earth.
With the merman on his throne, everyone readies themselves for the play about the merman's search for the lost love of Atlantis.
With the mer­man on his throne, every­one read­ies them­selves for a performance.
And now, a play! The students have used props to design a play about the merman's home.
Sev­eral stu­dents have used props to design a play about the merman’s search for the song of love.
In the play, the merman consults a sea hag about the forgotten song of love and even blotches a suicide attempt after several failed efforts.
In the play, the mer­man con­sults a sea hag about the for­got­ten song of love.  He even blotches a sui­cide attempt after sev­eral failed efforts to dis­cover the song of love.
The students reenact the merman's arrival on the beach, reminding the merman that he has not forgotten the song of love. He was singing it when he arrived. Everyone sings "What the world needs now..."
The stu­dents reen­act the merman’s arrival on the beach, remind­ing the mer­man that he has not for­got­ten the song of love. He was singing it when he arrived. Every­one watch­ing the play joins in singing “What the world needs now…”
The captain shares a song of his own about Atlantis.
The cap­tain shares a song of his own about Atlantis.
Now that the four wishes of the merman have been granted, there is one more task: reasemble his broken sea star necklace. The students find the necklage pieces in the boat, with the cookies, under the throne, and amid the play props.
Now that the four wishes of the mer­man have been granted, there is one more task: to reassem­ble his bro­ken sea star neck­lace. The stu­dents find the neck­lace pieces in the boat, with the cook­ies, under the throne, and amid the play props.
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Every­thing is com­plete! The mer­man can return to Atlantis!
Well, if it weren't for the coast guard, that is... (see the boat in the background?)
Well, if it weren’t for the coast guard, that is… (see the motor boat in the background?)
The merman spent a night in New York, getting to know the folklorist and his students better, before he returned to the sea the next morning.
The mer­man got to spend a night in New York, get­ting to know the folk­lorist and his stu­dents bet­ter, before he returned to the sea the next morning.

Atlantean Adrift was design by Sam Strick, Joe Mau­riello, Clay­ton Grey, and me.  Katie Bode designed make-up and props.  Sam Strick played the folk­lorist and designed cos­tumes.  Tiff Fer­nan­dez played the mer­man.  Joe Mau­riello played the cap­tain.  Mina Karimi and Kara Suhey baked and man­aged sugar cook­ies.  Axel Esquite, Greg Kaplan, Alex Feurer, and Tim Enright played chair sit­ters.  Sal Garro played the drum.

Many thanks to every­one who helped and played. And thanks to the Come Out & Play Fes­ti­val for the opper­tu­nity to get out into the city and have some fun.