Guest Post: Gil Reyes Reports on Gruesome Playground Injuries

Gil Reyes, who wrote this post, is one of the founders of Theatre [502]. We here at My Loueyville thank him and the group for being our first Non-Profit of the Month. Can't wait to see this play-- xo Lou.


Now here's Gil:

When staring at a stack of recent and relevant plays, it’s easy to decide to read the one titled Gruesome Playground Injuries first, but impossible to know that it would be the one that stayed with you the longest. It’s everything you want from the title and a whole bunch of wonderful unexpectedness too.

Yes, as a Co-Artistic Director for Theatre [502] I want to entice you to spend an hour and a half with me in early August. I want to show you eight pivotal, intimate (and possibly gruesome) moments in the lives of Kayleen and Doug, as they made their ways from the day they met on at age 8 to the day they met at age 38. But as Gil Reyes, who remembers the first time he read [end of play] and put Gruesome Playground Injuries down - I don’t want to give too much away.

So below is what I hope will be a treat for Melissa’s loyal followers and [502]’s soon to be audience: insight and foreshadowing in the form of a fictional school report card. As with theatre, you have to suspend your disbelief a bit, since a) no school would issue one progress report to two individuals and b) no school would allow the drama teacher to substitute teach science.

English: Unfortunately Kayleen will have an incomplete until she turns in this semester’s term paper. Despite being able to draw from any number of the readings, including Romeo and Juliet, The Four Loves, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and The Scarlet Letter, Kayleen insists that the broad subject of “Love” is unworthy of a 20-page paper. It’s a shame, as she received high marks in participation for the first time this year reading scenes from A Streetcar Named Desire in class for extra credit.

Phys Ed: While I cannot penalize Kayleen for being excused from the semester by her doctor, I can’t say that avoiding physical activity altogether is healthy. Still, it’s better than sitting on the sidelines all semester because of a snow cone-related concussion.

History: Doug has an exceptional memory for historical events, even recalling details from outside sources, but seems at a loss when asked to place them in the proper timeline. Have you had Doug properly examined after the head injury he suffered shaving ice at the spring carnival? Or perhaps tested for ADD?

Science: I’ve been thinking of Kayleen and Doug as two atoms in one volatile molecule. As celestial bodies in dangerously concurrent orbits. They are powerfully equal. Constantly in motion. Inexorably linked. Their existence requires balance. Their future requires timing. Their story demands attention.

If you want to know how these two crazy kids end up, you’re just going to have to come by the Victor Jory Theatre at ATL August 3, 4, 6, 10, and 11 at 8pm and catch a performance of Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph. We keep our tickets at a reasonable $15 and we welcome community engagement in the form of memberships. Check out the website for details: www.theatre502.org