some scripts

Tag: Oregon theatre

  • An Interview with Playwright Alyssa Cokinis on In Memory Of

    By Melody Erfani

    In a world where memories can be traded like currency, what would you be willing to give up just to survive?

    In Memory Of, written by Alyssa Cokinis, directed by Pax Bennett, and presented by Spark Plug Theatre Collective, imagines a dystopian future where identity, grief, and resistance collide. Set in the aftermath of a civil war, the play explores a society where survival comes at the cost of one’s own memories—raising urgent questions about autonomy, surveillance, and what it means to remain human in an increasingly transactional world.

    I spoke with Cokinis about the origins of the play, its emotional landscape, and what she hopes audiences will carry with them long after the performance ends.

    Melody Erfani: In Memory Of is such an evocative title—what first sparked the idea for this piece?

    Alyssa Cokinis: In Memory Of was first conceived in 2018 during a time of major personal and professional transition. I was grappling with the idea of commodifying my time and identity just to survive—whether that was through day jobs or trying to gain recognition in the arts.

    I’ve always been drawn to dystopian storytelling—The Hunger Games and The Giver were huge influences growing up. I started wondering: what if, instead of money, we had to pay with memories—parts of ourselves—in order to live? That idea stayed with me for years.

    I revisited the play in 2025, while witnessing ongoing global crises and thinking deeply about how memory is documented, erased, and controlled. It became clear to me there was still more to say.

    Actors Nicki Darling (L) and Matthew Grand (R) portray characters Vale and Dom. Darling (shoulder-length curly dark brown hair, pale complexion) as Vale wears a blue plaid flannel and blue jeans with brown boots, looking concerned. Grand (short blonde hair, pale complexion) dons all black and is gesturing their right hand up.

    Melody Erfani: Without giving too much away, what kind of world are you inviting audiences into?

    Alyssa Cokinis: The play takes place in a post–civil war United States where lawmakers have implemented something called the Memory Currency Act. The idea is that by paying in memories instead of money, everyone is on equal footing—but of course, that’s not really true.

    We follow Vale, who has returned to the U.S. after living abroad and is navigating grief, displacement, and the cost of survival. They’re isolated, struggling, and questioning the system around them.

    While the emotional landscape is dark, there are also moments of humor, connection, and hope. At its core, the play is about relationships—how people care for each other, resist together, and find humanity even under surveillance.

    Actors Nicki Darling (L) and Tate Ivy (R) portray characters Vale and Laurel. Darling sits on a bench with a hand up to their face, laughing, while Ivy (wearing a keffiyah wrapped around their head with short red hair peeking out, pale complexion) dons all black and stands with their arms out, imitating something. A black and grey backpack sits on the bench next to Darling and in front of Ivy.

    Melody Erfani: What themes or questions are at the heart of the play for you right now?

    Alyssa Cokinis: I keep coming back to questions like: What does it mean to live in a surveillance state? What is “real” in an age of generative AI? Who owns our memories and lived experiences?

    The play also explores queerness, identity, grief, resistance movements, and the cost of freedom. It asks whether small, individual actions can make a difference against systems that feel overwhelming—and whether collective action can truly create change.

    Actors Tate Ivy (L) and Nicki Darling (R) portray characters Laurel and Vale. In this photo Ivy dons a blue shirt with grey horizontal strips. Ivy and Darling have their pinky fingers locked in a promise as they sit on black cubes.

    Melody Erfani: Has anything surprised you in the development process?

    Alyssa Cokinis: Absolutely. The characters have deepened so much through rewrites and collaboration with actors. I also found myself adding more humor than I initially expected—it became essential to balancing the weight of the story.

    One of the biggest surprises was introducing a fifth character who appears late in the play but reshapes how we understand everything that came before.

    A photo in bluelight of a projection with green and white coding.

    Melody Erfani: How has working with Spark Plug Theatre Collective and the Fertile Ground Festival shaped the piece?

    Alyssa Cokinis: Spark Plug Theatre Collective has been an incredible partner. Their WRITE | IGNITE initiative is designed to support new plays through workshop-style productions, and being part of its inaugural cohort has been really meaningful.

    The team—our dramaturg Amanda Clark, director Pax Bennett, and actors—have asked thoughtful, challenging questions that have helped expand the world and deepen the characters. And the intimate space at Ki Coffee allows the audience to be right there with the actors, which is exactly what this story needs.

    Actors Nicki Darling (L) and Anita Rohira (R) as characters Vale and Kandala. Darling stands looking serious, and Rohira (brown and pink highlighted shoulder-length hair, brown complexion), wearing blue jeans and a purple/yellow/green vertical striped top, looks at Vale while mid-sentence. Both stand in front of a projection of the Hawa Mahal of Jaipur, India.

    Melody Erfani: What do you hope audiences walk away thinking or feeling?

    Alyssa Cokinis: Things are bleak right now—and they may continue to be—but there are always pockets of joy and resistance that we have to actively choose.

    Hold your people close. And fight like hell.

    Performance Details

    In Memory Of runs April 10–12 at 7:30 PM at Ki Coffee in Beaverton, Oregon.

    Run time is approximately 90–95 minutes.

    Tickets are $15, with pay-what-you-will options available. Seating is limited to 24 audience members per performance.

    Tickets: https://sparkplugtheatrecollective.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200520809

    Melody Erfani is a theatre creator and director and the founding artistic lead of LES Shakespeare Co. Her work blends movement, new writing, and classical adaptation to illuminate untold stories, often centering immigrant and neurodivergent experiences. Recent projects include Bee زنبور, 97 Orchard Street, and The Words Will Come, an immersive memory play about dyslexia. She holds an MFA in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School and has trained with the Lincoln Center Directors Lab and Shakespeare’s Globe. She has also received residencies at HB Studios 2017, 2024, Barns Art Collective, Drama League First Stage Residency, and Osleth Family Foundation.  www.melodyerfani.com

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