Our Blog / Script Spotlight: Delay of Signal by J.R. Mimbs
Script Spotlight: Delay of Signal by J.R. Mimbs
Can science fiction work for the stage? J.R. Mimbs set out to prove it can, even as a character-driven drama, when he wrote this month’s featured script “Delay of Signal.” Although set on Earth, the story focuses on seven characters locked in a biodome for a year to test and simulate potential conditions for future missions to Mars.
Mimbs’s 50-minute script is designed to be a serious production with seven meaty parts and a full set for the interior of the biodome. Although some critical challenges crop up for the intrepid captain and her crew, the real heart of the story focuses on the relationships between them and the impact of those interpersonal connections on potential space travel.
“The origins of this play were in a podcast about an actual six-month mock mission that took place in Hawaii,” Mimbs said. “As much as it was meant to test the science and conditions, it amazed me how much it became about the human conditions that could put a mission at risk.”
Mimbs, who lives in Georgia, has been writing plays since he was 15 years old and serving on an entirely different kind of crew. “I started as a puppeteer and wrote for puppet groups for a while before acting,” he told us. “Acting led to directing, which led to tech theater. That all culminated in a theater degree from Trevecca Nazarene University.”
Mimbs would love to see “Delay of Signal” produced in person, so be sure to invite him to your premier if you decide to stage the production. And be sure to check out Mimbs’s other plays now available on Scriptmore, including “Wanda Re-Writes the World.”
[Playwrights Recommend: Mimbs describes Tracy Wells as a fantastic writer and recommends any of her plays. Be sure to check out the Script Spotlight for her play “To Bee or Not to Bee.”]
Delay of Signal
By J.R. MimbsSeven people take part in a one year experiment in an isolated biodome, recreating potential conditions on Mars. As the year progresses and a series of near catastrophes test the resolve of the crew, professional boundaries break down and interpersonal relationships are strained.
View DetailsWanda Re-Writes the World
By J.R. MimbsWanda often loses herself in the fantastical stories she writes. But as the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, will Wanda be able to face the truth that haunting her? A high energy high school comedy with lots of heart and creative staging.
View DetailsCyril and the Subtle Art of Plagiarism
By J.R. MimbsCyril is a gifted writer. Too bad other people like to use his words for their own purposes. How will he balance romance, friendships, bullies, and drama class while still holding on to his voice? A fast-paced comedic re-telling of Cyrano De Bergerac set in a modern high school.
View DetailsTo Bee or Not to Bee
By Tracy WellsCasey is an actress with big dreams of making it on Broadway. So why is she stuck in this enormous, uncomfortable bumblebee suit? In this hilarious 10 minute monologue, Casey will recount her path to making her dream a reality, and the roles she regrets along the way. This comedic monologue allows the actor great opportunities for characterization and physical comedy, and leaves the audience laughing as they see "whatever will bee, will bee."
View DetailsCurrent Events
By J.R. MimbsOn September eleventh, 2001, five teachers are making copies and drinking coffee in a break room. In a heartbeat, their world changes. Now they must figure out how to continue to teach while the entire nation grieves, using their own experiences of previous events in history to help their students make sense of it all. Based on interviews with real teachers.
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