Maša Pelko    

Für Ophelia (The Mythology of Drowning) Based on Raymond Carver’s short story, “So Much Water So Close to Home”.

Year of writing: 2024
Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, this play explores the relationship between a man and a woman through a collage of different dramatic approaches: dramatic dialogues, quotes, comments, images, monologues, lists, fragmentary memory records and audio recordings.

grown-ups

drama, crime drama
victims, guilt, trauma, childhood, violence, conflicts, criminal behaviour, marriage, relationships, murder, growing up, relations of power, mythological characters, female perspective, morals, motherhood, intimate relations, children, telo, družbena vloga spolov, feminism

The motifs of the short-story writer Raymond Carver were the basis for this very specific drama text that toys with time and space. The basic frame for the text Für Ophelia feels like reading a detective story, where we look for the reasons for a murder – the drowning of a woman. The deeper we go into the text, the more our reading perspective changes, and feminist themes of the archetype of male violence over women open.
The narrator of the story is a girl – the deceased’s daughter, through whom we get to experience the story. We follow the relationship of a woman and a man who was present at a murder in very unclear circumstances. Spoiler alert: we actually follow the subject looking at herself and telling the story of her own murder. Her perspective – the perspective of Ophelia – leads us through the events. The drama thus provides a complex message about a woman’s inner situation, the relationship in which she lives, the entire family dynamics and about a girl who is the actual narrator and the first victim of the act.
The structure of the text – and how this structure came to be – is important: it has several layers and a way of playing with the characters, the detective genre and classical myths. The reading is not merely emotional. It is also contextually rich. In a way, it tells us about the system into which we are all embedded and about how difficult it is to leave it. Thematically, we move between love and pain. However, it is not just about love. It is about relationships and misunderstandings among people.

From the explanation for the nomination for the Slavko Grum Award.

The actress who will play her daughter says: Mom, wake up.

SHE
What is it?

The actress who will play her daughter says: Can I lie next to you?

SHE
Of course, come. What is it?

The actress who will play her daughter says: Nothing.

SHE
Were you dreaming?

The actress who will play her daughter says: Yes. You.

SHE
Was it horrible?

The actress who will play her daughter says: I don’t know.

SHE
Are you sad?

The actress who will play her daughter says: Yes. I didn’t find you.

SHE
I’m here. It’s all good.

The actress who will play her daughter says: You’re cold.

SHE
I love you.

The actress who will play her daughter says: I know, yes. Don’t go.

SHE
I’m not going anywhere.

The actress who will play her daughter says: Okay. Come back.

SHE
I’m not going anywhere.

Translations

Barbara Skubic

Für Ophelia (The Mythology of Drowning) Based on Raymond Carver’s short story, “So Much Water So Close to Home”.

Language of translation: English
2024

Prior to any use of this author's original work, please familiarize yourself with Slovenian Author's and Cognate Rights Law and make sure you abide by it!

Recently added

Awards, nominations, shortlists and recommendations

Nomination for the 2025 Slavko Grum Award for the best new Slovenian play

The motifs of the short-story writer Raymond Carver were the basis for this very specific drama text that toys with time and space. The basic frame for the text Für Ophelia feels like reading a detective story, where we look for the reasons for a murder – the drowning of a woman. The deeper we go into the text, the more our reading perspective changes, and feminist themes of the archetype of male violence over women open. The narrator of the story is a girl – the deceased’s daughter, through whom we get to experience the story. We follow the relationship of a woman and a man who was present at a murder in very unclear circumstances. Spoiler alert: we actually follow the subject looking at herself and telling the story of her own murder. Her perspective – the perspective of Ophelia – leads us through the events. The drama thus provides a complex message about a woman’s inner situation, the relationship in which she lives, the entire family dynamics and about a girl who is the actual narrator and the first victim of the act. The structure of the text – and how this structure came to be – is important: it has several layers and a way of playing with the characters, the detective genre and classical myths. The reading is not merely emotional. It is also contextually rich. In a way, it tells us about the system into which we are all embedded and about how difficult it is to leave it. Thematically, we move between love and pain. However, it is not just about love. It is about relationships and misunderstandings among people.

2025