A 14-MINUTE FICTION FILM
DIRECTED BY TARA YOUNG
A JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY PLAY ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN
STORY SUMMARY
Two strangers cross paths in a Brooklyn park. Sharka, an artist, stations herself on a bench to attempt to paint and overcome the artistic block that has frustrated her since lockdown.
Bridget, a self-possessed lone traveler, plants herself next to Sharka and begins to exercise. Bridget’s lack of social distance and loud noises are far too disruptive for her irritable neighbor. Tensions grow as the women exchange words. Neither Bridget nor Sharka have been this close to a stranger for the past year. It’s felt like an eternity since either has felt seen or enjoyed simple pleasures. Eventually, the two break down and share stories of their aloneness over the past year. Although they’ve both recently received the new vaccine, they’re still afraid to get too close to another person. As they let down their guards, they share their respective longing for another person’s touch.
The two female characters in AFTER THE DELUGE spoke to me upon my first reading of the script. I was taken by the depth of their emotions, their quick wit, and their unabashed vulnerability. Their brief encounter in a pandemic-altered New York City resonated deeply, and I was struck by the ways in which John Patrick Shanley’s narrative captures a time—wracked by phases of isolation, disconnection and confusion—that mirrored my own experience of it.
Women-driven stories that reveal messy, imperfect characters who are vulnerable and yet strong are at the center of my cinematic work and vision. I saw these qualities in Sharka and Bridget immediately. Despite their edge, there is a softness. Although they are each quirky and unique, they are also relatable. Like the rest of us, they too are wearily trying to find their way forward in uncertain times. I continue to admire the ways in which Bridget and Sharka each take personal risks to connect with each other, even when there are no guarantees.
Over the course of the pandemic, and still, the natural world is a respite from our personal bubbles—our cramped apartments, our social media feeds, and our diminishing worlds. Even a park in New York City reminds us of the cycles of life and opportunities for growth. With After the Deluge, I want to give folks a glimmer of hope, a reminder that perhaps ‘this is where we begin again.
—Tara Young
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
A scrappy expressionistic artist finds respite from her small apartment
on a park bench, where she stations herself to paint. When an excitable lone traveler encroaches, angry sparks fly until the two find unexpected common ground.
Tara Young has made a compelling short film of my one-act play, AFTER THE DELUGE. It captures a moment in the emotional life of New York: the day after the pandemic. She took words on a page, heartfelt words, and transformed them into something human and evergreen. Her adaptation is a message in a bottle for those who come after us and wonder what it was like.
— John Patrick Shanley
