Selected Quotes

Compiled here is a selection of quotes from the play that we feel succinctly capture the essence and themes:

• [VIVIAN.] "that really troubles me, you know, the absence of a future, because i would like to have a future, because i think it’s sorta key."

• [PETER.] "first and foremost, when you strip it all away, that’s what we are: mammals."

• [WENDY.] "who are you? who are you really? are you really who you say you are?"

• [DEREK.] "i’m not myself. i don’t know who i am."

• [VIVIAN.] "you know, richard, my life is not as it should be."

• [MARTIN.] "what. what. what am i? what am i? where am i? who am i? am i a man? or am i a dog?"

• [MYRNA.] "you are the lone wildebeast at the edge of the herd."

• [JOY.] "and everything’s different, and all you can think is how exactly did i get here."

• [PETER.] "i’m new. i’m doing the best i can."

• [JASON.] "but, see i don’t want to just live. i want to be happy. when i was a little boy, i was happy. i want to find that happiness i had as a child."

• [JASON.] "i don’t know who i am. i don’t know what i’m supposed to be. is everything going to be ok?"

• [VIVIAN.] "i don’t know what i’m supposed to be doing exactly, which is how i feel often these days, not just here."

• [RICHARD.] "i thought i was going in for a little dip, and before i knew i was being sucked out to sea. i saw my whole life pass before my eyes"

• [PETER.] "i don’t know who i really am."

• [VIVIAN.] "i find a lot of things in my life kinda fall apart, but now that i’m getting kinda getting used to it, it’s not so bad, and on good days, it’s sometimes exciting"

• [DEREK.] "it’s like the whole world is one big, bright orchid somebody just shoved in your face, and you are so overwhelmed, you don't even know what to do with yourself, and so what you do is you trip, you don’t mean to, but you do, you kinda just fall, you fall down…"

• [RICHARD.] "i don’t want to die, if i die now, i will have led a really stupid and meaningless life, and i don’t want to lead a stupid and meaningless life, i don’t want to do that, and it’s not like i want to be great or anything, i’m not talking about greatness, i’m just talking about a little meaning, a little meaning is a good thing. i think it’s the least you can hope for. i think i’m having a panic attack."

• [DEREK.] "time passes. people change. we age. it’s only natural."

• [DEREK.] "change is hard. life is hard."

• [MYRNA.] "...the world is full of surprises. one has to be flexible, you never know."

• [BILLY.] "why does everything have to be so weird? why can’t it just be normal? why can’t we just be normal?"

• [DEREK.] "i think it means welcome. i think it means welcome home."