Nothing to Be Done: A Nuclear Holocaust Play

In Nothing to Be Done, four characters scramble for a future in a post-nuclear-holocaust world. They struggle for survival where physical, emotional, and spiritual resources are tested. Their resilience and intelligence is revealed in the aftermath of an unimaginable cataclysm. Food, shelter, and clothing are their immediate needs, but they also suffer from the fragmentation of their spirits. The lead roles, Rosalind and Helen, struggle to comprehend their new circumstances while trying to retain their dignity and identity. Two male characters, Geoff and Jacob, suffer physically from the blast and, as a result, they are less optimistic about their immediate future. Yet, none of the characters are resigned to nihilism. On the scale of truthfulness, the female characters are transparent while the male characters are more opaque. The play references many historic archetypes that are anchored in religion, mythology, and the arts. The strength of each character is rooted in the intellectual and spiritual resources which now exist as memories. Despite their bleak circumstances, all four characters embody strength, hope, and the desire for authenticity.