A Confluence Of Dreaming

Carol, an underappreciated and seemingly invisible suburban homemaker, finds herself wondering what the hell happened to her life. She rediscovers stifled thrill and passion in the secret, sexy world of cyberspace. As her husband obsesses over their local property tax assessment and the cost of their current kitchen renovation, the state of their marriage (along with their roof) is about to collapse under the weight of what they haven't addressed. Their 17-year-old "activist" daughter, who is about to leave the nest and save the world, is torn between going to college or Tibet. Taking place in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2001, Carol solicits a face-to-face meeting with her online lover in New York City. When fantasy collides with reality in his studio apartment, Carol confronts the choices she's made against the desires she has suppressed in the quest for self-fulfillment. "Tammy Ryan is so Irish that nothing is too terrible to be funny ... CONFLUENCE is what we'd call a 9/11 play ... it's also about marriage, parenting, cybersex and especially dreams ... it's engrossing, perceptive and very very funny ... Carol's rebellion is a hoot, involving some very funny sex scenes, remember this is a master class in turning existential despair into comedy. Leave the young children at home." -Christopher Rawson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ..". The most original aspect of the play concerns on-line chat rooms and the contrast between sexual fantasies and attempts to follow them through in real life. Ryan gets good comic mileage out of on-line connected simulated sex and the subsequent connection of real people ... a good and touching closing scene, which ... contains sweet surprises." -Gordon Spencer, W R C T