CONTENT TRANSPARENCY SUMMARY:
Jump contains subject matter including depression, grief, loss, suicidal ideation, domestic violence, and resilience. We encourage all patrons to use their own discretion in determining the appropriateness of the material.
Synopsis (From Dramatists, Inc) : As Fay copes with the death of her mother and the loss of her childhood home, she seeks solace by visiting the bridge her mother took her to as a child. There she meets Hopkins, who walks the bridge as a balm for his own grieving. JUMP is a play full of flickering lights, vapes that fall from the sky, and the magic of hope in the midst of loss.
CONTENT TRANSPARENCY SCENE BY SCENE:
*PLEASE NOTE: Contains spoilers.*
Scene 1:
Six weeks ago. A bridge with its lights on and the sounds of passing cars. Fay enters and stands on the bridge and looks out into the water. Fay takes out a vaporizer although she would rather have a cigarette. Fay vapes a bit but then decides to throw it into the water and watches it fall. However, another one falls from the sky. This continues in a strange loop and finally stops at the sound of car horns.
Scene 2:
Fay is outside pacing in front of her old family home as she waits for others to arrive to clean out the house after her mother’s passing. Lights flicker and Fay hears the sounds of heels. Judy, her sister, arrives late with plenty of excuses. They squabble about each other’s habits and less desirable family traits. Suddenly, Fay sees the lights flicker and hears the sound of heels again. Fay thinks this is deja vu, and Judy is confused. A text from their father arrives telling them he will be late. They surmise that he will sell the house. Judy decides to go inside. Dad arrives. After some small talk, dad tells Fay he is going to sell the house. They decide it is time to get started on clearing the house.
Scene 3:
Fay walks the bridge with a vape in her hand. She stops and sees Hopkins, who is on the other end of the bridge and he’s smoking a real cigarette. He pulls out his phone and plays Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust. He begins to sing along Fay hears this and is at first annoyed but as the song goes on, starts to join in. Soon, they are both singing and dancing with abandon throughout the entire song. They introduce themselves and have an awkward exchange about vaping vs. smoking. Fay is irritated with the conversation. She asks Hopkins to stop talking, but after a moment, Fay offers that her phone’s location is shared should he try something. Hopkins replies that it won’t work if it’s lost. It is an unsettling comment but tries to convince her that he’s not dangerous. Fay decides to leave, but before going, she notices Hopkins squeezing the bridge’s rail, then suddenly stepping back.
Scene 4:
Fay and Judy are packing up their childhood rooms upstairs. Dad is downstairs packing up something they think. Judy explains the importance of sharing one’s location on their phone, but Fay dismisses the idea. They reminisce about a childhood game where they flopped on their beds. Judy insists that they flop and Fay acquiesces. They flop a few times, and it is fun until Judy won’t stop. Fay is concerned and gets between Judy and the bed. Judy accuses Fay of ruining her fun and begins to flop again until she is exhausted. They begin to sort the room. While sorting, they chat about their old things. They find a photo of the first time their mom took them to the bridge. They decide to get Chinese food for dinner.
Scene 5:
Three weeks ago, Bridge. Conversation about suicide and suicidal ideation. Fay is leaning on the bridge with her phone in her handing and Hopkins enters listening to music. He approaches her and tells her to be careful about dropping her phone into the water. They debate whose bridge it is. Fay tells Hopkins that she has been coming to the bridge ever since she was a child and recounts the story of her mother taking the sisters to the bridge. Hopkins misinterprets and thinks her mom jumped off the bridge. She tells him no but her mom has passed from cancer. Hopkins admits he’s been thinking about jumping but she is the reason he hasn’t. They scrutinize the reasons why people jump, and why others choose to carry on. They consider what happens to those who jump but survive. Fay tells Hopkins she is sorry he wants to jump. He asks if she would like to go someplace else. Fay refuses but wants to see him again and asks for a raincheck.
Scene 6:
Present day. 7pm in the Living Room. Hints of potential alcoholism. Dad and Fay are downstairs eating Chinese food. They chat about how the packing is going. Dad asks Fay if she is okay and gets defensive. He has asked her more than once. She doesn’t feel like she can talk to him or that he really wants to know. Judy joins them. Fay and Judy are concerned about dad’s health and this upsets him. He leaves for the kitchen. Judy accuses Fay of being unable to talk to dad, and that she needs to fix the relationship. Judy decides to leave and takes a chicken wing with her. Dad does the same.
Scene 7:
Fay is on the bridge and Hopkins arrives. He remarks that they seem to be at the bridge together often. They awkwardly enquire about how each other is doing. They don’t believe each other’s answers. Hopkins reveals he is in grad school. Fay reveals she is an assistant in an office. Hopkins tells Fay that he’s been worse, and Fay tells Hopkins that she’s been better.
Scene 8:
Present day. 9pm in the Childhood Bedroom. Mention of drug usage. Fay and Judy are in their childhood bedroom packing. Judy comments that she wore the wrong shoes, and swears that she can sometimes hear their mom walking in her apartment hallway. Fay hopes that Judy can hear the sounds of heels too, but Judy says no. Fay confesses that she feels like odd things are happening and repeating themselves. Judy thinks she is probably hallucinating from all the drugs Fay did as a teenager. Fay defends the things she did and accuses Judy of doing the same. Fay recounts the night mom found Judy passed out. Judy apologizes. Fay sees the flickering lights again and thinks there might be something wrong with her. Judy suggests that Fay see a doctor. Judy finally admits that she wears the heels for her husband even though they hurt. Fay offers Judy her Converses, and Judy tells her it is the nicest thing she has ever done for her. Judy throws the heels away. As Fay is about to leave, she stops and sees Judy staring out the window. After a moment, Judy gets on the bed and wildly starts jumping.
Scene 9:
Fay is on the bridge with a vape, and Hopkins arrives on a bike. Fay is surprised at the bike, and Hopkins explains that it is supposed to help his mental health, but he doesn’t think it is working. Fay admits that she now feels responsible for him and that she has to keep him from jumping. Hopkins assures her that he doesn’t have the urge to jump and that she doesn’t need to save him. He devises a schedule so they only come to the bridge at the same time. Fay tells him that weird things keep happening, and she thinks there’s something wrong; that she has a tumor in her head. Hopkins urges her to see a doctor, and she urges him to do the same. They laugh when they realize they both have something wrong with their heads but the lights flicker and the laughing ends.
Scene: 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d:
Present day. 10pm. Heavy conversation about suicidal ideation, domestic violence, and suicide
- 10a: Fay and dad are downstairs finishing up the packing. Fay offers dad an opportunity to look through and take anything he wants to keep but he refuses. Dad offers Fay whiskey. He questions her about vaping and tells her he wants her to get healthy and the exchange is strained. Fay inquires about why mom took them to the bridge. Dad is concerned about how much Fay wants to talk about the bridge. Finally, dad relents and explains that mom fell in love with the bridge and he loved mom, and that’s it. Dad stares at Fay and admits that he thought–of his two daughters– she was the one he thought would jump. Fay is overwhelmed by emotions. He explains that she was the unhappy child and Judith always seemed fine.
- 10b: Fay is on the bridge with Hopkins. She confesses that Judy, her sister, is the jumper. Hopkins tells her he doesn’t think she should be on the bridge but Fay insists she won’t jump. There are splashes of water and Fay’s head hurts. Fay asks Hopkins again why he doesn’t jump and he tells her he doesn’t know. Another splash of water and Judy is on the bridge.
- 10c: Fay and Judy are on the bridge as Hopkins fades away. Judy asks why Fay vapes on the bridge and Fay tells her because of the view. Fay repeats the question, “How are you, Judy?” over and over. After each repetition, Judy slowly reveals the many reasons she decided to jump. Finally, Judy decides no one is helping and nothing will get better so she pretends to be fine. Judy tells Fay she isn’t there and she will never find the reason why she jumped. They reminisce about mom taking them to the bridge. Fay wants to learn everything about her sister. Judy tells her to listen to the last voicemail she left on her phone. Fay still wants more information. Judy asks for a blue urn and the vape in Fay’s hand. She takes it and suddenly, we are in the house and all the bridge.
- 10d: Fay and dad are back at the house at the moment dad admits he thought she would be the jumper. Fay lashes out at dad’s behavior and drinking and runs out. Fay is now on the bridge with Hopkins. He tells her parents can be shitty. Fay admits she had no idea that Judy would jump. She decides to listen to the voicemail where Judy begs her to call her back. Fay acknowledges her mistakes. Hopkins convinces her to leave the bridge.
Scene 11:
Dad is downstairs at the house and Fay arrives. Dad tells Fay he had been waiting for her all night and wondered where she went. Fay explains that she went to the bridge because it’s soothing and she can sense Judy and mom there. Dad warns Fay that she can never jump and Fay assures him that he is stuck with her. Dad asks if she was willing to take him to the bridge with her sometime, and Fay says yes. They exchange warm goodbye.
Scene 12:
Hopkins is on the bridge as Fay and dad arrive. They have brought flowers to drop into the water. Dad inquires if Hopkins is the man Fay has been meeting on the bridge, and Hopkins happily confirms it’s him. Fay points out that you can see the old house from where they are standing and dad decides he needs to leave. It’s too much. He leaves but not before giving Fay a big hug. Fay tells Hopkins she wants to drop the lilies and watch them hit the water. They ask each other what kind of flowers they would want others to drop for them. They look out over the bridge. They disappear from the bridge.
Judy enters dressed in casual jeans and a shirt. She stands on the bridge and a lily drops from the sky. She catches it and smiles.