The Ballad of the Flowering Heart

by Arthur Danin Adler

Play and Screenplay

In a small city in America, in the summer, two children fall in love. They are ten years old (nearly eleven) and neighbors. Their romance is as passionate and consuming for them as it is for any couple. It leads to intimacy and an innocent awakening... she becomes pregnant! How could this be?
As the shock fades, their families begin the ritual of denial and acceptance. An abortion? Yes... or is it no? A taste of guilt? No... or is it yes? The girl's father wants to protect her, find significance for her in what has happened. Her mother wants redemption.The boy's mother wants to protect him, guide him. His father wants justice. Strange alliances appear and disappear as family members confront each other and exchange roles. Eventually, their efforts collapse in a flurry of remorse and self-doubt. In the end, it is the children who create a solution and a future for themselves.

This is a play on family values... the neglected assumptions of relationships... the ignored private lives of children. It has a rhythmic, dance-like style.
It is a ballad.