Blood Moon 97 - Isabel Cruz Liljegren

Blood Moon 97 – a playful yet profound thriller about puberty, the ambivalence of transformation, and the search for oneself in others by Isabel Cruz Liljegren.

Four teenagers meet in a playground at night to perform a ritual – they vow never to grow up. But something goes wrong. Instead, one by one, they begin to transform. Secrets arerevealed, shame is confronted, and desires are explored. Who truly sent out the invitations to the ritual, and why were they chosen? What is more dangerous: the external threat or the pressure surging from deep within? What happens when you let go of control and dare to leap into the unknown?

The play operates on two levels. The primary narrative revolves around four teenagers who transform into wolf-like creatures (or adults). At times, the transformation seizes them as if by an invisible force; at others, they choose to act on their innermost desires. A fifth teenager, Kelly, orchestrates the story as an omniscient voice until she eventually manifests in humanform. The secondary level is Kelly’s game or fantasy world, which she initially builds but gradually loses control over. The actors portraying the various characters frame the narrative and become Kelly’s puppets. In the end, Kelly loses her battle against her deepest fear: the loneliness of growing up. Yet the play concludes with a flicker of hope, kindled collectively in the darkest of nights.

Blood Moon 97 is inspired by conversations with secondary school students about adulthood, puberty, and fears, as well as a newspaper article about a thirteen-year-old, Kelly Yeomans, who in 1997 took her own life due to bullying. The play explores timeless themes such as shame and desire in relation to coming of age. Stylistically, it employs a pop-culture horror framework combined with an absurd linguistic universe that challenges realism. The idea of using a horror narrative stems from the legendary Swedish theatre-maker Suzanne Osten’s belief that art should put teenagers in a state of crisis, as this will better prepare them for life’s challenges later on.

 

Transformations in people are incredibly fascinating as they push everything to its limits. The transformation must clarify the normal state in order to take place, and the transformed state must establish its new set of rules. This inherently becomes a study of norms, which can be connected to all non-normative existences – whether explicitly or subtly. Through transformation, we also take a stance on who we want to be as human beings. On an existential level, we gain insight into ourselves and start reflecting on who we are in relation to others. In Blood Moon 97, the transformation between human and wolf serves as an allegory for puberty. It is a depiction of both the physical and psychological aspects of the transition from childhood to adulthood, seen through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old.

Isabel Cruz Liljegren

Blood Moon 97, Unga StDH Festival at Stockholm Univerity of the Arts

Lenght: 60 minutes

Target Group: Ages 12 – 16 years

Number of Characters: 5