Shotgun Dreaming

Synopsis

A darkened apartment in Buenos Aires, where two strangers engage in an intimate and dangerous encounter.

Julián, a 35-year-old history teacher and drug dealer, brings home a mysterious young woman he met at a bar. As they lie together in his powerless apartment, the woman, who claims to be 16, reveals her troubled past and growing obsession with Julián. Their conversation takes a sinister turn when she discovers Julián’s gun and proposes a deadly “love test” to determine if their encounter is real or just a dream.

Arias’ play is a taut, psychologically charged exploration of desire, identity, and violence in a city torn apart by economic and social upheaval. Through the intimate dialogue between these two strangers, she examines themes of paranoia, power dynamics, and the blurring of reality and fantasy. The play’s structure, set entirely in darkness and relying solely on the characters’ voices, creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that mirrors the tension and uncertainty of their situation. “Shotgun Dreaming” offers a haunting look at the ways trauma and desperation can lead to dangerous connections between people in a fractured society.