Marc Aronoff is an award-winning playwright based in Lenox, MA.

His play, THE LANTERN BEARERS won the 2017 Arts and Letters Competition in drama and received a (non-paying) student production at Georgia College in April, 2018.  In 2020, THE LANTERN BEARERS was translated  into Italian as part of the Translating Talent Education Program created by The OnStage! Festival of American Theater in Italy in partnership with the Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori Altiero Spinelli e Civica Scuola di Teatro Paolo Grassi in Milan, Italy. 

In 2018, Marc’s dramatic play, A NIGHT IN JERUSALEM, was a semi-finalist in the Screen Craft Competition for Drama. In 2020, the same play was Finalist in the Broadway Bound Competition.

Marc has written and produced several other dramatic works for the stage, including: THE POET, a compilation of eight literary masterpieces that premiered to critical acclaim at the Dublin Theatre Festival. (Players Theatre, Dublin, Ireland). ZENO (Duffin Theatre, Lenox, MA.), inspired by the writings of Thomas Merton, and an original adaptation for the stage of the masterpiece, GILAGMESH (Duffin Theatre, Lenox, MA.).

Marc performed as a professional dancer and actor for several years, working in stage, film, and television, primarily in Europe and New York City and is presently working a new play and writing for Television.

A graduate of Northwestern University and Leslie University in Cambridge, MA, Marc has a Bachelors in The Interpretation of Literature and a Masters in Psychology, respectively.

T E S T I M O N Y

What can I tell you that you do not already know?  I am a trouble maker. You know that. That is why I am sitting here. I don’t care.  Magus is the problem.  You know he has it out for all of us. I hope you know that.  He doesn’t care if we live or die. I will give you this much—I am glad I hurt him. What do you want me to say?  I am sorry?  I am not sorry.  Sometimes, I just need to let it out.  I am who I am. Magus says, rules are meant to be broken.  Why has he not been punished?  Do you know how many times that monster has hurt me?  Do you even care?  I can feel you staring at me from behind that black mirror. That’s all right. Bring it on. Stares are my specialty. You think I’m dramatic?  You think I’m the problem?  This hell hole Earth is the problem.  The sooner I leave, the better.

That’s not true.  I am hurting. I am being extinguished for the wrong reasons.  What can I do to change your minds?  Magus and I loved each other; we were lovers extraordinaire.  He taught me how to serve.  He taught me how to love.  I trusted him.  We travelled the Earth, all of us, intent on spreading our Faery magic wherever needed.  And now Magus has betrayed me with blame and ridicule.

How can I not hurt?  How can I not hate?  I am not the villain you think I am.   Please, I don’t want to die.  

Is there any consideration for the fact I have been here since the beginning of Earth’s existence?  We all left together when our planet was destroyed.  Is there no consideration for the eons I have served Earth with you? 

Billions of years ago we Faeries, all of you listening now, we had one mission: to assist in Earth’s formation.  Our magic was pure healing for humans.  Our intentions were only good.  That good is still in me.  I feel that goodness.  I have never forgotten our intentions to assist Earth and her formation in light and love.  We moved between human and Faery form with ease and grace.  I love that feeling and want to return to that life.  I love our life in the Center of the Earth, viewing all human movement at every moment.  Our life on Earth is good.  Our mission is good.  I am good, deep down. My indiscretions do not change that, do they?   

I confess I have a feeling of love and hate towards humans.  They can be so ignorant, perverse, and I often don’t like their smell.  Most of all, I hate how they harm each other in spite of what we offer. Yet, assisting their survival is also my beloved work.  I love them as much as I hate them.  I don’t understand what happened.   How did I get here?   It was not always like this.  You know that.  I am so sorry.

I know this sounds unbelievable, but sometims it feels like Magus has cast a spell on me and an evil curse has taken hold.  You must see through him.  Please consider my words.   He is the most nefarious of all Faeries on Earth.  You must know that.  You know it was Magus’ idea to breed with humans.  I am not the instigator.  I followed.  I confess, my attraction to the humans grew over time.  And Magus encouraged me to explore human sexuality.   I am so sorry.  I am angry.  I am sad.  I don’t want to be extinguished.  I love Earth.  Some part of me even loves Magus—the one I hate.  And, through all my love and hate, I don’t want to leave Earth.   It is not fair:  all that is left of me, through eons of work, is one cardinal error that brings me here to brink of extinction.  One error: sex with humans.

You say I have known many errors.  That is also true.  What can I do to rectify my indiscretion?  I am sorry I lost control.  I know this is no excuse, but I truly feel as if there is some evil in me.  Is it possible, I am not acting from my own volition?  When our Faery planet fell to the darkness and ill intent of Lucianus and we moved to earth, perhaps there was some harm caused to me.  You know those were evil, dark times.  I am not a Faery of ill intent.  For billions of years I was fine. We were all fine serving those who needed us most.  I tell you, it is Magus who has fallen into the dark ways of harming humans.  

You think I am the only one to blame.  It is not true.  I have seen him make love to men and women alike.  You have simply not caught him, yet.   Magus is also breeding with the humans.  I am not alone.  He uses his human form against all our Farey rules.  Yes, I followed in his footsteps.  Yes, I am guilty.  I have been caught.  Not him.  That is my bad fortune.

I tell you today, on the day of my testimony, there are other Fairies breeding with the humans.  I am not the only one.  You think it is just me.  It is not.  You think I am the only one to blame.  Watch and see.  The years ahead will prove my words:  Earth is occupied by a force of evil Faries and they must be stopped at all costs.  If you must start with me, so be it.  But, I can help you—I could be of service to you.

On the cusp of my extinction, I ask you to reconsider:  You who are hearing and watching me now from behind that mirror, will you consider letting me live with a promise I will change my ways?