Station Eleven
by Emily St. John Mandel
Contents
Chapter 2
Overview
In the aftermath of Arthur Leander’s onstage death, the remaining cast and crew gather at the lobby bar and realize they barely know who counts as his family. They identify his son Tyler and ex-wife Elizabeth in Israel, note multiple divorces, and decide the producer should call Arthur’s lawyer, underscoring Arthur’s isolation even in death. Backstage, Tanya comforts Kirsten with a glass paperweight, while the narration adds ominous hindsight about how soon the survivors will begin dying.
Summary
After Arthur Leander’s collapse, only a handful of people remain at the Elgin Theatre: crew members finishing cleanup, an actress drinking backstage, and Tanya—the woman assigned to watch the child actresses—trying to calm a sobbing Kirsten Raymonde.
In the lobby bar, a small group of stragglers drinks in shock and turns to the practical question of notifying Arthur’s next of kin. They piece together what they know: Arthur has a young son named Tyler who lives with his mother (an ex-wife, Elizabeth) in Israel, and Arthur has been divorced multiple times. When the producer asks who Arthur was close with, the silence reveals how little certainty there is about his real personal ties.
The group settles on calling Arthur’s lawyer, a solution that feels bleak and impersonal. They drink quietly, watching the heavy snow outside, until the bartender proposes a toast. They raise their glasses and say, “To Arthur,” then disperse into the storm.
Meanwhile, Tanya gives Kirsten a small gift to distract and comfort her: a glass paperweight with what looks like a storm cloud trapped inside. Kirsten, close to her eighth birthday, fixates on its strange beauty as Tanya continues trying to reach Kirsten’s parents.
The chapter closes with a grim note of hindsight: of everyone at the bar that night, the bartender survives the longest, only to die three weeks later while trying to leave the city.
Who Appears
- Kirsten RaymondeChild actor left crying after Arthur’s death; receives a strange glass paperweight from Tanya.
- TanyaChaperone for the child actresses; consoles Kirsten and tries repeatedly to reach her parents.
- The bartenderServes the remaining theatre stragglers; proposes a toast to Arthur; later dies three weeks after.
- Arthur LeanderRecently deceased actor; others debate his family ties and how to notify next of kin.
- Goneril (actress)Grieving cast member at the bar; presses for details about Arthur’s family and relationships.
- The producer (executive producer)Unsure who to contact; decides to call Arthur’s lawyer to handle notification.
- The stage managerShaken by the death; joins the bar group and notes Tanya is with the children.
- The makeup artistSupplies gossip-knowledge: Arthur’s son Tyler, ex-wife Elizabeth in Jerusalem, and a brother.
- Gloucester (actor)At the bar; mentions Tanya and reflects on divorce while discussing Arthur’s personal life.
- Edgar (actor)Identifies Arthur’s ex-wife Elizabeth by memory during the bar conversation.
- TylerArthur Leander’s young son, discussed as a likely next of kin.
- ElizabethArthur’s ex-wife and Tyler’s mother; believed to be living in Israel.