From the Desk of Licensing: Collegiate Edition Vol. 2

Featuring four fantastic plays for a complete season, this edition comes to you from:

Name: Becca Schlossberg
Title: Collegiate Licensing Coordinator

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Dance Nation

Who wrote it?
Clare Baron

Why do I know that playwright?
Clare’s plays include You Got Older and Baby Screams Miracle. She is a multiple award-winning recipient for her play Dance Nation including the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and The Relentless Award.

So, what’s this play about?
A group of young competitive dancers are going for the gold. Brutal, raw, funny, poignant, and unique are some words that could describe it.

Why should I do it?
If you are looking to bring people into the female experience, push boundaries, and get messy.

If I’m pitching this to the rest of my staff, what’s the best short description I could give them?
Dance Nation is a brilliant encapsulation of female adolescence, the ‘power and terror.’ 

The Niceties

Who wrote it?
Eleanor Burgess

Why do I know that playwright?
Eleanor’s plays include Start Down and And Action. She has been produced across the US including at Manhattan Theatre Club, the McCarter Theatre Center, and the Geffen Playhouse.

So, what’s this play about?
A young black student and older white female professor engage in a conversation of the history of slavery and the American revolution. 

Why should I do it?
An explosive, urgent play for the Black Lives Matter generation. 

If I’m pitching this to the rest of my staff, what’s the best short description I could give them?
A play that will pack a punch, leave you breathless, and yet, has plenty to say. 

Trans Scripts Part 1: The Women

Who wrote it?
Paul Lucas

Why do I know that playwright?
Paul Lucas is known for innovative and challenging work on domestic and international stages.

So, what’s this play about?
A docudrama containing transcribed interviews from the lives of 7 very different trans women and the common grounds between them. 

Why should I do it?
Trans people telling their stories! A universal exploration of our shared humanity.

If I’m pitching this to the rest of my staff, what’s the best short description I could give them?
Trans Scripts is a great initiator of conversation for all students about trans identity, with a lot of great resources, and insight for talkbacks and further discussion.

The Thanksgiving Play

Who wrote it?
Larissa FastHorse

Why do I know that playwright?
In addition to her numerous commissions and awards, Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota) has been produced and developed across the U.S.   

So, what’s this play about?
A hearty satire about a group of “woke” white teaching artists trying to create a new play about the Thanksgiving holiday.  It doesn’t go well. 

Why should I do it?
This is a contemporary, hilarious, and biting satire about the treatment of Thanksgiving by a Native American playwright. 

If I’m pitching this to the rest of my staff, what’s the best short description I could give them?
A play that finally addresses the lingering truth under the Thanksgiving holiday. 
 

For more excellent suggestions, you can reach out to your licensing representative directly, or check out our full list of suggestions for scene study and classroom reading.

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To purchase your copy of Dance Nation, click here. For performance rights, click here.

To purchase your copy of The Niceties, click here. For performance rights, click here.

To purchase your copy of Trans Scripts Part 1: The Women, click here. For performance rights, click here.

To purchase your copy of The Thanksgiving Play, click here. For performance rights, click here.

(photo: Kendall Messick)