Nancy -- Thanks so much for recommending
Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry, published by Dramatists Play Service. The script was commissioned by a high school especially to take to the American High School Theatre Festival in Edinburgh in 2015 and was written by request to be "edgy."
The commissioning high school used the production as an educational tool about teens and sexual assault, with information handed out ahead of time, talkbacks after each performance, and counselors in the lobby to support anyone who had to leave or needed to talk after. There were tables with resource materials available. Two years earlier the same director had presented
4:48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane, a difficult piece for even the most experience adult theatre company, as a way to talk about teen suicide, again with talkbacks and counselors. Although some parents balked at first, preferring the old comedy chestnuts and popular musicals, even the most out-spoken and critical came around and complimented the director and principal for doing something so relevant and meaningful to both the actors and the audience.
Unlike my Holocaust play
Letters to Sala, which is intended for a wide audience,
Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry isn't for every school. The published version does give permission to change some of the language, however, and I'm always willing to Skype, zoom, or FaceTime with students and teachers. And although
Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry was written for a specific group of ten, there is opportunity for a larger ensemble of women as a chorus.
It was a joy to meet many of you at the conferences in Nebraska and NYC. The EdTA members are also welcome to reach out to me with questions.
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Arlene Hutton, playwright
Letters to Sala
I Dream Before I Take the Stand
Kissed the Girls & Made Them Cry
As It Is In Heaven
Susie Sits Shiva (EdTA commission)
faculty, The Barrow Group, NYC
arlene@barrowgroup.org------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 10-26-2019 22:39
From: Nancy Moran
Subject: Good modern plays
One of the best cutting edge plays I've done recently is Arlene Hutton's Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry, which deals with peer pressure, sexual assault, body image, and many other relevant issues. It is written in an honest way that the students really connect with. The second play I highly recommend is Josh Adell's The Mental State, which focuses on a teenage boy's mental illness and its effect on him, his family, and the community. It culminates with him bringing a gun on campus and has some extremely important messages and talking points. My cast was able to face time with the playwright and he provided incredible insight into the characters he created.
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Nancy Moran
Drama Instructor
Los Altos High School
Los Altos CA
Original Message:
Sent: 10-25-2019 07:47
From: Karen Wiebe
Subject: Good modern plays
I'm looking for great modern dramas that would be good for high school. Something cutting edge. Can anyone direct me to any websites or make any suggestions? Looking for a medium sized cast or flexible cast.
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Karen Wiebe
Drama Director
Burlington KY
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