Cleave is a play that has stayed in my heart since I was first introduced to it in the workshopping phase. Elena's voice is light in the face of adversity and remains light, even as the heady topic of identity threatens to shatter the lives of every character in the play. The intersection of each character's arc really binds the story together with the single theme of self-acceptance. Cleave is a revolution for everyone who thinks they are not enough, and is written with a great poise, nuance, and understanding that is not common in the queer canon.

This play was developed at The National New Play Network MFA Playwrights Workshop. This program, conducted annually in conjunction with The Kennedy Center and the National Center for New Plays, provides a graduate–level student playwright with an NNPN-affiliated director and dramaturg, a professional cast for a week of script development, and an introduction to the Network, its Membership, and programs.