"JOEY"...A Ten-Minute Drama

by Donald Loftus

“JOEY” tells the story a young man who was separated from his mother at the U.S./Mexico border when he was just slightly more than an infant. Years have passed since the tragic events occurred, but the heartbreaking pain of losing his mother has not subsided. He wonders if it ever will.

“JOEY” tells the story a young man who was separated from his mother at the U.S./Mexico border when he was just slightly more than an infant. Years have passed since the tragic events occurred, but the heartbreaking pain of losing his mother has not subsided. He wonders if it ever will.

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"JOEY"...A Ten-Minute Drama

Recommended by

  • Marj O'Neill-Butler: "JOEY"...A Ten-Minute Drama by Donald Loftus
    “

    Four didactic characters surround Joey and Sarah, and each tells their story to the audience. Heartbreaking and unfortunately realistic, this short play packs hard punches. This is an amazing 10-minute play.

    Four didactic characters surround Joey and Sarah, and each tells their story to the audience. Heartbreaking and unfortunately realistic, this short play packs hard punches. This is an amazing 10-minute play.

    ”
  • Susan Laubach: "JOEY"...A Ten-Minute Drama by Donald Loftus
    “

    This play tells a huge, important story in a mere 10 minutes and I challenge any reader to keep his/her eyes dry while reading it. What a gift this play will be to whatever audience it reaches and I hope it reaches hundreds! From the time Speaker One enters to the final lines by Joey and Sarah, Mr. Loftus gets his very important point across without polemic or lecture but only with the deeply moving monologues. Schools, churches, colleges, regional theatre, take note: easy and inexpensive to produce and appropriate for nearly all ages.

    This play tells a huge, important story in a mere 10 minutes and I challenge any reader to keep his/her eyes dry while reading it. What a gift this play will be to whatever audience it reaches and I hope it reaches hundreds! From the time Speaker One enters to the final lines by Joey and Sarah, Mr. Loftus gets his very important point across without polemic or lecture but only with the deeply moving monologues. Schools, churches, colleges, regional theatre, take note: easy and inexpensive to produce and appropriate for nearly all ages.

    ”
  • George Sapio: "JOEY"...A Ten-Minute Drama by Donald Loftus
    “

    One Joey is the voice of thousands who were traumatically victimized. His pain weaves in and out of sync with those who intellectually...academically rationalize what has happened to children. This is a hard play to read and will be a very difficult one to perform, but it's a play that *should* be performed. A highly potent ten minutes.

    One Joey is the voice of thousands who were traumatically victimized. His pain weaves in and out of sync with those who intellectually...academically rationalize what has happened to children. This is a hard play to read and will be a very difficult one to perform, but it's a play that *should* be performed. A highly potent ten minutes.

    ”
View all 8 recommendations
SPEAKER ONE: Any gender, race, age: A detached and unemotional figure, who delivers matter-of-fact rhetoric on immigration policies. Their lines reveal the cold, bureaucratic mindset behind systemic decisions, in sharp contrast to the play's intended emotional weight.

SPEAKER TWO: Any gender, race, age: Rational and clinical, they analyze the psychological effects of separation, offering observations devoid of personal sentiment. Their delivery highlights the disconnection between science and humanity.

SPEAKER THREE: Any gender, race, age: Introspective yet detached, they focus on the biological and neurological impacts of trauma, presenting facts that underscore the gravity of the issue while maintaining a professional tone.

SPEAKER FOUR: Any gender, race, age: Statistically driven and impersonal, they enumerate the numbers and outcomes of separation policies. Their tone reflects the systemic nature of the issue, making the human toll feel distant.

JOEY: AGE 8-18: Somebody's son. A boy filled with wonder, longing, and heartbreak. His vivid imagination and unanswered questions about his mother expose the emotional scars of family separation and his yearning for connection.

SARAH: AGE 20s: Somebody's mother. A mother in her 20s, haunted by the loss of her child. She is fragile yet determined, torn between hope and despair as she clings to memories and dreams of her son’s future.


Development History

  • Reading, Table Top Reading DGPG Playwright’s Group, 2018