Smoke and Mirrors

by Chelsea Frandsen

Connection is something all human beings crave. Especially with those we love. There is nothing more painful than a disconnect. Particularly with those we love. Dayton needs permission. Cal needs to let go. Naomi and Becca need to help them figure it out. And Kevin? He just wishes someone would listen.

Connection is something all human beings crave. Especially with those we love. There is nothing more painful than a disconnect. Particularly with those we love. Dayton needs permission. Cal needs to let go. Naomi and Becca need to help them figure it out. And Kevin? He just wishes someone would listen.

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Smoke and Mirrors

Recommended by

  • Paul Donnelly: Smoke and Mirrors by Chelsea Frandsen
    “

    Smoke and Mirrors is a poignant play of compelling humanity. The characters are richly drawn and sympathetic even when their needs and intentions are at odds. The central narrative about letting go is enriched by revelatory excursions into the characters' lives and pasts. This is ultimately a wise and moving play about love, its pain and its joy.

    Smoke and Mirrors is a poignant play of compelling humanity. The characters are richly drawn and sympathetic even when their needs and intentions are at odds. The central narrative about letting go is enriched by revelatory excursions into the characters' lives and pasts. This is ultimately a wise and moving play about love, its pain and its joy.

    ”
  • Ky Weeks: Smoke and Mirrors by Chelsea Frandsen
    “

    A play that delves into the hard necessity of letting go, while also being a poignant acknowledgement of the need to keep holding on, to keep struggling despite the pain it causes. Frandsen writes characters who fervently wish to communicate each other, and yet, through many layers of distance, from emotional to metaphysical, cannot.

    A play that delves into the hard necessity of letting go, while also being a poignant acknowledgement of the need to keep holding on, to keep struggling despite the pain it causes. Frandsen writes characters who fervently wish to communicate each other, and yet, through many layers of distance, from emotional to metaphysical, cannot.

    ”
  • Jack Levine: Smoke and Mirrors by Chelsea Frandsen
    “

    CHELSEA FRANDSEN's play is well-written. I found the relationships and inter-dynamics of the brothers, Dayton and Cal, and the other characters, who play an important role in their lives, to be emotional, sweet, and compelling. "Smoke and Mirrors" is a play well-worth reading and should be a big hit with audiences on Zoom or onstage.

    CHELSEA FRANDSEN's play is well-written. I found the relationships and inter-dynamics of the brothers, Dayton and Cal, and the other characters, who play an important role in their lives, to be emotional, sweet, and compelling. "Smoke and Mirrors" is a play well-worth reading and should be a big hit with audiences on Zoom or onstage.

    ”
View all 11 recommendations

Character Information

Characters can be played by actors of any age, should the production team deem it appropriate.
Color blind and diverse casting highly encouraged. Characters in the script can be portrayed as either male or female, with appropriate name adjustments, i.e.:
Dayton: Deanna, Dana, Di, etc.
Becca: Becket, Bailey, Ben, etc.
Kevin: Keeley, Kenna, Kaci, etc.
Naomi: Nat, Neil, Nolan, Nick, etc.
Cal: Callie, Carrie, Carla, etc.

  • Dayton
    Cal's brother, caught between life and death
    21
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Man
  • Becca
    befriended by Dayton, caught in the same position as Dayton
    18
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Man
  • Cal
    Dayton’s brother, caught between life and guilt
    mid 20s, mid 30s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Man
  • Naomi
    Cal’s fiance, caught between love and loss
    mid 20s, early 30s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Man
  • Kevin
    just caught, sometimes visible, and sometimes not
    24
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Man

Development History

  • Reading, Play Readings With Friends, New York, NY, 2021
  • Reading, Readings for a New World, Arizona, 2020

Production History

  • University, Fourteenth Grade Players, George Washington University, 2024
  • University, Temple University Side Stage, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2022