Moreno

by Pravin Wilkins

Luis Moreno, superstar running back and former league MVP, joins a new team after having recovered (mostly) from a season-ending injury he sustained the previous year. While he struggles to overcome this malady and prove he still has what it takes to be a top-tier (and top-salaried) running back, the league is shaken by Colin Kaepernick’s monumental decision to sit down during the national anthem at multiple pre...

Luis Moreno, superstar running back and former league MVP, joins a new team after having recovered (mostly) from a season-ending injury he sustained the previous year. While he struggles to overcome this malady and prove he still has what it takes to be a top-tier (and top-salaried) running back, the league is shaken by Colin Kaepernick’s monumental decision to sit down during the national anthem at multiple pre-season games in protest of police violence against black people. When one of Luis’s new teammates—a no-nonsense veteran of the league named Ezekiel Williams—joins Kaepernick’s fledgling protest movement and challenges Luis to use his platform to take a stand as well, the question arises: is he willing to take that risk? More than that, does the movement have room for him and the issues he wants to bring to the table?

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Moreno

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Moreno

    The protests during the national anthem by NFL players has been a polarizing issue in this nation. Every news channel you turned on had a different view on it. We heard from so many people about what it meant to kneel during the anthem but we rarely paid attention to what the players that were doing the kneeling were going through. With balletic scenes of football play and heated scenes taking place off the field, Wilkins has written a vital play that imagined what various players of various races were going through at this time in history.

    The protests during the national anthem by NFL players has been a polarizing issue in this nation. Every news channel you turned on had a different view on it. We heard from so many people about what it meant to kneel during the anthem but we rarely paid attention to what the players that were doing the kneeling were going through. With balletic scenes of football play and heated scenes taking place off the field, Wilkins has written a vital play that imagined what various players of various races were going through at this time in history.

  • Dave Osmundsen: Moreno

    With the acerbic wit of Stephen Adly Guigis and the soaring poeticism of August Wilson, MORENO tackles a deep and complex question: Is there a right time to take a stand?

    Each of the four characters in Wilkins' play are well-drawn and complex, and playwright masterfully reveals new layers and depth to them with each passing scene. The subject matter is expressed in a thought-provoking and passionate manner that never feels didactic--this is a play whose heart beats fervently and passionately, and whose mind is sharp and nimble.

    I look forward to seeing this play onstage soon!

    With the acerbic wit of Stephen Adly Guigis and the soaring poeticism of August Wilson, MORENO tackles a deep and complex question: Is there a right time to take a stand?

    Each of the four characters in Wilkins' play are well-drawn and complex, and playwright masterfully reveals new layers and depth to them with each passing scene. The subject matter is expressed in a thought-provoking and passionate manner that never feels didactic--this is a play whose heart beats fervently and passionately, and whose mind is sharp and nimble.

    I look forward to seeing this play onstage soon!

  • Emma Goldman-Sherman: Moreno

    From start to finish, we are in great hands with Wilkins providing strong theatricality and an immense facility with language. Wonderful work! It should be produced as soon as possible!

    From start to finish, we are in great hands with Wilkins providing strong theatricality and an immense facility with language. Wonderful work! It should be produced as soon as possible!

View all 9 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Kane Repertory Theatre, Year 2020

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Theatre503, Year 2022

Awards

  • Theatre503 International Playwriting Award
    Theatre503
    Winner
    2020