Essential Starlite

by Zack Peercy

FULL LENGTH:[available upon request] Marcus Monroe has glaucoma and the ability to shoot lasers out of his eyes. He tries to avoid his past of government-sponsored heroics by living in the seclusion of a basement apartment in the suburbs, but he's thrust back into the world of Extraordinary Individuals when he meets Ameka Anderson, a young woman on the verge of a discovery that could save the world. An expansive...

FULL LENGTH:[available upon request] Marcus Monroe has glaucoma and the ability to shoot lasers out of his eyes. He tries to avoid his past of government-sponsored heroics by living in the seclusion of a basement apartment in the suburbs, but he's thrust back into the world of Extraordinary Individuals when he meets Ameka Anderson, a young woman on the verge of a discovery that could save the world. An expansive comic-inspired universe full of past exes, repressed trauma, and an ableist society awaits Marcus. He can't avoid the heroic spotlight forever.

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Essential Starlite

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation: Essential Starlite by Zack Peercy
    “

    The community of national & local readers for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2021 enthusiastically recommends ESSENTIAL STARLITE as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation out of 755 plays. We highly enjoyed and were excited by the superhero world of the play with a whole community of differently-abled characters, which is unfortunately too rare in theatre. We were compelled by this play's promise using engaging narratives to raise questions about power, exploitation, exposing truth, and sacrifice. We hope this play is widely read, finds dedicated collaborators, and moves swiftly...

    The community of national & local readers for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2021 enthusiastically recommends ESSENTIAL STARLITE as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation out of 755 plays. We highly enjoyed and were excited by the superhero world of the play with a whole community of differently-abled characters, which is unfortunately too rare in theatre. We were compelled by this play's promise using engaging narratives to raise questions about power, exploitation, exposing truth, and sacrifice. We hope this play is widely read, finds dedicated collaborators, and moves swiftly towards production. #BAPF2021

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    ”
  • Andrea Kovich: Essential Starlite by Zack Peercy
    “

    As a reader for BAPF 2021, this play was one of the most exciting works that I had the honor to read. With multiple disabled characters who have intersectional identities, this imaginative piece explores the complexities of disability and sacrifice. A bold play that centers authentic representation, it is thoroughly engaging while probing the deeper question of what being a hero truly means. Highly recommend.

    As a reader for BAPF 2021, this play was one of the most exciting works that I had the honor to read. With multiple disabled characters who have intersectional identities, this imaginative piece explores the complexities of disability and sacrifice. A bold play that centers authentic representation, it is thoroughly engaging while probing the deeper question of what being a hero truly means. Highly recommend.

    ”
  • J. Corey Buckner: Essential Starlite by Zack Peercy
    “

    Full of imagination and heart, Essential Starlite, is a well, essential addition to the fabric of superhero stories woven so thickly into our modern world. A moving story of young people trying to make a difference in a world that so often sees disabled bodies as disposable and worthless. Peercy deftly comments on current issues without being preachy and overbearing. Do yourself a favor and read this play!

    Full of imagination and heart, Essential Starlite, is a well, essential addition to the fabric of superhero stories woven so thickly into our modern world. A moving story of young people trying to make a difference in a world that so often sees disabled bodies as disposable and worthless. Peercy deftly comments on current issues without being preachy and overbearing. Do yourself a favor and read this play!

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

If you can't cast this show authentically, you can't perform this play.
  • Brian Talbott
    To be played by a white able-bodied actor.
    Late 30's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Doctor Daisey
    To be played by an able-bodied actor.
    20's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Marcus Monroe
    To be played by a white bisexual actor with glaucoma.
    late 20's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Ameka Anderson
    To be played by a Black 17-year-old actor who knows ASL.
    17
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Isaac
    To be played by a gay Latinx actor with autism.
    20's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Faze
    To be played by a non-binary actor with muscular dystrophy.
    Early 30's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary
  • Nisha
    To be played by an Indian actor with bipolar disorder.
    late 20's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • The Pusher
    To be played by a Black Deaf actor who knows ASL
    late 40's - early 50's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Mayor Talbott
    To be played by a white able-bodied actor.
    Early 30's
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Workshop, The New Colony - Writers Room, 2019

Awards