ALPHABET SOUP

by John McDonnell Tierney

The Anytown Community Theater Play Selection Committee is meeting to prepare for their annual Festival of New Plays. They meet to write a Call for Submissions notice, the first step in attracting Playwrights who might submit their work for consideration. The four members of the committee -Margaret, Marybeth, Sidney, and Walter - are all in their sixties and have been together since elementary school. They are...

The Anytown Community Theater Play Selection Committee is meeting to prepare for their annual Festival of New Plays. They meet to write a Call for Submissions notice, the first step in attracting Playwrights who might submit their work for consideration. The four members of the committee -Margaret, Marybeth, Sidney, and Walter - are all in their sixties and have been together since elementary school. They are all Caucasian with little diversity among and between themselves. They have lived in their bubble for a long time, producing theater according to tradition. But their bubble is burst this year because The Community Theater Association of America (CTAA), of which their group is a member, has “woke” up. The CTAA has strongly encouraged its members to promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. The folks have little shared experience to deal with such things, but fortunately, the group will be joined this year by Wendy, a twenty-something PhD Candidate from the University. Wendy is well-informed about the aforementioned issues and so, the young become teacher to the old. But still, the “old,” at the end, draw on something deeper than information, a knowledge not found in Wendy’s Doctoral studies, a deep and abiding knowledge of self and others and one’s place in the world that only comes with age.

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ALPHABET SOUP

Recommended by

  • Maripat Allen: ALPHABET SOUP

    A delightful, timely comedy about the importance and difficulties of becoming being truly inclusive in theatre. Great for community theater and Senior theater!

    A delightful, timely comedy about the importance and difficulties of becoming being truly inclusive in theatre. Great for community theater and Senior theater!

  • Ian Thal: ALPHABET SOUP

    A fun satire of the culture clash that happens when a community theater whose members have been together for decades discuss bringing their inclusive play submission guidelines up to the standards of 21st century best practices.

    A fun satire of the culture clash that happens when a community theater whose members have been together for decades discuss bringing their inclusive play submission guidelines up to the standards of 21st century best practices.

  • Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn: ALPHABET SOUP

    This would be great for a senior theatre group to perform and possibly do a talk back after! Inclusivity without excluding anyone is complicated! Wendy is welcomed with open arms, open minds and warm muffins. The world will change a lot, but the theatre is always there for us all!

    This would be great for a senior theatre group to perform and possibly do a talk back after! Inclusivity without excluding anyone is complicated! Wendy is welcomed with open arms, open minds and warm muffins. The world will change a lot, but the theatre is always there for us all!