Listening to this play on the Theatrical Shenanigans podcast, & then doing a little google research to learn more about Ella Harper, I was impressed how much of Harper's scantly documented life was reflected in this short script. You can learn a lot about a person in 10 minutes, with the right writer at the helm.

A compelling short play, based on the story of a real-life “circus freak,” that sensitively explores penetrating questions about agency, resilience, exploitation, voyeurism, delusion, and truth. I listened to a sharply-performed audio version done by Theatrical Shenanigans which underscored the humanness of the work. Much to think about here.

Bringing life to a real person from history can be both dangerous and enlightening: where does the playwright draw the line between history and creativity? In this short play by Debra Cole, the balance is not just maintained but enhanced by showing Ella Harper to be more than a sideshow. She is interviewed by a cagey reporter who seeks to exploit her celebrity and expose her as a fraud, only to find that that not only is she the person she claims to be, she makes sure the world knows that she knows exactly what she wants.