I've Got a Sinking Feeling in the Pit of My Stomach

by Jesse Jae Hoon

The Great War is over. The Kaiser has abdicated. Chaos rules in 1920 Berlin. Communist Greta and Liberal Christa spend their days on opposite sides of the boxing ring and their nights cuddling in a disheveled Neukölln apartment. But they will soon find themselves on opposite sides of a building coup d'etat in this tragic romantic thriller about loyalty, courage, the rise of the far right, and the fight to stay...

The Great War is over. The Kaiser has abdicated. Chaos rules in 1920 Berlin. Communist Greta and Liberal Christa spend their days on opposite sides of the boxing ring and their nights cuddling in a disheveled Neukölln apartment. But they will soon find themselves on opposite sides of a building coup d'etat in this tragic romantic thriller about loyalty, courage, the rise of the far right, and the fight to stay alive.

I'VE GOT A SINKING FEELING IN THE PIT OF MY STOMACH was developed by Rattlestick Theater through the Terrence McNally New Works Incubator in partnership with The Terrence McNally Foundation.

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Library

I've Got a Sinking Feeling in the Pit of My Stomach

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: I've Got a Sinking Feeling in the Pit of My Stomach by Jesse Jae Hoon
    “

    Loved this thrilling and romantic historical epic. The boxing ring motif is absolutely brilliant.

    Loved this thrilling and romantic historical epic. The boxing ring motif is absolutely brilliant.

    ”

Character Information

  • Greta
    A boxer and a member of the KPD (Communist Party of Germany) – dogmatic, loyal, but guarded.
    20s
    BIPOC
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      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
      Woman
  • Christa
    Ambitious, nostalgic, a dreamer – boxes with the fury of a thousand bombs.
    20s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Reichspräsident Friedrich Ebert
    President of the Weimar Republic and member of the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany). So, so, so tired.
    50s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Captain Hermann Ehrhardt
    A Freikorps commander and war veteran – a right-wing monarchist. Pompous, resentful, and violent.
    40s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Maxi
    Waiter and KPD member by day, drag queen in Schöneberg by night.
    early 20s
    BIPOC
    Male or non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • 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
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Referee
    Keeps order – reminds us where we are and who we are.
    Any
    BIPOC
    Femme or non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • 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
      Woman,
      Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading, New York Theatre Workshop, 2025
  • Workshop, Rattlestick Theater, 2024

Awards

  • Terrence McNally New Works Incubator
    Rattlestick Theater/Terrence McNally Foundation/Tom Kirdahy Productions
    Selection
    2024