SLOW OUR SHIP - an 8-minute period drama for two actors

by Arianna Rose

[8 - 10 minute drama for two teens/young adults]

A boy. A girl. A port. The courtship and marriage of two Irish teenagers revolves around a bench and lamppost till the sea calls it debt. A period drama set in Cork, Ireland, in the 1800s.

Note: SLOW OUR SHIP is a deeper dive into the romance of Siobhan and Sean, two characters also in my one-act play JONNA/JACK. JONNA/JACK is also located on this NPX page....

[8 - 10 minute drama for two teens/young adults]

A boy. A girl. A port. The courtship and marriage of two Irish teenagers revolves around a bench and lamppost till the sea calls it debt. A period drama set in Cork, Ireland, in the 1800s.

Note: SLOW OUR SHIP is a deeper dive into the romance of Siobhan and Sean, two characters also in my one-act play JONNA/JACK. JONNA/JACK is also located on this NPX page.

[Production, Stagemad Theatre Co., 6 for 2026 Short Play Festival, Coastguard Centre, Tramore, IRELAND, November 2026]
[Production, Porthole Players B.O.A.T.S. 10-minute Play Festival, Newport OR, May 2025]
[Reading: KDC Theatre Full Stack, Festival of New Writing, London England, June 2024]

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SLOW OUR SHIP - an 8-minute period drama for two actors

Recommended by

  • Bruce Karp: SLOW OUR SHIP - an 8-minute period drama for two actors by Arianna Rose
    “

    What a sad, yet lovely play, full of Irish wit, passion and compassion. Arianna Rose writes characters with so much clarity; we feel as if we know them. Even the lamppost has a say in the matter. This is a brief, yet heartbreaking look at a young couple so much in love, yet the one thing that they disagree on, the call of the sea, is the one thing that will bring their tale to a sad ending. Great writing and atmosphere make this play a must read.

    What a sad, yet lovely play, full of Irish wit, passion and compassion. Arianna Rose writes characters with so much clarity; we feel as if we know them. Even the lamppost has a say in the matter. This is a brief, yet heartbreaking look at a young couple so much in love, yet the one thing that they disagree on, the call of the sea, is the one thing that will bring their tale to a sad ending. Great writing and atmosphere make this play a must read.

    ”
  • Marj O'Neill-Butler: SLOW OUR SHIP - an 8-minute period drama for two actors by Arianna Rose
    “

    What is it about men and the sea? This lovely two-hander invites us into the lives of Sean and Siobhan, their courtship, their lives together, the sea, and finally their ending as they know it. Lyrical, poetic, romantic, and very sad.

    What is it about men and the sea? This lovely two-hander invites us into the lives of Sean and Siobhan, their courtship, their lives together, the sea, and finally their ending as they know it. Lyrical, poetic, romantic, and very sad.

    ”
  • Mark Mulkerin: SLOW OUR SHIP - an 8-minute period drama for two actors by Arianna Rose
    “

    Slow Our Ship is an excellent example of Arianna Rose's gift for portraying rich relationship as we follow Sean and Siobhan on their journey as a couple. Perhaps more remarkably, Rose leads us through several time jumps to propel the relationship forward with finesse giving us the space to experience love and loss with this couple.

    Slow Our Ship is an excellent example of Arianna Rose's gift for portraying rich relationship as we follow Sean and Siobhan on their journey as a couple. Perhaps more remarkably, Rose leads us through several time jumps to propel the relationship forward with finesse giving us the space to experience love and loss with this couple.

    ”
View all 6 recommendations

Character Information

1 m, 1 f, requires Irish accents, characters age from teens to thirties
  • SEAN
    Irish, sailor tradesman, married to Siobhan, ages from late teens/early 20s to 30s
    (pronounced SHAWN)
    late teens - 30s
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • SIOBHAN
    Irish, Sean’s wife ages from late teens/early 20s to 30s
    (pronounced Shih-VAWN)

    late teens - 30s
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Production History

  • Community Theater, Stagemad Theatre Company, 6 for 2026 Short Play Festival, The Coastguard Centre, Tramore, IRELAND, 2026
  • Community Theater, Porthole Players B.O.A.T.S. 10-Minute Play Festival, Newport OR, 2025
  • Community Theater, Reading: KDC Theatre Full Stack, London England, 2024