The Cartography of Despair: It’s Slap & Tickle Against the Void

by Neil Radtke

(10 min) Vivian and Clarissa believe theatre must be bleak, wordless, and bladder-testing to matter. Dave, a wide-eyed season ticket holder, just wants a good time. When “The Queue” collides with “Slap & Tickle,” the debate over what theatre is, and who it’s for, comes to a head.

(10 min) Vivian and Clarissa believe theatre must be bleak, wordless, and bladder-testing to matter. Dave, a wide-eyed season ticket holder, just wants a good time. When “The Queue” collides with “Slap & Tickle,” the debate over what theatre is, and who it’s for, comes to a head.

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The Cartography of Despair: It’s Slap & Tickle Against the Void

Recommended by

  • Greg Mandryk: The Cartography of Despair: It’s Slap & Tickle Against the Void by Neil Radtke
    “

    I stand with Dave!

    Neil Radtke takes aim at theatre companies that pride themselves on providing audiences with utterly joyless experiences disguised as art and the results are hilarious! I don't know if the world is ready for Hot Dog: the Musical, but I'd buy tickets for Slap & Tickle in a heartbeat!

    I stand with Dave!

    Neil Radtke takes aim at theatre companies that pride themselves on providing audiences with utterly joyless experiences disguised as art and the results are hilarious! I don't know if the world is ready for Hot Dog: the Musical, but I'd buy tickets for Slap & Tickle in a heartbeat!

    ”
  • Kyle Brown: The Cartography of Despair: It’s Slap & Tickle Against the Void by Neil Radtke
    “

    The varying ideals of theatre in its purest form. Even the title shows the subjectivity of "art". There is no truer dive into the pretentious and silliness that can be provided by the world of community theatres. Radtke expertly rides the line of the two sides of that coin.

    The varying ideals of theatre in its purest form. Even the title shows the subjectivity of "art". There is no truer dive into the pretentious and silliness that can be provided by the world of community theatres. Radtke expertly rides the line of the two sides of that coin.

    ”
  • James Binz: The Cartography of Despair: It’s Slap & Tickle Against the Void by Neil Radtke
    “

    Wow! Bravo! The intellectual theater versus the fun theater. Experimental dramatics versus the joy of live action. What a hilarious and joyful moment when Dave tells it like it is! I loved this and would adore seeing it on some community stage!

    Wow! Bravo! The intellectual theater versus the fun theater. Experimental dramatics versus the joy of live action. What a hilarious and joyful moment when Dave tells it like it is! I loved this and would adore seeing it on some community stage!

    ”

Character Information

  • Vivian
    Artistic Director of Mapleton, Indiana Community Theatre. Grandiose, self-serious, treats every decision as high art.
    40s-50s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Clarissa
    Dramaturg. Verbose, academic, smugly pretentious.
    40s-50s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Dave
    A young season ticket holder who won a lottery seat on the committee. Earnest, plainspoken, nostalgic for the farces he did in high school and college. Wide-eyed and hopeful, though VIVIAN and CLARISSA regard him as a child.
    Mid-20s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man

Development History

  • Workshop, Greater Lafayette Playwrights, 2025