Rage Play

by Nandita Shenoy

Kilroys List 2020. Three women stand over the man they’ve killed, struggling to understand how it happened and why he keeps coming back to life. Again and again and again. In response to the #MeToo movement, this black comedy examines the costs women pay in fighting against sexism and patriarchy as well as the ways they may be complicit in an oppressive system. Through their purgatory, the women aim for...

Kilroys List 2020. Three women stand over the man they’ve killed, struggling to understand how it happened and why he keeps coming back to life. Again and again and again. In response to the #MeToo movement, this black comedy examines the costs women pay in fighting against sexism and patriarchy as well as the ways they may be complicit in an oppressive system. Through their purgatory, the women aim for liberation…and maybe even a little sweet revenge.

This play was to have premiered on March 30th, 2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Rage Play

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Rage Play by Nandita Shenoy
    “

    A fantastic play about gender and oppression. Loved the way reality is played with here. Loved how absurd this play gets. Loved how grounded this play was despite the moments of absurdity. A play that is going to spark so much needed conversation. Be brave and produce this play. Your community will thank you.

    A fantastic play about gender and oppression. Loved the way reality is played with here. Loved how absurd this play gets. Loved how grounded this play was despite the moments of absurdity. A play that is going to spark so much needed conversation. Be brave and produce this play. Your community will thank you.

    ”
  • Michael C. O'Day: Rage Play by Nandita Shenoy
    “

    A dazzling, ferocious mix of RASHOMON, Ionesco, and Third-wave feminism. Shenoy isn't content just to comment on our culture of sexual violence, and our fumbling ways to come to terms with it. Instead, she takes on the narratives we tell ourselves to justify our actions, the narratives we use to conveniently judge others, and ultimately, the ethics of narrative itself - all without ever losing sight of the piece's moral core of anguished outrage. Funny, scary, and vital.

    A dazzling, ferocious mix of RASHOMON, Ionesco, and Third-wave feminism. Shenoy isn't content just to comment on our culture of sexual violence, and our fumbling ways to come to terms with it. Instead, she takes on the narratives we tell ourselves to justify our actions, the narratives we use to conveniently judge others, and ultimately, the ethics of narrative itself - all without ever losing sight of the piece's moral core of anguished outrage. Funny, scary, and vital.

    ”
  • Cheryl Bear: Rage Play by Nandita Shenoy
    “

    A powerful look at the rage involved in fighting a system of sexism and patriarchy that never seems to die. Well done.

    A powerful look at the rage involved in fighting a system of sexism and patriarchy that never seems to die. Well done.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

3W, 1M
  • Ay
    Smart, ferocious, and angry; in the world of the theater, she would be a creative, most likely a writer.
    30s-40s
    BIPOC
    Female / Female-Identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • 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
      Female
  • Bea
    Diplomatic, systematic, thoughtful; in the world of the theater, she would be a stage manager.
    30s-40s
    BIPOC
    Female/Female identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • 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
      Female
  • Cece
    Delicate, strong-willed, emotional; in the world of the theater, she would be an actor who played ingénues.
    20s-30s
    Any
    Female/ Female identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Man
    A chameleon, a composite, the antagonist who wants to be liked; in the world of the theater he would be a producer or artistic director and every entitled white man who insists he is a “good guy” and that guy in every other industry as well.
    40s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, EnGarde Arts, 2019
  • Workshop, Flux Theatre Ensemble, 2018

Production History

Awards

  • Kilroys List 2020
    The Kilroys
    2020