Runtime Error

Tal is trying to get a competitive internship when he approaches his college advisor and mentor for an introduction to the company. The famous Professor Carson is all too willing to make the introduction but for a terrible price. As Tal hides this from everyone in his life, he has a compounding uncomfortable situation arise with his best friend, Celia. Unsure how to proceed now with his classes, his internship...
Tal is trying to get a competitive internship when he approaches his college advisor and mentor for an introduction to the company. The famous Professor Carson is all too willing to make the introduction but for a terrible price. As Tal hides this from everyone in his life, he has a compounding uncomfortable situation arise with his best friend, Celia. Unsure how to proceed now with his classes, his internship and his relationships, Tal finds himself constantly trapped in replays of his memories, trying to figure out what he could have done differently. A play inspired by the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, this play explores similar themes for men and how they cope or don’t.
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Runtime Error

Recommended by

  • Diana Burbano:
    14 May. 2021
    Intense, vivid and moving, Runtime Error brings the topic of male sexual assault to the forefront. The clever use of coding parallels the way the victim sees or doesn't see his story, his victim hood, his error. The reading at Transformation Theatre was powerful. The live version will be even more so.
  • Joslyn Housley:
    14 May. 2021
    Playwright Elana Gartner’s Runtime Error is an intense and challenging exploration of sexual assault and abuse of power among a demographic that has been largely left out of the “me too” conversation. I had the privilege of viewing the powerful Zoom production of Runtime Error presented by Transformation Theatre, Inc. but this play was made for the stage and warrants a full, live production as soon as possible.
  • Nick Malakhow:
    18 Apr. 2021
    A moving rendering of an underrepresented narrative. Tal is a super compelling and engaging central character and the theatrical and unconventional way that the story unfolds (the repeated "runtime errors") mirrors in an intriguing way the trauma and stress he undergoes in the wake of his assault. The dynamic between Tal and Celia is rich, fascinating, and made complicated in a powerful way by Tal's erratic behavior and inability to share what has happened with him with his close confidant. I'd love to see this on its feet onstage!

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Transformation Theatre
    ,
    2021
  • Workshop
    ,
    Spalding University MFA Playwriting Program
    ,
    2019
  • Workshop
    ,
    EMG Playwriting Workshop
    ,
    2019

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
,
Eugene O'Neill Center
,
2021