An Acorn by Caridad Svich

Propelled by the threat of environmental catastrophe, one traveler leaves home in search of their voice, lost in the rubble of a battered world. This journey takes us through the wreckage of time and history in pursuit of the memory of what earth once was... Haunting, surprising, and poignant: in the face of irreversible environmental damage, AN ACORN uncovers a small kernel of hope. Originally commissioned by...
Propelled by the threat of environmental catastrophe, one traveler leaves home in search of their voice, lost in the rubble of a battered world. This journey takes us through the wreckage of time and history in pursuit of the memory of what earth once was... Haunting, surprising, and poignant: in the face of irreversible environmental damage, AN ACORN uncovers a small kernel of hope. Originally commissioned by the American Blues Theater in Chicago.

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An Acorn

Recommended by

  • Elisabeth Giffin Speckman:
    21 Jan. 2022
    “ A truly masterful work.

    Within the first few lines I was instantly transported back in time, felt my chest tighten and memories flood me. I instantly knew where in time we were, as an American who lived through it in real-time, though Svich doesn't name it. The voices create both beautiful melodic moments and cacophony, and emotions swell like an orchestra.

    Really beautiful work begging to be staged, designed, choreographed, etc AND CAN BE in countless different ways. I hope it continues to be produced, like a warning and a prayer, and gain power in repetition. ”
  • Jordan Elizabeth Henry:
    3 Apr. 2018
    “ A play that cries out to be read out loud (which I did, to my dog), AN ACORN is a song of hope in a swirling wilderness of want, fear, and moral poverty. I love the form this play takes, the way it moves us from moment to moment, from voice to voice. Svich guides us with a gentle hand from this plays beginning to its conclusion; and when we hear the ocean say, "I'm in love; I love you all so much" -- I believe her, and I agree with her. ”
  • Ricardo Soltero-Brown:
    17 Nov. 2017
    “ Caridad Svich again proves herself as one of American theatre's premier artists; her versatility is astounding, and her talent to serve as a conduit for the most common of voices in this country is maybe more clearly on display here than ever in 'An Acorn', one of her rawest pieces. It also has some of her best lines. Her scripts are poetry, they are literature separate from their productions which writers need to take a look at for their economy and visceral sensitivities, their implications, their guidance for actors and directors alike. This is the beauty I've needed all year. ”

Development History

  • Commission
    ,
    American Blues Theatre
    ,
    2017

Production History

  • Fringe
    ,
    Impel Theatre
    ,
    2021
  • University
    ,
    Georgetown University
    ,
    2020
  • University
    ,
    Brown University/Trinity Rep
    ,
    2018