North Star

Summer in the north woods of Minnesota. The days are long. The stars are bright. But when it gets dark, it gets really dark—like when someone opens fire at camp. NORTH STAR is a new play that centers around an all-female group of campers and counselors coping with violence that leaves them utterly vulnerable. At the crux of this play is the question: what happens when social contracts are broken, when gun...
Summer in the north woods of Minnesota. The days are long. The stars are bright. But when it gets dark, it gets really dark—like when someone opens fire at camp. NORTH STAR is a new play that centers around an all-female group of campers and counselors coping with violence that leaves them utterly vulnerable. At the crux of this play is the question: what happens when social contracts are broken, when gun violence breaks through places that should feel safe, and when young people lose trust in the adults in their lives? Their stories are entwined with the French Canadian myth of La Chasse-Galerie, in which a group of voyageurs made a deal with the devil to journey home in a flying canoe in order to see their lost loved ones.
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North Star

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear:
    14 Apr. 2021
    A powerful look at gun violence and the utter loss of trust in the world. Moving and well done.
  • Skye Robinson Hillis:
    10 Nov. 2019
    I had the pleasure of seeing a staged reading of this play at Creede Rep and it absolutely blew me away. Kelly has created two unbelievably vivid worlds and blended them together in a way that is truly breathtaking. It's funny, smart, moving, and absolutely terrifying all at once. I can't wait to see a full production of this play.
  • Lojo Simon:
    24 Aug. 2019
    North Star is an exciting, theatrical play that deftly blends contemporary challenges (mass shootings, teenage bullying) with myth, magic, history and playfulness. With a robust, mostly female cast and tons of opportunity for creative staging, North Star is a particularly relevant and appealing choice for colleges, universities and progressive high schools.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Chicago Dramatists
    ,
    2019
  • Residency
    ,
    National Winter Playwrights Retreat
    ,
    2018
  • Residency
    ,
    Tofte Lake Center
    ,
    2017
  • Residency
    ,
    City of Chicago DCASE IAP Grant
    ,
    2016

Production History

  • Workshop
    ,
    North Park University
    ,
    2018

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Biennial Comission
,
Clubbed Thumb
,
2015