Pluck

It's 2003. Fourteen year-old Cleo and Bea are twins. Cleo can't stop running away from womanhood. Bea can't stop running away, period. When we don't have the words for what we're becoming, we make up myths instead. A play about gender identity, dysphoria, twins, and monsters in the age of AOL.
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Pluck

Recommended by

  • Aly Kantor:
    19 Sep. 2023
    This fierce, raw coming-of-age drama is what young audiences deserve—though theatre-goers of all ages will surely relate to this uber-honest depiction of teenage transformation (and the humiliating yearning to make one's strange and shameful internal world visible). I was particularly taken by the chatroom scenes, which add a unique sense of theatricality while perfectly encapsulating Cleo's internal struggles with queerness, gender, and the assorted struggles of puberty. The piece is succinct, and every player has at least one incredible moment to shine and show off their range. This is a wonderfully wild, delightfully specific, but broadly relatable play!
  • Mak Shealy:
    19 Sep. 2023
    Pluck is an exceptional exploration of the messiness and stark clarity of burgeoning teen identity. Cleo's journal entries are heartbreaking and beautiful and the depiction of the chatroom scenes perfectly encapsulates the particular loneliness and questioning Cleo is experiencing. There is a feeling of myth, of lore and of unsettling loss in this play. Like all of Rosenberg's work, I'm chomping at the bit to see this onstage!
  • Liba Vaynberg:
    12 Jul. 2023
    This play is a fantastic exploration of adolescence and growth and the horrors and surprises of transformation and identity. Jan’s dialogue is so funny and sharp and honest, and the script is peppered with monologues that plumb the depths of the protagonist’s quest. And the mom is hilarious and fantastic. Saw it at the O’Neill twice! You can’t keep me away ❤️

Character Information

  • Lenny
    30s-40s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Guidance counselor. Also plays DADDY SAYZ, CIRCUS FREAK, and TYLER. Queer.
  • Jessie
    35,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    The twins' mother.
  • Fox
    14,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Super nerdy, super smart.
  • Cleo
    14,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Can be played by AFAB non-binary performer. Questioning her/their gender. Bea’s twin.
  • Bea
    14,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Cleo's Twin.

Development History

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Playwriting Fellowship
,
Princess Grace Awards
,
2023