THE STORYTELLER by Sara Jean Accuardi

"I have done nothing but in care of thee,
Of thee, my dear one—thee my daughter," - William Shakespeare, The Tempest

[full length] Finalist, 2019 O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference. Randi has lived off the grid with her father for as long as she can remember. She knows better than to question things—at least, until now. THE STORYTELLER is a riff on THE...
"I have done nothing but in care of thee,
Of thee, my dear one—thee my daughter," - William Shakespeare, The Tempest

[full length] Finalist, 2019 O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference. Randi has lived off the grid with her father for as long as she can remember. She knows better than to question things—at least, until now. THE STORYTELLER is a riff on THE TEMPEST that explores the magic and power of the narratives we create.
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THE STORYTELLER

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation:
    6 Apr. 2020
    “ Playwrights Foundation enthusiastically recommends this play THE STORYTELLER, as a Semi-Finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival 2020. We were moved by the quality of the writing and the relevant and compelling themes that spoke to the mission of our festival. It excelled in a competitive process of 735 plays submitted this year and rose to the top after a six month long process discussing its merits with both national and local Bay Area readers, and we hope it moves swiftly towards production. ”
  • Pauline David-Sax:
    18 Jun. 2019
    “ A heartbreaking play about the power of stories and the pain of not knowing. I love the way Accuardi has brought unreliable narration to the stage in such an inventive way. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    15 Jun. 2019
    “ This is a briskly moving, beautiful piece. I love how the rules and expectations are set up right from the start and, slowly but surely, many of our initial guesses or preconceived notions are subverted. Highly theatrical and oftentimes surprising. ”
View all 4 recommendations

Character Information

3w, 3m

  • RANDI
    17,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A little bit lost, a little bit plain, a little bit magical. A daughter.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • PAPS
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Kind of lost too. Has more charisma than magic. A father.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • TIFF
    30s - 50s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Took a wrong turn somewhere. A friend.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • JIMMY
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Broken. A loner.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • SPENCER
    19,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Normal. A nice young boy.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • THE LADY
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    She tells stories.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Something Marvelous (Chicago, IL)
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    Fertile Ground Festival of New Work
    ,
    2018

Awards

Selection
,
The Something Marvelous Festival of Magical Realism
,
2019
Finalist
,
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
,
2018