Singing to the Brine Shrimp

(A Fantasia in 12 Scenes with Sock Puppets, Ukuleles, Wine, and an Accident)
This is the theatrical opportunity of the lifetime for playwright Allison, a mom from Utah. At least that’s what the people in New York keep telling her. But the director hasn’t read the play, the actors keep competing over who has been on Law and Order the most, and Allison is a ball of stress and insecurity. Thank goodness the...
(A Fantasia in 12 Scenes with Sock Puppets, Ukuleles, Wine, and an Accident)
This is the theatrical opportunity of the lifetime for playwright Allison, a mom from Utah. At least that’s what the people in New York keep telling her. But the director hasn’t read the play, the actors keep competing over who has been on Law and Order the most, and Allison is a ball of stress and insecurity. Thank goodness the singing brine shrimp are there to help her find her way. A fucked up love letter to life and art in a flyover state.
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Singing to the Brine Shrimp

Recommended by

  • Janine Sobeck Knighton:
    21 May. 2020
    I was fortunate to see the premiere of SINGING TO THE BRINE SHRIMP a Plan-B Theatre. It is a comedic look into the mysterious world of new play development. The characters are hilarious and the puppets add to the overall absurdist feel to the experience of Allison as she navigates what should be the professional opportunity of a lifetime.
  • Rachel Bublitz:
    15 Jun. 2018
    This is such a hilarious and zany play! I love the Brine Shrimp and the music used throughout. It's highly theatrical, with painfully realistic characters and situations. Kokai has zeroed in on a playwright's worst nightmare with SINGING TO THE BRINE SHRIMP, and I cringed and laughed all the way through. I am really excited to see this play developed further.

Character Information

  • Allison
    35
    a playwright who lives in Utah. Has serious Scooter the Muppet vibes, would rather sleep than put on make up, would rather make a joke than take things seriously, thought she would stop being awkward by 35, strong preference that she is not white
  • Bianca
    20-30s
    A theatre producer in her early 30s. She seems to be 70% coffee and 30% anxiety. She might never have left New York before. A human.
  • The Brine Shrimp
    They sing along to ukulele songs, they are earnest, often kind, sometimes kind of judgy. The brine shrimp are played using sock puppets.
  • The Other Writers
    Huck (has a lot of opinions), Lucy (has a fascinating and intimidating career history), Chuck (has gone Hollywood). Sock puppets.
  • The Actors
    Rosalinda (works very very hard to be the best), Ryan (has been on Law and Order five times), Quinn (is totally miscast and shouldn't be there). You guessed it. Socks.
  • Royston
    A director. Did not read the play before agreeing to this. Doesn't like the play since he read it. Probably a puppet.
  • Lorina
    35ish
    A dramaturg. Mostly on the phone. Travel issues.
  • Dinah
    35ish
    Allison's wife. A human. Not good in emergency situations.
  • Beth
    A theatre agent. Tiny part.

Production History

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Bay Area Playwrights Festival
,
Playwrights Foundation
,
2019