Tesseract by Scott Sickles

[WORK IN PROGRESS]
[FULL-LENGTH DRAMA/THRILLER (Intermission)]
[6 or more female-identifying actors; 2 trans male actors.
Plenty of room for NB casting as well.]

A 9-year-old trans boy goes missing during an airlift after religious extremists overthrow the government. His mothers enlist every resource at their disposal, but their son could be anywhere on the planet and has...
[WORK IN PROGRESS]
[FULL-LENGTH DRAMA/THRILLER (Intermission)]
[6 or more female-identifying actors; 2 trans male actors.
Plenty of room for NB casting as well.]

A 9-year-old trans boy goes missing during an airlift after religious extremists overthrow the government. His mothers enlist every resource at their disposal, but their son could be anywhere on the planet and has left no trace.

TESSERACT asks "What if what happened in Kabul happened here? Or anywhere else?"
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Tesseract

Recommended by

  • Paul Donnelly:
    2 Jun. 2023
    “ This is a simply and utterly devastating play. And I mean that as a salute to its power, its craft, its gripping narrative. The harrowing loss of a child is made all the more horrific by the discovery that the child's identity and their physical person have been violated. What is also devastating is the way that this play functions as a cautionary tale. The seizure of power by religious extremists and the erasure of trans people seems entirely possible in our current political climate. I say this as one who lives in Florida. ”
  • Vince Gatton:
    2 Jun. 2023
    “ Scott Sickles' TESSERACT is many things: a pulse-pounding international-intrigue thriller, a heartbreaking family drama, a horrifying dystopian nightmare, and above all else: a warning. Sweeping in scope and unbearably intimate, the story alternates between propulsive, stylized action and tiny moments of grace, courage, and devastation. An urgent howl of rage and cry for help, TESSERACT is a must-read, must-see tour-de-force. ”
  • Jim Lunsford:
    2 Jun. 2023
    “ As a writer, I was joyously inspired by the sweeping scope of imagination and the inherent theatricality in “Tesseract.” This is a play that will excite and challenge every creative member of any artistic team tasked with bringing it to brilliant life. As a father and a citizen of our planet in the current age, I was terrified by the horrifying plausibility of the dystopian world Sickles has created. Like the classics in this genre, sci-fi elements are skillfully tethered to undeniable truths. And the reassuring lines between who we are and who we might become are blurred beyond recognition. ”
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At minimum:
Female presenting actors: 6
Trans male actors: 2
•
THE WIFE, THE WOMAN and THE SON cannot be doubled.
•
THE WIFE: A teacher in her 40s. Cis-female. Married to THE WOMAN. “Mumma” to THE SON.
THE SON: A boy of 9. Trans male. Child of THE WOMAN and THE WIFE.
THE GRANDMOTHER: A stern woman in her 70s/80s. Cis-female. THE WOMAN’s mother and THE SON’s grandmother. Also plays THE OLDER ATTENDEE and others.
THE WOMAN: An attorney in her 40s. Cis-female. Married to THE WIFE, birth mother/ “mommy” of THE SON.
AIRPORT SECURITY: Firm but helpful. Cis-female.
MILITARY OFFICER: High ranking US military field officer. Cis-female.
GATE AGENT: Cis-female.
PASSENGER #1: Entitled. Any gender.
PASSENGER #2: No-nonsense. Cis-female.
STATE DEPARTMENT REP: Official but helpful. Female.
INTERPOL LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
ICMP LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
UNHRC LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
UNODC LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
THE LEADER: Support group leader.
Also plays one of the Liaisons.
THE FRIEND: A cis-het woman in the support group.
Also plays one of the Liaisons.
THE FATHER: A trans man separated from their family, in the support group.
Also plays one of the Liaisons and others.
THE OLDER ATTENDEE: An older woman in the support group.
Also plays one of the Liaisons. Played by THE GRANDMOTHER
AIRPORT WORKER: Not played by AIRPORT SECURITY.
MALE AIRPORT SECURITY: Played by THE FATHER
THE MAN: A white man in his late 30s or older, even much older. Played by THE FATHER.
•
Doubling can occur between but not within the following blocks.
Some suggestions and preferences are listed.

Doubling Block #1*
AIRPORT SECURITY
MILITARY OFFICER
GATE AGENT
PASSENGER #1 (can be played by THE FATHER)
PASSENGER #2 (can be played by THE GRANDMOTHER)
Also double as TRAVERERS (non-speaking)

Doubling Block #2
STATE DEPARTMENT REP
ICMP LIAISON
UNHRC LIAISON
UNODC LIAISON
INTERPOL LIAISON

Doubling Block #3
THE LEADER
THE FRIEND
THE FATHER
THE OLDER ATTENDEE (played by THE GRANDMOTHER)

Doubling Block #4
AIRPORT WORKER (not AIRPORT SECURITY)
MALE AIRPORT SECURITY (played by THE FATHER)