Lacking Experience by Amber Palmer

The talent show is quickly approaching for Lacking Experience, an all girls high school Jimi Hendrix cover band. When their drummer has to quit unexpectedly, Ella (the guitarist) and Hannah (the singer and bassist) will have to team up with high school senior Nora to pull together one last good show for Ella's mom. But with families falling apart, small town bigotry and bouts of internalized homophobia,...
The talent show is quickly approaching for Lacking Experience, an all girls high school Jimi Hendrix cover band. When their drummer has to quit unexpectedly, Ella (the guitarist) and Hannah (the singer and bassist) will have to team up with high school senior Nora to pull together one last good show for Ella's mom. But with families falling apart, small town bigotry and bouts of internalized homophobia, that's proving to be harder than expected. This coming of age story explores becoming your own person and surviving even when it feels like the world is crumbling around you.
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Lacking Experience

Recommended by

  • Connar Klock:
    8 Feb. 2020
    “ LACKING EXPERIENCE may be an apt name for this honest play given Ella's pilgrimage across the frets, but it wouldn't describe Palmer herself one bit. While the dialogue that this wordsmith uses to digest what young relationships are, can be, cuts deeply, it is interwoven perfectly with golden music that drives Ella forward when words just won't do. A masterful exploration into our presence in the now as ourselves, our connection to the people who helped put us there, and all the personal reconciliation between. ”
  • Mario (Mars) Wolfe:
    21 Jun. 2019
    “ LACKING EXPERIENCE flirts with your nostalgia, as it explores growing up queer in the world today. It satisfies the soul, like any great bassline. The instrumentation and actor accompanied underscoring heighten the naturalistic scenes and pluck at your heartstrings. Amber brings identity, desire, and musicality in one practice room and give them space to harmonize in this nuanced coming of age story. LACKING EXPERIENCE takes you on a sonic journey that will leave you repeating lines and humming the band’s melodies well into the night. ”
  • Rachel Bykowski:
    17 Jun. 2019
    “ A gorgeous, honest play about friendship, family, love, and self. This play transports you back to high school, but Palmer, within the teenaged anxiety, expertly weaves grounded, self-awareness that gives a refreshing look at high-schoolers instead of patronizing them on their journey to adulthood. I am so grateful to see a play that depicts women and LGBTQ characters in a story that is about so much more than just coming out. ”

Character Information

  • Ella
    16,
    Any Race (BIPOC preferred)
    ,
    Female
    The guitarist for Lacking Experience.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Hannah
    16,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    The bassist for Lacking Experience.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Kate
    15,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    The old drummer for Lacking Experience.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Nora
    18,
    Any
    ,
    Female, genderqueer
    The new drummer for Lacking Experience. The best musician of all the characters.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Activate Midwest New Play Festival
    ,
    2019
  • Residency
    ,
    The Mitten Lab
    ,
    2019