Koalas

The only thing more territorial than the escaped koala living in Ray Slinger’s backyard is Ray himself. His sense of protectionism goes into overdrive when Natalie (Nate), his gender-nonconforming child, pops in for a stay and, John, his unemployed brother, shows up with a suitcase full of woe.

When John discovers that Ray is about to lose his visitation rights, he teams up with Ray’s neighbor,...
The only thing more territorial than the escaped koala living in Ray Slinger’s backyard is Ray himself. His sense of protectionism goes into overdrive when Natalie (Nate), his gender-nonconforming child, pops in for a stay and, John, his unemployed brother, shows up with a suitcase full of woe.

When John discovers that Ray is about to lose his visitation rights, he teams up with Ray’s neighbor, Gabby, and goes about trying to convince Natalie that Ray is worthy of her time. Their plan backfires when the duo stumbles onto something that hits Ray a little too close to his heart. Can this twentieth-century man survive the dawning of the twenty-first?

Koalas is a full-length tragi-comic play that explores the changing definition of what it means to be a man. It has a unit set and a cast of 5-6 including one Andrew Lloyd Webber-loving koala.
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Koalas

Recommended by

  • Nick Malakhow:
    4 Dec. 2019
    "Koalas" is a delightfully weird and warm-hearted dramedy populated with truly unique and deftly rendered characters. Cox spins a compelling story propelled in many ways by Ray, while also giving satisfying arcs to every other character in the piece (Theo the koala included). Nate is an wonderfully complex and nuanced character--always a treat when a writer gives young people that level of depth. A real sense of the visual, spatial, and aural landscape of this theatrical world is also incredibly clear from just the text itself. How I'd so love to see a production of this piece!
  • Emma Goldman-Sherman:
    14 Oct. 2018
    Sweet, comic, and heartbreaking! Made me happy to have read it! I really enjoyed the style - it feels quite original. Nice work!
  • Katie Coleman:
    25 Jul. 2018
    I read this play at a table read over a year ago, and I'm still thinking about it. Everything I want a play to be.

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Palm Beach Dramaworks
    ,
    2018
  • Commission
    ,
    Princess Grace Foundation Playwright Fellowship (Finalist)
    ,
    2015
  • Workshop
    ,
    Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
    ,
    2015
  • Workshop
    ,
    Portland Stage Company - Little Festival of the Unexpected
    ,
    2015
  • Workshop
    ,
    Something Marvelous Festival
    ,
    2015
  • Workshop
    ,
    Three Cat Productions New Play Workshop
    ,
    2015
  • Workshop
    ,
    O'Neill National Playwrights Conference (Finalist)
    ,
    2015

Production History