Making Some Noise by Claudia Haas

Juliana, Emma and Nell see Nazis and terrorists around every corner. This is noted as the three sisters gather yet again for the anniversary of their mother’s tragic death on 9/11. What is the make-up of a life? Is it reduced to belongings and haphazard memories? They have basically been sitting Shiva every September 11th terror attacks. Juliana’s grieving tradition has taken a toll on her marriage. Emma who...
Juliana, Emma and Nell see Nazis and terrorists around every corner. This is noted as the three sisters gather yet again for the anniversary of their mother’s tragic death on 9/11. What is the make-up of a life? Is it reduced to belongings and haphazard memories? They have basically been sitting Shiva every September 11th terror attacks. Juliana’s grieving tradition has taken a toll on her marriage. Emma who is always quick to please anyone is ready for a change. Things are turned upside down when Nell returns home and no longer wishes to continue the grieving tradition. The full length version was an Eugene O'Neill Semi-Finalist. 20 minutes.
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Making Some Noise

Recommended by

  • Morey Norkin:
    29 Jun. 2023
    “ Three sisters gather annually to memorialize their mother, who was a 9/11 victim. Their rituals, lingering grief, and anxiety over future terrorist attacks and rising antisemitism create a palpable tension among them. Claudia Haas brilliantly captures the various stages these sisters find themselves in, from being stuck in the past to making a clean break. Their journey to understand each other and deal with their loss is captivating. Beautifully done. ”
  • Cheryl Bear:
    6 Feb. 2021
    “ A truly spectacular portrait of grief that is so heartfelt as it breaks and moves you beautifully. Excellent. ”
  • D. Lee Miller:
    22 Sep. 2020
    “ Claudia Haas' play, MAKING SOME NOISE, is a heartfelt play with many layers. Almost musical, it struck me as a piece with three variations -- each dealing with tragedies and grief. How do we deal with our grief? Everyone is different in this play, just as everyone is different in life. What I particularly liked were the age differences of the three sisters involved, their different relationships with their mother and their relationships to history, too. Well done, Haas. ”
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Character Information

CAST: 3 females

  • Nell
    25,
    Any (but probably white), Jewish
    ,
    Female
    Distanced from 9/11 but has never dealt with it;
    recent college graduate edit
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Jules
    32,
    Any (but probably white), Jewish
    ,
    Female
    Eldest of the three sisters, carefully preserving 9/11, lawyer
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Emma
    29,
    Any (but probably white), Jewish
    ,
    Female
    Middle child people-pleaser; still trapped in 9/11; obsessively follows disasters, music teacher
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Theatre in the Round Players, Minneapolis
    ,
    2021
  • Reading
    ,
    The Bechdel Group, NYC
    ,
    2017
  • Reading
    ,
    Workhouse Theatre (full length version)
    ,
    2016
  • Workshop
    ,
    T.E.A.S.E., Little Lifeboats, Minneapolis, MN
    ,
    2016