Dust

by Danielle Mohlman

Wrestling with the reality that everyone he's ever known was just killed in a shooting at his school, Boy spends his last minutes spinning a story that looks not unlike J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. These young women, these mermaids, compete to be heard as their story unfolds. They are the swim team – powerful and sometimes monstrous. And then there’s Wendy. His Wendy. Boy is convinced that she’s the only person who...

Wrestling with the reality that everyone he's ever known was just killed in a shooting at his school, Boy spends his last minutes spinning a story that looks not unlike J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. These young women, these mermaids, compete to be heard as their story unfolds. They are the swim team – powerful and sometimes monstrous. And then there’s Wendy. His Wendy. Boy is convinced that she’s the only person who understands him. Until she doesn’t. Part dance, part theatre, Dust plays like a music score that’s been infiltrated by poetry, giving voice to the unspeakable.

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Dust

Recommended by

  • Conor McShane: Dust

    This play plunges us into the mind of a monster with no means of escape, forced to see the world through his eyes. It also pulls of the pretty incredible trick of not being his story, despite being locked into his point of view. Reading doesn't really do it full justice, and I hope to someday be able to see it in its horrible, mesmeric glory.

    This play plunges us into the mind of a monster with no means of escape, forced to see the world through his eyes. It also pulls of the pretty incredible trick of not being his story, despite being locked into his point of view. Reading doesn't really do it full justice, and I hope to someday be able to see it in its horrible, mesmeric glory.

  • Daniel Prillaman: Dust

    A deep dive into rage, righteous and petty. The story of Boy and Wendy is all too common in today's society, yet it's one that repeats itself again and again. Mohlman condenses this fury into an immensely theatrical script, providing opportunities for unforgettable imagery and staged movement. The whole production team has a playground here, or perhaps more appropriate to say, a pool. I can only imagine what it would be like to hear the Mermaids in real time. A commanding wall of sound, deftly paced like a poem. This is expertly crafted.

    A deep dive into rage, righteous and petty. The story of Boy and Wendy is all too common in today's society, yet it's one that repeats itself again and again. Mohlman condenses this fury into an immensely theatrical script, providing opportunities for unforgettable imagery and staged movement. The whole production team has a playground here, or perhaps more appropriate to say, a pool. I can only imagine what it would be like to hear the Mermaids in real time. A commanding wall of sound, deftly paced like a poem. This is expertly crafted.

  • Daniel Repp: Dust

    A play that uses its ensemble as a powerful hurricane. The women in the chorus (as few as 6 and as many as 49!) gather speed for overwhelming moments that bring the calmer sections into sharp focus. This play lives confidently in the "anger" stage of grief, giving voice to the victims of gun violence and letting them take their revenge on toxic masculinity.

    A play that uses its ensemble as a powerful hurricane. The women in the chorus (as few as 6 and as many as 49!) gather speed for overwhelming moments that bring the calmer sections into sharp focus. This play lives confidently in the "anger" stage of grief, giving voice to the victims of gun violence and letting them take their revenge on toxic masculinity.

View all 14 recommendations

Character Information

BOY must be played by a white actor. The cast as a whole cannot be more than 50% white.
  • Boy
    Character Age
    18
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Wendy
    Character Age
    18
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Lily
    Character Age
    17
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Isabel
    Character Age
    17
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • The Mermaids
    six to forty-six young women
    Character Age
    14 to 18
    Character Gender Identity
    Female,
    Female or Non-binary

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Cygnet Theatre, Year 2018
  • Type Workshop, Organization Sewanee Writers' Conference, Year 2016
  • Type Reading, Organization The Inkwell, Year 2013
  • Type Workshop, Organization Artists' Bloc, Year 2013
  • Type Reading, Organization Artists' Bloc, Year 2012

Production History

  • Type University, Organization University of Florida, Year 2023
  • Type University, Organization Pacific Lutheran University, Year 2021
  • Type University, Organization Sam Houston State University, Year 2019
  • Type Workshop, Organization Youth Theatre Northwest, Year 2018

Awards