Where You Can't Follow by Adam Szymkowicz

FULL LENGTH: Matt learns he has only a few weeks to live and tries to live the life he has always wanted. Most of all, he wants to fall in love before he dies. He leaves his old life and flies to Paris where he meets Josette, who says she will teach him what love is. 2M, 2F with doubling or as many as 10M 10F.
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Where You Can't Follow

Recommended by

  • James Perry:
    9 Jan. 2024
    “ The characters in "Where You Can’t Follow" are a symphony of human emotions, each note striking a chord with the audience. Matt's journey from shock to acceptance, Sara's heartbreak, Josette's complexity, and the array of supporting characters create a narrative full of relatable and authentic human experiences. Love, loss, and the transient nature of life form the core, with each scene contributing to a profound exploration of the human condition. This play is a gift for theater enthusiasts, offering a rich tapestry of emotions, engaging dialogue, and complex characters. ”
  • Cheryl Bear:
    7 Aug. 2019
    “ An utterly fantastic play about a life well lived and its most important component. Beautiful. ”
  • Eugene O'Neill Theater Center:
    12 May. 2017
    “ It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Adam Szymkowicz and their play Where You Can't Follow as a finalist for our 2012 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process. ”
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Character Information

CAST OF CHARACTERS

This play can be performed by as few as 2 men and 2 women or as many as 10 men and 10 women.

MATT--------------------------------------------------------mid 30s to early 40s, American.

JOSETTE----------------------------------------------------late 20s to early 30s. French accent.

Men:
DR. FLEISHER, BARTENDER, JIM, TSA MAN, WAITER, PRIEST, MAN, BORIS, ANTOINE

Women:
SARA, LINDA, MOM, WOMAN, GIRL, DR. LEFEVRE, DAPHNE, PSYCHIC, KIRIN

Once in France, not everyone has to have a French accent. The WAITER and DAPHNE should be French but some of the others can have other foreign accents if you like. None of them should be American however.

Settings can be minimally implied.

  • Matt
    30s to 40s,
    Any (but probably white)
    ,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • JOSETTE
    20s to 30s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • DR. FLEISHER, BARTENDER, JIM, TSA MAN, WAITER, PRIEST, MAN, BORIS, ANTOINE
    25 to 65,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • SARA, LINDA, MOM, WOMAN, GIRL, DR. LEFEVRE, DAPHNE, PSYCHIC, KIRIN
    25 to 65,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    The Chance Theater
    ,
    2015
  • Reading
    ,
    Primary Stages
    ,
    2014