Eminent Domain (2016 O'Neill Conference Finalist) by Laura Leininger-Campbell

When Rob MacLeod’s family farm is threatened by construction of a pipeline underneath it, the event will light a fuse, threatening to divide the family he loves. On the surface, Eminent Domain exposes the hard-fought battle between America's family farms and corporate energy. Dig a little deeper, and the greater struggle is revealed: a Heartland way of life without its next generation. Our most crucial...
When Rob MacLeod’s family farm is threatened by construction of a pipeline underneath it, the event will light a fuse, threatening to divide the family he loves. On the surface, Eminent Domain exposes the hard-fought battle between America's family farms and corporate energy. Dig a little deeper, and the greater struggle is revealed: a Heartland way of life without its next generation. Our most crucial resource is not the land—it is our kin, our clan, and our heritage.
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Eminent Domain (2016 O'Neill Conference Finalist)

Recommended by

  • Angels Theatre Company:
    5 Nov. 2023
    “ Selected for the 2023-24 Salon Reading Series
    Eminent Domain is an old school family drama. It’s an historical and effective formula that gives the play an intimate feel while imbibing it with the grand scope of a classic American family tragedy. These plays are always more than the sum of their parts. Eminent Domain is focused and intimate while simultaneously revealing a larger scope and truth in our world. The family drama speaks to a contemporary issue that is at the same time, personal and universal. Highly Recommended. ”
  • Beaufield Berry:
    17 Apr. 2018
    “ I can't say enough about Eminent Domain. It is one of my favorite plays ever written! It's a beautifully complex piece about family, property, what and who is right, love and tradition. The MacLeod family is one that will stay as endeared to me as Loman's or the Kowalski's--and perhaps moreso. It's one of those plays where you can find your own family and your own legacy within these very real characters and feel connected to everything. I think this play is a beautiful way to make the very abstract idea of Eminent Domain tangible. ”
  • Eugene O'Neill Theater Center:
    27 Apr. 2016
    “ It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Laura Leininger-Campbell and their play Eminent Domain as a finalist for our 2016 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 54 finalists out of more than 1,450 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process. Our readers really responded to the intricate and authentic family dynamics at play in this work. ”

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Shelterbelt Theater's "Before the Boards" Series
    ,
    2016

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Omaha Community Playhouse (World Premiere)
    ,
    2017
  • Professional
    ,
    Omaha Community Playhouse (World Premiere)
    ,
    2017

Awards

Finalist
,
National Playwrights Conference
,
Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center
,
2016