Teen Dad by Adrienne Dawes

UNPRODUCED FULL LENGTH: Abby, a precocious emo-goth teenager, orchestrates a surprise reunion for her mother Tanya and birth father Tom, with the help of her mom's fiance/healer John. Hoping to provoke long-lasting reconciliation between her parents before her high school graduation, Abby's plans completely derail when Tom arrives with his new girlfriend Alisha. Can this family confront their past...
UNPRODUCED FULL LENGTH: Abby, a precocious emo-goth teenager, orchestrates a surprise reunion for her mother Tanya and birth father Tom, with the help of her mom's fiance/healer John. Hoping to provoke long-lasting reconciliation between her parents before her high school graduation, Abby's plans completely derail when Tom arrives with his new girlfriend Alisha. Can this family confront their past traumas, "deal and heal?"

"Teen Dad" subverts popular regional theatre "kitchen-sink beach house dramedy" to share a heartfelt, comedic exploration of generational trauma and recovery in a mixed race Black and Latinx family.
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Teen Dad

Recommended by

  • Michael Cotey:
    15 Sep. 2021
    “ Dawes masterfully sets up an eclectic group of unique characters whom you get to know well enough without it feeling like exposition is being laid out at any point to give the audience a full picture of the individuals. The characters are great antitheses of each other, but like any good character pairings, they are also more a like than they care to acknowledge, and that
    acknowledgement is part of the journey. The results are hilarious and full of heart! ”
  • Rachel Bykowski:
    21 Nov. 2020
    “ Enjoyed a virtual reading of Teen Dad with Inkwell Theater and found that once again Dawes showcases her talent to write dynamic, extremely developed characters with complex stories that are well balanced with humor. This family drama is a refreshing tale for the stage with characters any actor would find exciting to play. ”
  • Kullen Burnet:
    27 Jun. 2020
    “ Teen Dad is a hilarious, mul-tee-faceted, confrontational and big hearted play that felt like being witness to a noise rock family trauma dramedy concept album played in real time! The interactions between characters felt grounded like a bass line, the dialogue was sharp in directness like a guitar string being shredded off, and it had a pace that ricocheted like a cymbal but was also steady like a drum beat. Read this! ”
View all 11 recommendations

Character Information

  • Tom
    30s,
    Latinx or mixed-Latinx, Mixed race: Hispanic and white
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Tanya
    30s,
    Black
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • John
    40s,
    Black
    ,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Alisha
    20s,
    afro- or mixed-race latina, Mixed
    ,
    Female, Femme
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Abby
    15,
    Afro Latina, Afro-Latinx
    ,
    Female, Femme
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Stages Repertory - Sin Muros Latinx Theatre Festival
    ,
    2020
  • Reading
    ,
    Blank Theatre
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    North Carolina Black Repertory Company
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    TheatreSquared
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    Heckle Her
    ,
    2018
  • Reading
    ,
    National Black Theatre
    ,
    2018
  • Reading
    ,
    Live Girls! Theatre
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Heckle Her
    ,
    2014

Production History

  • Community Theater
    ,
    Arts One Presents
    ,
    2022
  • University
    ,
    Texas State University
    ,
    2021

Awards

Finalist
,
Judith Royer Excellence in Playwriting Award
,
Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE)
,
2020
Finalist
,
Inkslinger Playwriting Competition
,
Southeastern Louisiana University
,
2017
Winner
,
Scriptworks Seed Support Grant
,
Scriptworks
,
2014