Alabaster by Audrey Cefaly

Cast of 4 women | Dark comedy | (Winner of the Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize, Official Selection: 2018 NNPN Showcase)     •    A noted photographer sets out to explore the topography of “scars.” Her journey lands her in the mysterious realm of an undiscovered folk artist hiding away in North Alabama. ALABASTER is about an artist who lost her entire family (and nearly died herself) in an Alabama...
Cast of 4 women | Dark comedy | (Winner of the Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize, Official Selection: 2018 NNPN Showcase)     •    A noted photographer sets out to explore the topography of “scars.” Her journey lands her in the mysterious realm of an undiscovered folk artist hiding away in North Alabama. ALABASTER is about an artist who lost her entire family (and nearly died herself) in an Alabama tornado. Three years since the devastation, JUNE has isolated herself, along with her goats WEEZY and BIB, on what remains of her family farm. JUNE is covered, from head to toe... with scars. She suffers from agoraphobia and crippling PTSD. She gets up every day and she feeds the goats, weeds the garden, and picks up her paintbrush. ALICE, a world-renowned photographer, has come to take pictures of JUNE for a series on women with scars. But ALICE is carrying scars of her own and IS desperately trying to outrun her own pain. The sexual tension between JUNE and ALICE is immediate and ever-present. But what they need from each other transcends the physical. What does it mean to be truly "seen?" How do we pick up the pieces? How do we move forward?     •    KEYWORDS/THEMES: PTSD, social anxiety. LGTBQ, death, grief, loss, natural disaster, healing, all-female cast.     •    Read more about ALABASTER (reviews, pix, upcoming productions): https://www.audreycefaly.com/alabaster-alabamagoatplay     •    Other plays by Audrey Cefaly: MAYTAG VIRGIN, THE GULF (winner of the 2018 Lammy Award for LGBTQ Drama), THE LAST WIDE OPEN, LOVE IS A BLUE TICK HOUND
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Alabaster

Recommended by

  • Chelsea Anderson:
    8 Mar. 2019
    “ A lovely story with such heart. A beautiful mix of pain, pathos, and wit. This exceptional play is the kind of story we need right now, told in a touching, compelling, and thoughtful way. Kudos to some phenomenal work. ”
  • Joel Stone:
    22 Jan. 2019
    “ "Alabaster" is that one-in-a-thousand play that works both as a bittersweet comedy that's full of surprises and as a heart wrenching testament to what it means to be alive in an age of uncertainty. The characters are wonderfully unique and their dialogue is snappy and illuminating. Besides, how many plays have goats that comment on the action in them? I wholeheartedly recommend Audrey's incredible play to anyone searching for a work brimming with humanity. ”
  • Michael Dove:
    21 Jan. 2019
    “ It's not always easy to predict how a play will connect to you, how it will affect you. We talk so much about "relevancy" these days but often lose sight of the fact that relevance isn't just about current events or topical themes--it's also about what it does inside the hearts of the audience and the bond it creates with you and the stage.

    Well-written characters, no matter the situation, open up these passages of human understanding, of connection. This play did that for me and more. It's a tremendous gift to my heart. ”
View all 16 recommendations

Character Information

  • June
    30s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    an artist
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Alice
    30s-40s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    a photographer
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Weezy
    40s-50s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    a goat
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Bib
    70s-80s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    a very old goat

    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Contemporary American Theatre Festival
    ,
    2018
  • Reading
    ,
    NNPN Showcase, National New Play Network
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    Florida Rep - PlayLab Festival
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    Theater Alliance, Washington, DC
    ,
    2017
  • Workshop
    ,
    Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA
    ,
    2017

Production History

Awards

Selection
,
2018 NNPN Showcase
,
National New Play Network
,
2018