ALEXANDRIA by Vince Gatton

[FULL LENGTH] In a small town library in the Deep South, two librarians share an unlikely close friendship, despite being on opposite sides of the culture war. But when a young queer runaway, ominous global events, and the Sweep of Human History come crashing through their front door, what will it take for that friendship to survive?

Alexandria is a play about relationships that cross deep...
[FULL LENGTH] In a small town library in the Deep South, two librarians share an unlikely close friendship, despite being on opposite sides of the culture war. But when a young queer runaway, ominous global events, and the Sweep of Human History come crashing through their front door, what will it take for that friendship to survive?

Alexandria is a play about relationships that cross deep divides of belief and conviction: what those relationships are worth, and what they cost.

*** Winner - Sanguine Theatre Company's Project Playwright Festival
** Semi-finalist, Princess Grace Award
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ALEXANDRIA

Recommended by

  • Daniel Prillaman:
    15 Feb. 2023
    “ Jesus. Gatton's "Alexandria" is staggering. Deeply felt, lived, complex, yet earnestly simple at the same time. I can't remember the last time I've read something that floored me so much that I just couldn't even process it. It's taken some time.

    We know Brenda. We know Ray. We know all of these characters. We are them. And at the end of the day, we either believe like one of them, or the other. There is no middle ground in love. It is either absolute, or it is a lie. Highly recommended. This play demands production. ”
  • Michael C. O'Day:
    21 Nov. 2022
    “ It starts so simply, so poetically, a bittersweet naturalistic portrait of contemporary small-town life, a sensitive meditation on politics and faith and friendship. And then, because Vince Gatton is a diabolical genius, a series of breathtakingly terrifying surprises erupt, allowing the dark and monstrous fantasies buried deep in our national subconscious to come erupting to the surface. I won't tell you exactly what sort of an apocalypse you can expect, but I can promise you won't be the same when you come out the other side of it. Read this play. Produce this play. NOW. ”
  • Aly Kantor:
    29 Jan. 2022
    “ Every character in this play tells you exactly who they are, clearly and unapologetically - and they do so through natural, distinct, and thought-provoking dialogue. This is a tightly plotted and structured play that asks a lot of questions that don't have easy answers. It's full of distinct, layered characters who will make you laugh and make you rage. It's full of tension and high stakes, but they are all earned through tremendously subtle hints that accumulate until the play's heartwrenching, utterly visceral conclusion. The is the sort of play that an empathic reader will physically feel in their body. ”
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Character Information

  • Brenda
    50-ish,
    White
    ,
    Female
    Head librarian at a small town library and a local, born and bred. Southern. Lesbian. Brenda has a jagged, unavoidable scar on her face. She flows like a wide river, calm, steady, and always forward.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Ray
    30s - early 40s,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Southern white man anywhere in his 30s – 40s. Looks like a bespectacled hipster, or as close to a hipster as you can get in this small Southern town. Smart, funny, warm, and hyper-verbal. Works at the library. His people go way back.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Ol’Mo
    60s - 70s ,
    African American, Black
    ,
    Male
    Southern African-American male, no one knows how old exactly, but old. The library equivalent of a barfly, he’s always around, always carrying a violin case. An antisocial loner, he’s reserved, protective, and full of opinions he keeps to himself.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Pam
    40s to 50s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Lesbian woman in her mid-40s to 50s, any ethnicity. From Chicago, and you can tell it from the sound of her. Loud, and with a low tolerance for bullshit.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Monté
    Teens,
    Black and/or Latinx, African-American or Latinx
    ,
    Male, gender non-conforming
    Teens or 20s to play teens. A Southern Black queer boy, he is uninterested in and incapable of gender-conforming. Determined, smart, and intuitive, he holds on to his self-worth like a treasure and a weapon.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Bunbury Theater
    ,
    2020
  • Reading
    ,
    Project Y Theatre
    ,
    2017
  • Reading
    ,
    Luna Stage
    ,
    2017

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Sanguine Theatre Company
    ,
    2018

Awards

Finalist
,
Hidden River Playwriting Award
,
Hidden River Arts
,
2019
Winner
,
Project Playwright Festival
,
Sanguine Theatre Company
,
2018