SISTER/FRIEND by Genevieve Simon

While their parents party upstairs Like It’s 1999, five young girls count down to Y2K and wonder what The End Of The World will look like from their basement. Childhood games unravel the truths their parents won’t tell them, and each must decide what they owe to the people they call family.

An homage to the girls who raised us when our parents weren't watching.
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SISTER/FRIEND

Recommended by

  • Jillian Blevins:
    10 Jun. 2023
    “ For a 90’s tween, NYE ‘99 truly felt like the end of the world might be coming. SISTER/FRIEND overlays that feeling of impending apocalypse with other world-enders: the loss of childhood that comes with a dawning awareness of your sexuality and the fallibility of your parents, and of course every fight with your BFF. Inserting Tess, a sheltered outsider raised to wait for the End of Days, elevates this play to something more than (super-fun, deeply satisfying) 90’s nostalgia. As the target audience for this play—an elder millennial obsessed with cults—I couldn’t stop reading. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    23 Jun. 2020
    “ Loved this glorious story of with two sets of sisters and a curious outsider of a cousin at the center of it. Each character was rendered distinctly, and Simon utilized small moments and interactions to show subtle but palpable dramatic action and change. I both loved the potent and nuanced relationship between Mandy and Angie, and the central event involving Angie, Kathleen, and their unseen father was a beautifully executed seismic character/relationship shift that affected clear character change without contrived theatrics or drama. Funny, wonderful work! ”
  • Jan Rosenberg:
    13 Jun. 2020
    “ I read this lightning fast-I couldn't stop. A delightful combination of late 90s nostalgia, cults, and lotttttts of tension. YES, invite the estranged cousin from the End of Days cult to the Y2K party! ”

Character Information

I recommend doubling Declan and the Moms, to have one actor doing all the offstage voices.

The girls should all be played by adult actors.

  • MANDY
    15,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Reya’s older sister, Angie’s best friend. Likes to be in charge. Wants to get elbows-deep into anything taboo. Knows about sex from personal experience and also the internet. What she feels for Angie is different.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • ANGIE
    15,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Kathleen and Declan’s older sister, Mandy’s best friend. Hasn’t quite figured out if she feels something more. A little busy trying to block out the world upstairs. Recently discovered that every adult is a fucking liar.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • REYA
    10,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Mandy’s little sister, Kathleen’s best friend. Constantly breaking into song, very in touch with pop culture of the 1990s. A wild spirit, at once fully aware and totally unaware of her own body’s capability.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • KATHLEEN
    10,
    Any (but probably white)
    ,
    Female
    Angie’s little sister, Reya’s best friend. Easily frightened/overwhelmed/excited. Hates and loves being the baby of the group. Also loves being older than her little brother Declan. Knows her parents are separated but doesn’t understand why. Trying to bring everyone back together.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • TESS
    13,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Reya and Mandy’s cousin, whom they have never met until this week. Just moved to town with her mom after leaving The Farm in upstate New York. Has never lived in the world outside The Farm before. Other people might call it a commune or a cult, but Tess had a great time on The Farm and calls it home. Knows next to nothing about 1990s pop culture, has never been allowed to listen to music or watch movies. But maybe knows more about how the world works than the other girls do. Does not understand why she and her mom had to leave The Farm.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • DECLAN
    4,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Angie and Kathleen’s little brother. Absolutely not allowed in the basement. Would love nothing more than to be in the basement. Loud and determined.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • THE MOMS
    40s ,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    offstage voices of the girls mothers. We never see them but we hear their voices. We also sometimes see their feet in the space above the basement. They are doing their best?
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Play Date @ Pete's Candy Store
    ,
    2020