Ballast

by Georgette Kelly

(5W, 2M: including 1 trans woman and 1 trans man) What does it mean to love someone in a moment of great transition? Zoe dreams of flying—of escaping to new heights—while her wife, Grace, dreams of standing in a pulpit before a religious community that accepts her recent transition from male to female. 16-year-old Savannah dreams only of her first love, Xavier, who is coping with becoming a man. Meanwhile...

(5W, 2M: including 1 trans woman and 1 trans man) What does it mean to love someone in a moment of great transition? Zoe dreams of flying—of escaping to new heights—while her wife, Grace, dreams of standing in a pulpit before a religious community that accepts her recent transition from male to female. 16-year-old Savannah dreams only of her first love, Xavier, who is coping with becoming a man. Meanwhile Xavier is haunted by the nightmares he sees staring back at him from the mirror. Ballast tells the story of two relationships between transgender and cisgender partners, exploring not only the way gender influences our relationships, but also how gender seeps into our spirituality, our dreams, and even our ability to take flight.

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Ballast

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: Ballast by Georgette Kelly
    “

    A beautiful piece about gender and transition with the connection to spirituality and our relationships. Well done.

    A beautiful piece about gender and transition with the connection to spirituality and our relationships. Well done.

    ”
  • Ignition Arts: Ballast by Georgette Kelly
    “

    A multi-layered exploration of transition - between sleep and waking, male and female, groundedness and flight. Poetic, peripatetic but still practical. Inclusive in scope and concisely packaged. A uniquely topical read.

    A multi-layered exploration of transition - between sleep and waking, male and female, groundedness and flight. Poetic, peripatetic but still practical. Inclusive in scope and concisely packaged. A uniquely topical read.

    ”
  • Hallie Palladino: Ballast by Georgette Kelly
    “

    Ballast is a beautiful play about marriage, love and self-preservation. All the characters are appealing and their stories converge around the theme of becoming one's true self. This play is exquisitely emotionally honest and thoughtfully composed. The complexity of the ideas presented is mirrored by the poetry of its language. And the subject matter is urgently important. It is a play about characters in transition but it manages not to be an issue play and remains at all times a powerful, character-driven story.

    Ballast is a beautiful play about marriage, love and self-preservation. All the characters are appealing and their stories converge around the theme of becoming one's true self. This play is exquisitely emotionally honest and thoughtfully composed. The complexity of the ideas presented is mirrored by the poetry of its language. And the subject matter is urgently important. It is a play about characters in transition but it manages not to be an issue play and remains at all times a powerful, character-driven story.

    ”
View all 6 recommendations

Development History

  • Reading, Chicago Dramatists with About Face and ATC, dir. Megan Carney, 2017
  • Reading, Diversionary Theatre, Dir. Matt M. Morrow, 2016
  • Reading, Mixed Blood Theatre, directed by Matt Morrow, 2016
  • Reading, The Alliance Theatre, Dir. Jasmine Guy (Finalist, Kendeda Prize), 2015
  • Reading, TerraNOVA Collective, Dir. Hannah Wolf (Groundbreakers Playwrights Group), 2015
  • Reading, TOSOS, Dir. Virginia Baeta (Chesley/Chambers Reading Series), 2015
  • Reading, The Alliance Theatre's Kendeda Readings at the LMDA Conference, 2015
  • Reading, Hunter College Playwrights Festival, Dir. Matt M. Morrow, 2013

Production History

  • Professional, Diversionary Theatre, 2017
  • Workshop, CulturalDC's Source Festival (Workshop Production), 2016

Awards

  • Venturous Capital Production Grant
    The Venturous Fund
    Winner
    2017
  • Outstanding New Play
    Craig Noel Awards, San Diego
    Winner
    2017
  • The Lark Playwrights Week
    Finalist
    2016
  • The Alliance/Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Contest
    The Alliance Theatre
    Finalist
    2014
  • The Kilroys List
    Selection
    2015
  • O'Neill Plawrights Conference
    Finalist
    2016