BLIGHT

by John Bavoso

FULL-LENGTH: Silvia and Cat Henson have just moved from a tiny apartment in Washington, DC, into their sprawling dream home in the small, affluent town of Greenville, Delaware. Their new house, however, was recently the home of a teenaged mass shooter and his single mother. Is this the right time and place for Silvia and Cat to bring a new baby into the world, or will the house create an irreparable rift between...

FULL-LENGTH: Silvia and Cat Henson have just moved from a tiny apartment in Washington, DC, into their sprawling dream home in the small, affluent town of Greenville, Delaware. Their new house, however, was recently the home of a teenaged mass shooter and his single mother. Is this the right time and place for Silvia and Cat to bring a new baby into the world, or will the house create an irreparable rift between them and their new community?

"One of the fascinating aspects of theater is how it makes you ask yourself questions you have never considered: Would I live in a house where a mass murderer lived? That’s the thought writer John Bavoso plants in the audience’s mind at the start of 'Blight'... In 'Blight,' the word 'monster' gets thrown in every direction. But this play reminds us that it’s easy to label people and then dismiss them as enemies. Looking for our common humanity is much harder." — Orlando Sentinel

"BLIGHT is [a] play that's urgently relevant to the time we live in now. I was impressed with Bavoso's scope: the house of the play fills with people from the past and the present. A terrible event lies at the center of this play and the house in it, but it's the vivid, real characters that give this play life." — Sam Mayer, The Landing Theater Company

"The selling of a home that previously belonged to a teenager who committed a mass shooting sounds like a powder keg waiting to explode, but the script by John Bavoso... show[s] the tender sides of this ultra sensitive situation... One doesn’t expect much joy or humor from the ominous and dreary description, but the show was actually quite delightful." — DC Theatre Scene

"Is it wrong to be so enamored of a play called 'Blight?' Written by John Bavoso, it is a show that has solid writing, some really funny lines, and an assortment of characters that ring true—they are recognizable in their humanity and in their inhumanity... it’s also a really well-done show with an erudite script, and a powerful emotional wallop." — MD Theatre Guide

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BLIGHT

Recommended by

  • Peter Dakutis: BLIGHT by John Bavoso
    “

    In this engrossing play about a female couple who purchase a house once occupied by a single mother and a teenaged boy who commits a horrific crime, a character says that houses aren't haunted--people are. John Bavoso expertly weaves together two timelines, sometimes simultaneously onstage, to explore the different ways people are haunted by the past, present, and potential future. He keeps you engaged with the characters, all of whom are treated with compassion. Instead of easy answers, Bavoso focuses on greater understanding of how our lives intersect.

    In this engrossing play about a female couple who purchase a house once occupied by a single mother and a teenaged boy who commits a horrific crime, a character says that houses aren't haunted--people are. John Bavoso expertly weaves together two timelines, sometimes simultaneously onstage, to explore the different ways people are haunted by the past, present, and potential future. He keeps you engaged with the characters, all of whom are treated with compassion. Instead of easy answers, Bavoso focuses on greater understanding of how our lives intersect.

    ”
  • Andrew Martineau: BLIGHT by John Bavoso
    “

    BLIGHT has a highly intriguing premise that is relevant and yet offers no easy answers. The title makes us consider what we might view as acceptable to see and be reminded of in our communities and even within our own homes. The question of who controls our property, which might include our own bodies, is powerful and dramatic. Bavoso skillfully travels back and forth in time to tell two stories of loss and what is at stake for the individuals involved, as well as for the broader society that is affected by a single tragic event.

    BLIGHT has a highly intriguing premise that is relevant and yet offers no easy answers. The title makes us consider what we might view as acceptable to see and be reminded of in our communities and even within our own homes. The question of who controls our property, which might include our own bodies, is powerful and dramatic. Bavoso skillfully travels back and forth in time to tell two stories of loss and what is at stake for the individuals involved, as well as for the broader society that is affected by a single tragic event.

    ”
  • Cheryl Bear: BLIGHT by John Bavoso
    “

    A powerful look at how we deal with tragedy and the remains left behind. How we do we deal with the grief and move forward? Well done.

    A powerful look at how we deal with tragedy and the remains left behind. How we do we deal with the grief and move forward? Well done.

    ”
View all 6 recommendations

Character Information

  • Kristofer
    A teenage boy. Loretta’s son. He’s sensitive, perceptive, and withdrawn—although not by choice. He loves his parents deeply, and seeks to fill the father-shaped hole in his life by falling deeper and deeper into fundamentalist Christianity.
    Teenager
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Loretta
    A middle-aged white woman. As an unexpectedly single mother, she does the best she can, but she’s understandably stressed. She’s been reluctant to put her entire life on hold for 18 years, even before her husband leaves the picture.
    Middle Aged
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Tracy Roberts
    A woman of any age and any race. As mayor, she believes that anything standing in the way of moving on and forward progress should be obliterated—including, if not especially, the past.
    Any
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Craig Cappetta
    A middle-aged man, any race. He leads a local chapter of a national pro-life organization, but isn’t extreme or rabid in his views. He’s charming and values optics and perceptions over direct political action.
    Middle Aged
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Lisa Rogers
    A woman in her 20s or 30s, any race. She’s the head of the town’s Democratic club. Carries her soapbox with her everywhere she goes. She is passionate about her causes—often at the expense of politeness.
    20s or 30s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Dave Sullivan
    A middle-aged man, any race. He’s good at his job, practical, and has seen it all before—and ‘it’ is pretty horrific. Despite all that, he’s alarmingly casual, warm, and open to connection.
    Middle Aged
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Fanny Atwood
    An African-American woman in her late 20s/early 30s. She’s a straightforward/brusque professional who’s deeply enmeshed in her community but also distrustful and disdainful of it.
    20s or 30s
    African American/Black
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Cat Henson
    A woman in her late 30s/early 40s, any race. Married to Silvia. She’s warm, gentle, and simultaneously conflict averse and highly political.
    30s or 40s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Silvia Henson
    A woman of color in her late 30s/early 40s. Married to Cat. She’s stubborn, tough, family-focused, and a little bit butch.
    30s or 40s
    BIPOC
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Reading, 5th Wall Productions, 2018
  • Reading, The Landing Theater Company, Houston, TX, 2017
  • Reading, Playwrights' Round Table, 2017

Production History

  • High School, Beaver Country Day School, 2025
  • Professional, Playwrights’ Round Table, 2018

Awards

  • Queer Village Reading Series
    National Queer Theater
    Finalist
    2018
  • Premiere Series 2018
    Playwrights' Round Table
    Winner
    2018
  • Promising Playwright Contest
    The Colonial Players
    Semi-Finalist
    2017
  • Phoenix Theatre Festival
    Phoenix Theatre
    Semi-Finalist
    2017
  • New American Voices Play Reading Series
    The Landing Theatre Company
    Winner
    2017
  • Top 20 Full-Length Plays
    Source Festival
    Finalist
    2017