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 divides of belief...

[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

  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: ALEXANDRIA by Vince Gatton
    “

    Wow. This is a theatrical Cassandra, warning about where we’re heading: Where the people doing the harm speak and act civilly, consider themselves the good guys, and wrap themselves in God’s love as their hate tears lives apart. What a devastating play. I love how all five of these characters fit together without a wasted moment in the entire show. Vince Gatton is a force of nature.

    Wow. This is a theatrical Cassandra, warning about where we’re heading: Where the people doing the harm speak and act civilly, consider themselves the good guys, and wrap themselves in God’s love as their hate tears lives apart. What a devastating play. I love how all five of these characters fit together without a wasted moment in the entire show. Vince Gatton is a force of nature.

    ”
  • Mathew Green: ALEXANDRIA by Vince Gatton
    “

    Simply devastating. I would love to say that this play is far-fetched; rather, it is a blisteringly relevant work of social commentary and terrifying near-future prognostication. Realistic, deeply felt characters exist in a world that is so recognizable as to be heartbreaking.

    Simply devastating. I would love to say that this play is far-fetched; rather, it is a blisteringly relevant work of social commentary and terrifying near-future prognostication. Realistic, deeply felt characters exist in a world that is so recognizable as to be heartbreaking.

    ”
  • John Minigan: ALEXANDRIA by Vince Gatton
    “

    A powerful play that is such a gut-punch, especailly in the time we're in and the times we're entering. There is rage, there is compassion, there is acknowledgement that conversations can only take us so far. But most of all there is the essential question of how we will survive our times and our fragmentation--and what, if anything, will survive with us. A necessary play that should be produced all over in 2025

    A powerful play that is such a gut-punch, especailly in the time we're in and the times we're entering. There is rage, there is compassion, there is acknowledgement that conversations can only take us so far. But most of all there is the essential question of how we will survive our times and our fragmentation--and what, if anything, will survive with us. A necessary play that should be produced all over in 2025

    ”
View all 20 recommendations

Character Information

  • Brenda
    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.
    50-ish
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Pam
    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.
    40s to 50s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Ray
    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.
    30s - early 40s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Ol’Mo
    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.
    60s - 70s
    African American/Black
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Monté
    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.
    Teens
    African American/Black or Latino
    Male,
    Gender non-conforming
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man

Development History

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

Production History

  • Professional, Sanguine Theatre Company, 2018

Awards

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