←Recommendations of "THE SPRINGVALE ARMADILLO" A Full-Length Intergenerational Drama

An absolutely remarkable tour-de-force, at once sad and sly, tragic and uplifting. Donald Loftus has somehow managed to take the strands of a strange-but-true story from a very specific time and very specific place and weave them into a stunning tapestry of universal truths and widespread appeal. Bravo!

This vivid and moving story explores the unlikely connection between an elderly woman with a horrific backstory and the young reporter who prompts her to reveal it. The play is richly theatrical and ultimately deeply life-affirming as Ruby guides Matthew to confront the trauma and fear and loss in his own life.

Wonderful story-telling. This is an emotionally impactful history lesson on the treatment of leprosy victims. Loftus uses theatrical elements - including the use of on-stage presentations and off-stage voiceovers for flashback sequences - to the play's advantage. This is gripping theatre at its best. I would love to see this staged.

The Springvale Armadillo is beautifully constructed and deeply affecting. Loftus brilliantly weaves in Ruby’s tragic backstory via interviews with Matthew who is dealing with his own personal tragedy. They impact each other profoundly, and the bond that grows between them is touching and real. Tears will shed by those fortunate enough to see this play staged. More than a stirring story, The Springvale Armadillo reveals important lessons. It is a powerful piece of theatre. Highly recommended.

In “The Springvale Armadillo,” Donald Loftus explores the little known history of leprosaria, medical colonies for the care of patients with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy. This absorbing play focuses on Ruby, who lives in an institution based on the historical Carville. The dialog crackles, and Loftus deftly employs flashbacks and dreams for heightened emotional effect. Mystery hovers throughout the action, giving the play a slight gothic feel, without the typical trappings of the genre. In the end, Ruby’s life and stoicism are poignant and moving. Strongly recommended.

A thought provoking story of how a life is upended by a disease and whether or not the spirit has broken from the hardship. Powerful and well done.

THE SPRINGVALE ARMADILLO is a haunting tale told through visceral dreams and intimate flashbacks, while always bringing it back to the immediate needs of the present. Donald Loftus uses the religious fears of Leprosy in the early 20th century to explore the stigma of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. Putting this story into the further context of the current pandemic draws into sharp focus the isolation and fear that plays out in the story.

I had the honor of seeing a reading of this play over zoom, and the emotion in the language was palpable!
Highly Recommended! So well done!

The Springvale Armadillo is a beautiful and emotional play. I was pulled into the world of the characters right from the first moments, with the opening soundscape evoking a traumatic past that demanded answers. As the answers were slowly revealed by the rich conversations of a remarkable elderly woman and a young and sensitive man desperate for a guide, I felt moved by the stories of each, and the support and friendship that grew between them. A captivating story beautifully rendered!

This is the sympathetic and fascinating saga of someone whose life has been brutally hijacked in the first bloom of youth. The play matters because this is a trap which can still be sprung on the unprepared or unlucky to this day - whether as a result of prejudice, injustice or, as in this case, misdiagnosis. A courageous elderly woman's memories are re-awakened by a young reporter with a secret grief of his own in what quickly becomes a many faceted tale that reaffirms the greater virtues of grace and forgiveness.