As someone who grew up writing elaborate online roleplay with my friends, 'Role Play' certainly punched me right in the feels. Carter's utilization of the internet as an outlet for navigating your queerness is masterfully done. The four core teenage characters are all written with so much heart, and feel like real, awkward, nerdy teenagers from the 2000s. This play was a joy to read and got my director's brain buzzing. Queer narratives come in many forms, this is one that needs to be portrayed.

High school is supposed to be where young people learn to be together... but that doesn't work out well for all kids. In this play, those off-kilter loners find refuse in the RPG world, which just happens to be where I grew up. This theatrical piece allows us to see the vibrant internal worlds of these angsty, disenchanted teenagers as they test out different identities and attempt to connect in a world where they make all the rules. The "life or death" high school social stakes were painfully relatable. It's queer, quirky, and has a very satisfying ending!

I love the potential for design and staging this piece. I also love/hate that this is a "period piece" reflecting life from my high school days, doing RP with my friends via passed notebooks and then trying to bring it to life in chat rooms. Great opportunities for performers!