American Divide

by Maximillian Gill

The Landing Theatre Company New American Voices Festival Semi-Finalist, 2021
Creede Repertory Theatre Headwaters New Play Program Finalist, 2019
Kitchen Dog Theater New Works Festival Finalist, 2019

Full-length: Ten years from now, the east and west coasts of the United States break off and form their own republics after a fascist, anti-immigrant government takes over the United States. A California police...

The Landing Theatre Company New American Voices Festival Semi-Finalist, 2021
Creede Repertory Theatre Headwaters New Play Program Finalist, 2019
Kitchen Dog Theater New Works Festival Finalist, 2019

Full-length: Ten years from now, the east and west coasts of the United States break off and form their own republics after a fascist, anti-immigrant government takes over the United States. A California police officer, a Nevada border control officer, a smuggler, and a desperate refugee meet in a bar in Las Vegas near the border between the present U.S. and a new nation. They want money, justice, or escape, but mostly they just want to survive in a world falling apart around them.

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American Divide

Recommended by

  • Tyler Joseph Rossi: American Divide

    "American Divide" puts us in the middle of a dystopia adjacent to our own society.

    My favorite scripts are often ones which offer up no heroes or villains. We live in a gray world where what is truth is often a blurred line and I love when characters reflect that complexity. Gill has certainly captured that reflection here with this piece.

    "American Divide" puts us in the middle of a dystopia adjacent to our own society.

    My favorite scripts are often ones which offer up no heroes or villains. We live in a gray world where what is truth is often a blurred line and I love when characters reflect that complexity. Gill has certainly captured that reflection here with this piece.

  • Dave Osmundsen: American Divide

    A disturbingly plausible dystopian look at a future where the borders don't just line our country lines, they've practically invaded them. Over the course of 90 tightly written pages, Gill weaves an expectation-upending and twisty thriller that is sympathetic to both the plight of the illegal immigrant as well as the enforcers who don't necessarily believe in what their job entails, but are forced to do them anyway for the sake of a living. Thought-provoking and fast-paced, "American Divide" will leave you thinking about the value we put on a human life.

    A disturbingly plausible dystopian look at a future where the borders don't just line our country lines, they've practically invaded them. Over the course of 90 tightly written pages, Gill weaves an expectation-upending and twisty thriller that is sympathetic to both the plight of the illegal immigrant as well as the enforcers who don't necessarily believe in what their job entails, but are forced to do them anyway for the sake of a living. Thought-provoking and fast-paced, "American Divide" will leave you thinking about the value we put on a human life.

  • Chelsea Frandsen: American Divide

    Maximillian Gill has created four multi-dimensional, very human characters caught in a world that doesn't feel that far off from the world we are experiencing right now. "American Divide" is a hard-hitting, gritty roller-coaster that had me thinking about where I would stand if this actually came to pass. This is a play I would love to see staged.

    Maximillian Gill has created four multi-dimensional, very human characters caught in a world that doesn't feel that far off from the world we are experiencing right now. "American Divide" is a hard-hitting, gritty roller-coaster that had me thinking about where I would stand if this actually came to pass. This is a play I would love to see staged.

View all 10 recommendations

Character Information

  • Kamal
    A former police officer now working with California border control
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Indian-American (specifically Punjabi Sikh)
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Dorman
    U.S. border control officer
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Beasley
    Bartender
    Character Age
    20s-40s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Sandra
    A refugee desperate to get her family across the border
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Latinx
    Character Gender Identity
    Female

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Transformation Theatre, Year 2021
  • Type Reading, Organization Ego Actus Reading Series, Year 2019

Awards

  • New American Voices Festival
    The Landing Theatre Company
    Semi-Finalist
    2021
  • New Works Festival
    Kitchen Dog Theater
    Finalist
    2019
  • Headwaters New Play Program
    Creede Repertory Theatre
    Finalist
    2019