←Recommendations of Camp Wonder

If it squawks like a chicken and it scratches like a chicken...

Camp Wonder transports you into the bizarre, fascinating dystopia of the Feather Federation of States, full of slogans, mottos, groupthink and at least the whisper of Resistance. Vicki Meagher's characters navigate the mind numbing manipulations of living under a totalitarian regime and self-splitting challenge of trying to live with integrity in such a world. Uncanny, haunting, but altogether convincing, Camp Wonder is truly a wonder.

Set against a backdrop of an absurd, post-apocalyptic world, Camp Wonder takes a serious look at freedom, choice, and trust—all wrapped up in an unlikely love story. Meager has found new spins on familiar tropes and has created a protagonist the audience can’t help but root for from the very beginning. Plus, this play is an absolute gift to sound designers! This play flew by while I was reading it, and I can only imagine that it would be equally exciting and thought-provoking for a live audience.

Camp Wonder IS wonderful! From the Orwellian setting to the absurdity of the education, Meagher's play drops its characters (and its audience) into a twisted and surreal school/jail for those who are straying from the flock. It is an exploration of individuality, obedience, resistance, and the connections we find when the world we know ceases to exist. So much fun potential for designers and actors here. I anticipate a plethora of moments could spawn unexpected guffaws in the best of ways. Delicious, layered work.

Such an endlessly fascinating and multi-faceted play. The use of bird imagery is an inventive stroke that propels us into absurdist territory even as it allows for rich metaphors and imagery. The unlikely central relationship manages to read as natural even as it explores the disturbing dimensions of intimacies evolving out of unequal power relationships. The perversion of the concept of "freedom" by a totalitarian state is expertly realized and lands close to home in very unsettling ways. So much is packed into this piece, yet it never feels over-stuffed. It absolutely needs to be fully realized on stage.

“Camp Wonder,” Vicki Meagher’s chilling new play, demonstrates the mesmerizing intersection of totalitarianism and cult psychology. In the Gulag-like Camp Wonder, Derinda undergoes “re-education” to become a loyal citizen of the Feather Federation of States. Drawing on absurdist theater, Meagher depicts Derinda’s journey with hand puppets, patriotic rhetoric, and multiple avian images to explore the concept of individual freedom. Complex characterization contributes to an atmosphere of paranoia, while sound design and sharp dialog make the play suitable for stage and radio. In our era of rising authoritarianism, “Camp Wonder” is timely and powerful political art. Highly recommended.

The use of birdsong and the feather motif distinguish this compelling play from other dystopias by showing how the beauty of nature can be tainted when used for evil ends. The play offers a surprising love story in the midst of a struggle for individual freedom of expression. This deserves to be onstage where it can resonate with our world today.