we're all athletes (short version)

by Seth McNeill

Two sports anchors call each play of an unspecifiable sport whose rules are an utter mystery while field reporter Desiree copes with her own insignificance and passivity. As the clock counts down, each of the characters must reckon with whether they've done enough with their lives, or with Life itself.

Two sports anchors call each play of an unspecifiable sport whose rules are an utter mystery while field reporter Desiree copes with her own insignificance and passivity. As the clock counts down, each of the characters must reckon with whether they've done enough with their lives, or with Life itself.

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we're all athletes (short version)

Recommended by

  • Tom Moran: we're all athletes (short version)

    A marvelous take on sports commentators, football(ish), existentialism, and the apocalypse. I had the privilege of hearing this read at the Valdez Theatre Conference and it truly shined in performance - the contrast between the forced enthusiasm of traditional sports talk delivery and the baked-in dread of the play's content creates a heady soup of humor and mystery. Makes for a great fit in an evening of plays (and is indeed deliberately structured to do so.)

    A marvelous take on sports commentators, football(ish), existentialism, and the apocalypse. I had the privilege of hearing this read at the Valdez Theatre Conference and it truly shined in performance - the contrast between the forced enthusiasm of traditional sports talk delivery and the baked-in dread of the play's content creates a heady soup of humor and mystery. Makes for a great fit in an evening of plays (and is indeed deliberately structured to do so.)

  • Michael C. O'Day: we're all athletes (short version)

    Try and imagine Thornton Wilder's THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH done as an ESPN segment and you might - MIGHT - get a sense of McNeill's glorious, gonzo achievement here. A workplace relationship comedy, allegory for aging, metaphor for America, and apocalyptic vision all at once, WE'RE ALL ATHLETES sets off a rapid fire blast of theatrical devices and madcap jokes without ever once losing its heart. Glorious.

    Try and imagine Thornton Wilder's THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH done as an ESPN segment and you might - MIGHT - get a sense of McNeill's glorious, gonzo achievement here. A workplace relationship comedy, allegory for aging, metaphor for America, and apocalyptic vision all at once, WE'RE ALL ATHLETES sets off a rapid fire blast of theatrical devices and madcap jokes without ever once losing its heart. Glorious.

  • Marcus Scott: we're all athletes (short version)

    A hilarious observational comedy centered on a pair of facetious correspondents addressing the national pastime while pondering how human life spent its time on earth and the fumbling field reporter battling imposer syndrome. This smart workplace romp about happy-talk news and sports entertainment makes for a wild ride and is a key example of a writer on the verge with a singular voice and critical lens. Check this out.

    A hilarious observational comedy centered on a pair of facetious correspondents addressing the national pastime while pondering how human life spent its time on earth and the fumbling field reporter battling imposer syndrome. This smart workplace romp about happy-talk news and sports entertainment makes for a wild ride and is a key example of a writer on the verge with a singular voice and critical lens. Check this out.

View all 4 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Commission, Organization Amios NYC, First Draughts, Year 2020

Production History

  • Type Community Theater, Organization New Deal Creative Arts Center, Year 2022
  • Type Community Theater, Organization ACT Alaska, Year 2020
  • Type Fringe, Organization AMiOS NYC, Year 2019

Awards