No Place Like Gandersheim

by Elizabeth Dement

Roz is a nun and newbie playwright in medieval Gandersheim, Germany. When she and her fellow nuns present her brazen, feminist comedy for the Holy Roman Emperor, his rejection of her work catapults Roz on a journey of millennial proportions to Hollywood and beyond.

Roz is a nun and newbie playwright in medieval Gandersheim, Germany. When she and her fellow nuns present her brazen, feminist comedy for the Holy Roman Emperor, his rejection of her work catapults Roz on a journey of millennial proportions to Hollywood and beyond.

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No Place Like Gandersheim

Recommended by

  • Jean Koppen: No Place Like Gandersheim by Elizabeth Dement
    “

    This play is amazingly constructed, entertaining and moving. I loved all three settings and the characters in each. Best of all, it centers on time-spanning issues women have faced and will continue to face in a way that isn't preachy but speaks straight to the heart. Please produce this play because I want to see it!

    This play is amazingly constructed, entertaining and moving. I loved all three settings and the characters in each. Best of all, it centers on time-spanning issues women have faced and will continue to face in a way that isn't preachy but speaks straight to the heart. Please produce this play because I want to see it!

    ”
  • Claudia Haas: No Place Like Gandersheim by Elizabeth Dement
    “

    Dement takes a narrative about the first known female playwright and spins a yarn that encompassed 2,000 years. And what a yarn it is. The protagonist, Roz, earnestly tries to tell the story of women without the “gaze of a man.” From the medieval past, to Hollywood today and deep into the future, she comes close to her dream, but it is always with sacrifice. Deftly written with great humor, this time-traveling tale asks the tough questions without the preaching. Original, funny, and nuanced, it’s a beauty of a play. Want an all-female cast? It’s waiting for you.

    Dement takes a narrative about the first known female playwright and spins a yarn that encompassed 2,000 years. And what a yarn it is. The protagonist, Roz, earnestly tries to tell the story of women without the “gaze of a man.” From the medieval past, to Hollywood today and deep into the future, she comes close to her dream, but it is always with sacrifice. Deftly written with great humor, this time-traveling tale asks the tough questions without the preaching. Original, funny, and nuanced, it’s a beauty of a play. Want an all-female cast? It’s waiting for you.

    ”
  • Stephanie Alison Walker: No Place Like Gandersheim by Elizabeth Dement
    “

    No Place Like Gandersheim is a riveting story with modern themes, humor and poignancy that surprises and delights. Dement has carefully constructed this time travel play about nuns and women and Hollywood and playwrights and I don't know how she does it, but it all works and is all extremely relatable - both the medieval and the modern story. This is- refreshingly- a play I've never seen before and one I hope to see fully produced.

    No Place Like Gandersheim is a riveting story with modern themes, humor and poignancy that surprises and delights. Dement has carefully constructed this time travel play about nuns and women and Hollywood and playwrights and I don't know how she does it, but it all works and is all extremely relatable - both the medieval and the modern story. This is- refreshingly- a play I've never seen before and one I hope to see fully produced.

    ”
Roz, female, 40’s, a writer
Berga, female, 30’s, abbess of Gandersheim
Madlen, 20’s, nun
Theophanu, late teens, Holy Roman Empress
Mallory, female, 30’s, network executive
Kaya, 20’s, Roz’s assistant
Thea, 15, Roz’s daughter
Vita, female, 20’s, entertainment distributor

The play is intended to be performed by four actresses.
Roz should be played by the same actress throughout.
Berga and Mallory may be played by the same actress.
Madlen and Thea may be played by the same actress.
Theophanu, Kaya and Vita may be played by the same actress.

Development History

Production History

  • Professional, Skylight Theater, 2023