SWAY

by SMJ .

FULL-LENGTH (Draft as of 5.24.23)
Social media influencers Shay, Teegan, and Paige are selected for an exclusive retreat at a new Spahn Ranch with the mega-popular, Charlie. SWAY, a queer, psycho-thriller comedy, dives into the fetishization of bodies & cults, the toxicity of the mental health industry, and the exploitation of the need for human connection on social media.

FULL-LENGTH (Draft as of 5.24.23)
Social media influencers Shay, Teegan, and Paige are selected for an exclusive retreat at a new Spahn Ranch with the mega-popular, Charlie. SWAY, a queer, psycho-thriller comedy, dives into the fetishization of bodies & cults, the toxicity of the mental health industry, and the exploitation of the need for human connection on social media.

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SWAY

Recommended by

  • Christian Flynn: SWAY by SMJ .
    “

    Fantastic! Don't let it's internet clothing fool you, SWAY is a thinly veiled dark 70's sex-thriller. Fantastic, terrifying, hilarious, bloody and creepy as hell — SWAY is what theatre is all about.

    Fantastic! Don't let it's internet clothing fool you, SWAY is a thinly veiled dark 70's sex-thriller. Fantastic, terrifying, hilarious, bloody and creepy as hell — SWAY is what theatre is all about.

    ”
  • Henri Sudy: SWAY by SMJ .
    “

    Manipulation has never looked so sexy.

    Part dark comedy, part influencer's wet dream, with just a dash of meta-textual take-down, this play redefines what a locked-room mystery can be.

    SWAY will keep you on your toes and hanging on every word.

    Manipulation has never looked so sexy.

    Part dark comedy, part influencer's wet dream, with just a dash of meta-textual take-down, this play redefines what a locked-room mystery can be.

    SWAY will keep you on your toes and hanging on every word.

    ”
  • Jan Rosenberg: SWAY by SMJ .
    “

    "Do you think this place is haunted? Because of my god. If it is, that'll be great content". A thrilling, disturbing play about the dangers of influencer culture and the contentless-ness of 'content'. And how influencers are not totally unlike cult leaders. In the age of Fyre Fest and Caroline Calloway, this play is eerily plausible. And Poppy as the soundtrack for EVERY PLAY, please.

    "Do you think this place is haunted? Because of my god. If it is, that'll be great content". A thrilling, disturbing play about the dangers of influencer culture and the contentless-ness of 'content'. And how influencers are not totally unlike cult leaders. In the age of Fyre Fest and Caroline Calloway, this play is eerily plausible. And Poppy as the soundtrack for EVERY PLAY, please.

    ”
View all 13 recommendations

Character Information

Cast must include diversity of all types: race, ethnicity, body types, gender, etc.

No all-white casts/creative teams allowed.
Each production of this play must have an Intimacy Director for the safety of the team.
  • Paige
    @Paige2K
    Pronouns: She/Her/Hers or They/Them/Theirs
    An NBA 2K Brand Ambassador
    1.2 Million Instagram Followers
    22
    Any
    Any femme identifying person
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Charlie
    Social Media Influencer
    Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
    15.3 Million Instagram Followers
    26
    Any
    Female/Female identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Shay
    @HeyItsShay
    Pronouns: She/Her/Hers or They/Them/Theirs
    Works in Marketing for GQ Magazine
    44,927 Instagram Followers
    25
    Any
    Any femme identifying person
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Teegan
    @TeeganWithoutASarah
    Pronouns: She/Her/Hers or They/Them/Theirs
    A Model
    499,934 Instagram Followers
    23
    Any
    Any femme identifying person
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading, The Tank, 2022
  • Reading, BroadwayDNA, 2022
  • Reading, Telatúlsa, 2021
  • Reading, Parsnip Ship Play Club, 2021
  • Reading, Elephant Room Productions, 2021
  • Reading, Breaking & Entering Theatre Collective, 2021
  • Residency, HMBG Foundation - National Winter Playwrights Retreat (Grand Lake, CO), 2020
  • Reading, Theater Zoomed to You, 2020
  • Reading, The Tank, 2020
  • Reading, Women's Theater Festival, 2020
  • Workshop, UTEP Ensemble, 2020

Production History

  • University, Jubilee Directing Lab / Wright State University, 2023
  • Workshop, The Fled Collective / The Flea Theater, 2023

Awards

  • Princess Grace Award in Playwriting/Fellowship
    New Dramatists
    Finalist
    2024
  • Fellowship
    Meditative Writing
    Finalist
    2023
  • Princess Grace Award in Playwriting/Fellowship
    New Dramatists
    Semi-Finalist
    2022
  • Bloom: A Collection of New Queer Voices
    Stay True, an LGBTQ+ Theatre Company
    Finalist
    2021
  • 2021 National Young Playwrights in Residence
    Echo Theater Company
    Finalist
    2021
  • 2021 Incubation Series
    Egg & Spoon Theatre Collective
    Finalist
    2021