Take My Hand and Wave Goodbye is a play that I found to be a heart twisting, moving, and intimate picture of a grieving family. I was immersed in this powerful discussion of active shooter drills and the effect they have on the school aged children that have to participate in them. This play speaks to the present moment in a way that feels personal to those that are victims of shootings. This play talks about cycles of grief and the pain that all families feel after something like this by asking, “What could I have done differently?”

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “Take My Hand and Wave Goodbye” by Tammy Ryan as a Semi-Finalist for the 2023 Premiere Play Festival. “Take My Hand and Wave Goodbye” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 40 Semi-Finalists out of 701 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play’s strong craft and its visceral grappling with grief, rage, and violence. Our congratulations and thanks to Tammy.

I was fortunate to see a reading of this play at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre and found it to be a rich, moving, and intimate portrait of grieving family. I was especially struck by the powerful discussion of active shooter drills and the effect they have on the young people participating in them. This is a play that speaks to the present moment in a way that feels both personal and profound. I can't wait to see it fully produced!