Cowgirl

by Justin Aaron Halle

Three city friends convene on a fracking ranch in Wyoming for a wild western wedding—but when Lila unearths Cowgirls, a relic of a feminist board-game-without-a-board, all bets on a seamless wedding are off. The game’s provocative questions threaten to unravel the tender secrets and dark desires that lurk just beneath the surface of these friendships. Cowgirl is a queer, passionate, and transformative dark...

Three city friends convene on a fracking ranch in Wyoming for a wild western wedding—but when Lila unearths Cowgirls, a relic of a feminist board-game-without-a-board, all bets on a seamless wedding are off. The game’s provocative questions threaten to unravel the tender secrets and dark desires that lurk just beneath the surface of these friendships. Cowgirl is a queer, passionate, and transformative dark comedy that gallops its way through questions of identity, the temptations of fracking, and the permanence of mustard stains. Oh, and one more thing: beware The Aunts.

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Cowgirl

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Cowgirl by Justin Aaron Halle
    “

    Loved this play. A three character play about figuring out what you want out of life. Loved how messy these characters are and how badly they want so much out of life. The dialogue is so good. Halle plays with the eerie and absurd tones of the play really well. Really great roles for female and non-binary actors.

    Loved this play. A three character play about figuring out what you want out of life. Loved how messy these characters are and how badly they want so much out of life. The dialogue is so good. Halle plays with the eerie and absurd tones of the play really well. Really great roles for female and non-binary actors.

    ”
  • Michael Jones: Cowgirl by Justin Aaron Halle
    “

    A play about wanting things and the things keeping us from getting them.
    Halle has a real special one here. This play sings.

    A play about wanting things and the things keeping us from getting them.
    Halle has a real special one here. This play sings.

    ”
  • Zach Barr: Cowgirl by Justin Aaron Halle
    “

    Faster than a buffalo stampede and slipperier than a Carolina rattlesnake, Halle’s rip-roaring tale of wanting, weddings, and womanhood makes for a gripping play. Familial shame, financial instability, lesbian urges, and animal husbandry are a lot to include in one play, but the comic tone and enormously likeable characters are the counterweights that guide the audience through. Get it into production yesterday. Giddy up!

    Faster than a buffalo stampede and slipperier than a Carolina rattlesnake, Halle’s rip-roaring tale of wanting, weddings, and womanhood makes for a gripping play. Familial shame, financial instability, lesbian urges, and animal husbandry are a lot to include in one play, but the comic tone and enormously likeable characters are the counterweights that guide the audience through. Get it into production yesterday. Giddy up!

    ”

Development History

  • Reading, Playhouse on Park, 2023
  • Workshop, Columbia University, 2022
  • Workshop, Northwestern University Wirtz Center, 2022

Awards

  • Princess Grace Award in Playwriting
    Princess Grace Foundation / New Dramatists
    Semi-Finalist
    2023
  • Columbia@Roundabout New Play Reading Series
    Roundabout Theatre Company
    Finalist
    2021