←Recommendations of Camel Girl

Listening to this play on the Theatrical Shenanigans podcast, & then doing a little google research to learn more about Ella Harper, I was impressed how much of Harper's scantly documented life was reflected in this short script. You can learn a lot about a person in 10 minutes, with the right writer at the helm.

A compelling short play, based on the story of a real-life “circus freak,” that sensitively explores penetrating questions about agency, resilience, exploitation, voyeurism, delusion, and truth. I listened to a sharply-performed audio version done by Theatrical Shenanigans which underscored the humanness of the work. Much to think about here.

Bringing life to a real person from history can be both dangerous and enlightening: where does the playwright draw the line between history and creativity? In this short play by Debra Cole, the balance is not just maintained but enhanced by showing Ella Harper to be more than a sideshow. She is interviewed by a cagey reporter who seeks to exploit her celebrity and expose her as a fraud, only to find that that not only is she the person she claims to be, she makes sure the world knows that she knows exactly what she wants.

When I was a child I was fascinated with freak shows. There was a documentary that popped up repeatedly in my youth detailing the lives of the most notably sideshow attractions. Every story was laced with tragedy. Deb Coles gives one such attraction all the humanity that was robbed from her. I could watch the further adventures of Camel Girl. Well done!

What a refreshing character -- a circus "freak" who's actually a strong, self-sufficient woman in charge of her own life. Her knees may be screwed on backward, but her head isn't. And amazing, it's based on a true person. Deb Cole's short play is fun and inspiring -- I wanted to hear more!

Yes, she's part camel and part girl. At least that's how she's been making a living, convincing paying audiences to see the freak of nature she claims to be. Then a reporter shows up wanting to expose her con. But who's really getting conned? And who is the real human with a real soul? These and other questions fly about in Deb Cole's wonderful short play, which I had the pleasure of attending a public reading of at the 2023 Midwest Dramatists Conference. So pleased to recommend this gem.

Ladies and gentlemen! Step right up and see this amazing feat of drama and intrigue: The one, the only Camel Girl! Cole does an amazing job introducing us to Stella Harper and dramatizing one of Stella's many encounters with the press. This piece educates us without feeling like a history lesson -- in fact, it wasn't until after I saw this read at the 2023 Midwest Dramatists Conference that I found out it was based on a true story. Really rich details and dialogue, and a main character whose confidence you're sure to admire.

I was quite moved by Ella's plight, to be seen as something more than a freak. She deserves the chance to live a life denied her through a physical condition. And here, she's gathering up the strength to go to a new life. Deb Cole gives Ella something the sideshow audiences would deny her; dignity. This was wonderful writing and would love to see this staged.

An outstanding script celebrating the life of an extraordinary young woman with sensitivity and theatrical flair.

Circus sideshows, or “freak” shows are, hopefully, a thing of the past. Deb Cole takes the story of a real 19th century performer and offers us a character with confidence and strength despite her severe deformities. Perhaps the lesson we can take from this is not to judge others until we have traveled 25 miles in their shoes carrying a 900 pound load. Well done!