Telling Dad (Ten Minute)

Much to her surprise, a trans teen finds acceptance in her family.

Much to her surprise, a trans teen finds acceptance in her family.

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Telling Dad (Ten Minute)

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  • Danielle Wirsansky: Telling Dad (Ten Minute)

    Tender, honest, and deeply affirming, Telling Dad captures a moment of vulnerability with compassion and nuance. Donnelly shows how love, growth, and imperfect understanding can still lead to genuine acceptance and hope.

    Tender, honest, and deeply affirming, Telling Dad captures a moment of vulnerability with compassion and nuance. Donnelly shows how love, growth, and imperfect understanding can still lead to genuine acceptance and hope.

  • Glenn Alterman: Telling Dad (Ten Minute)

    Paul Donnelly’s short play Telling Dad is a loving, touching play about the difficult of being a transgender teen. Just that Donnelly was able to cover so much truth about such a complex subject in such a short piece is incredible. I was very moved by how the 3 members of this loving family deal with Billie’s life choice. Beautifully done.

    Paul Donnelly’s short play Telling Dad is a loving, touching play about the difficult of being a transgender teen. Just that Donnelly was able to cover so much truth about such a complex subject in such a short piece is incredible. I was very moved by how the 3 members of this loving family deal with Billie’s life choice. Beautifully done.

  • Emmet L.F. Cameron: Telling Dad (Ten Minute)

    Although brief, this depiction of a trans girl & her family resists simplistic depictions of acceptance/rejection as a binary. People can be hurtful to those they love. People who have caused harm to their loved ones can take their pain seriously & seek to prevent further harm. The urge to protect can manifest simultaneously in immediate acceptance & in limiting expression. Transitions of all kinds are what theatre is about. None of these characters are the same at the end of this 10 minutes as they are at the beginning.

    Although brief, this depiction of a trans girl & her family resists simplistic depictions of acceptance/rejection as a binary. People can be hurtful to those they love. People who have caused harm to their loved ones can take their pain seriously & seek to prevent further harm. The urge to protect can manifest simultaneously in immediate acceptance & in limiting expression. Transitions of all kinds are what theatre is about. None of these characters are the same at the end of this 10 minutes as they are at the beginning.

View all 11 recommendations

Character Information

  • Gina
    Shallow and narcissistic, but not without a heart.
    Character Age
    18
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis female
  • Billie
    A mix of defiant and scared. Still viewed by Gina as her brother and by Dad as his son.
    Character Age
    16
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Trans woman
  • Dad
    Worn down by life as a widowed single parent. Loves his children unconditionally.
    Character Age
    40s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis male