Cockroaches

by Emma Schillage

Cockroaches is a Southern Gothic dark comedy about three sisters trapped in their childhood home grappling with their mother's most recent suicide attempt. Momma has been acting strange since coming home from the hospital, causing eldest daughter, Jenny, to come home from college, middle child, Charlie, to act out, and youngest child, Sissy, to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Meanwhile, monsters are lurking...

Cockroaches is a Southern Gothic dark comedy about three sisters trapped in their childhood home grappling with their mother's most recent suicide attempt. Momma has been acting strange since coming home from the hospital, causing eldest daughter, Jenny, to come home from college, middle child, Charlie, to act out, and youngest child, Sissy, to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Meanwhile, monsters are lurking, ready to consume every bit of innocence in their path. As their mother's humanity fades, the sisters must learn to care for themselves and each other before it is too late. Cockroaches explores how we create monsters, survive them, punish them, and learn from them in the wake of disaster. Inspired by Southern Gothic tales and loosely based on Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, the play features three young female characters filled with rage, joy, and fierce humor as they navigate a dark and treacherous world.

  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Cockroaches

Recommended by

  • Paige Esterly: Cockroaches

    My favorite new play I've read in a good long while. The realness of the sister relationships makes the horror aspects that much more disturbing. Southern Gothic tradition coming in HOT in this work; Crimes of the Heart's Meg, Lenny, and Babe have NOTHING on Cockroaches' Jenny, Charlie, and Sissy.

    My favorite new play I've read in a good long while. The realness of the sister relationships makes the horror aspects that much more disturbing. Southern Gothic tradition coming in HOT in this work; Crimes of the Heart's Meg, Lenny, and Babe have NOTHING on Cockroaches' Jenny, Charlie, and Sissy.

  • Sam Mueller: Cockroaches

    I had the privilege of hearing this play out loud recently and it is haunting me in the best way. Emma's characters are complete and complex and the piece has a deep, inherent theatricality that crackles. This story triumphs sisterhood and also showcases a specific intersection of class and gender in the American South without needing to explain or apologize for itself. So exciting, so specific, so full of life.

    I had the privilege of hearing this play out loud recently and it is haunting me in the best way. Emma's characters are complete and complex and the piece has a deep, inherent theatricality that crackles. This story triumphs sisterhood and also showcases a specific intersection of class and gender in the American South without needing to explain or apologize for itself. So exciting, so specific, so full of life.

  • Leah Plante-Wiener: Cockroaches

    A sister play of all time. The relationships between the three of them are so strongly written. Schillage has such an ear for the strange and deliciously unpalatable.

    A sister play of all time. The relationships between the three of them are so strongly written. Schillage has such an ear for the strange and deliciously unpalatable.

View all 4 recommendations

Character Information

NOTE ON CASTING
-Charlie, and Sissy are under the age of 18, but all roles should be played by actors who are 18+.
-The actor playing Momma must be a strong mover. Momma can be played by any age or gender.
-The sisters need not look like one another. They all have different fathers. Please cast based on what is representative of your community.
  • Jennifer "Jenny"
    18; the oldest child; the caretaker, she is responsible and intelligent, but she isn’t sure what her purpose is outside of taking care of her family
    Character Age
    18
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race/Any Ethnicity
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Charlotte "Charlie"
    15; the middle child; the pot-stirrer, she is intuitive and deeply insecure about her weight, her love and intensity can easily turn into violence, but that’s just her defense mechanism
    Character Age
    15
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race/Any Ethnicity
    Character Gender Identity
    (assigned female at birth - not plot relevant) - Non-binary/Female
  • Savina "Sissy"
    12; the youngest; the crybaby/the peace-keeper, she is sensitive and joyful, but somewhat disturbed, she feels everything with heightened intensity
    Character Age
    12
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race/Any Ethnicity
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Mr. Sam
    35-55; the next door neighbor; the helper, the care he offers is dangerous
    Character Age
    35-55
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Momma
    the human parts of her are fading
    Character Age
    Any Age
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race/Any Ethnicity
    Character Gender Identity
    Any gender (but likely female)

Development History

  • Type Residency, Organization the cell theatre, Year 2024
  • Type Reading, Organization Breaking and Entering Theatre Co. , Year 2023
  • Type Workshop, Organization Breaking and Entering Theatre Company, Year 2023
  • Type Workshop, Organization Columbia University, Year 2023

Production History

  • Type University, Organization Columbia University, Year 2023

Awards

  • Long-Listed for 2024 Distillery New Works Festival
    Seattle Public Theatre
    Selection
    2024
  • Semi-finalist in Stage Play Script Competition
    Austin Film Festival
    Semi-Finalist
    2023