Exquisite Corpse

by Maggie Smith

The creative writing class of Mary Magdalene's Preparatory School for Girls have less than three hours to finish editing their school's literary magazine. Too bad they don't have any poems to edit. In a last-ditch effort to complete their task, the girls lock themselves in their classroom in order to have a long and hard conversation that even the smartest among us can't answer: What makes good poetry?

The creative writing class of Mary Magdalene's Preparatory School for Girls have less than three hours to finish editing their school's literary magazine. Too bad they don't have any poems to edit. In a last-ditch effort to complete their task, the girls lock themselves in their classroom in order to have a long and hard conversation that even the smartest among us can't answer: What makes good poetry?

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

Exquisite Corpse

Recommended by

  • E.M. Lark: Exquisite Corpse

    This play makes poetry sing and lets youth fly. "Exquisite Corpse" does exactly what the art form asks of its creators: to draw from different perspectives without inhibition, to sharpen the knife of artistic instinct. The girls of Mary Magdalene's Preparatory are desperate to be heard through their poems, whether humorous or heartbreaking, and Smith's own effortlessly poetic dictation allows the classmates the space to be heard, seen, understood -- and published. I hope this reaches audiences young and old alike.

    This play makes poetry sing and lets youth fly. "Exquisite Corpse" does exactly what the art form asks of its creators: to draw from different perspectives without inhibition, to sharpen the knife of artistic instinct. The girls of Mary Magdalene's Preparatory are desperate to be heard through their poems, whether humorous or heartbreaking, and Smith's own effortlessly poetic dictation allows the classmates the space to be heard, seen, understood -- and published. I hope this reaches audiences young and old alike.

  • Noah Tibbetts: Exquisite Corpse

    EXQUISITE CORPSE is an exploration of creative energy—how it makes us tick, how it clashes with others, etc.— that is contained within a girls prep school but reaches beyond the classroom to comment on art-making as a whole. As a sometimes-poet myself, I was charmed by the poems written by the play's characters, as I recognized them as ones I have written at some point in my life—haven't we all written poems about almonds or wisdom teeth? To that end, the young women of the play further distinguish themselves through idiosyncrasies both eccentric and human. A memorable read!

    EXQUISITE CORPSE is an exploration of creative energy—how it makes us tick, how it clashes with others, etc.— that is contained within a girls prep school but reaches beyond the classroom to comment on art-making as a whole. As a sometimes-poet myself, I was charmed by the poems written by the play's characters, as I recognized them as ones I have written at some point in my life—haven't we all written poems about almonds or wisdom teeth? To that end, the young women of the play further distinguish themselves through idiosyncrasies both eccentric and human. A memorable read!

  • Vidalia Unwin: Exquisite Corpse

    A breeze and a joy
    Depth in layers poetic
    See what I did there?

    Or for those who won’t get why it’s funny to write a recommendation in a haiku:
    This play is a damned joy to read. And its brilliance lies in how many layers that one can choose to dig, or not, for enjoyment.
    Its surface layers will enchant and engage, and the more you contemplate the more profoundly wonderful it gets.
    In short, this play about school girls writing poems feels like it is indeed a well written poem. I highly enjoyed it.

    A breeze and a joy
    Depth in layers poetic
    See what I did there?

    Or for those who won’t get why it’s funny to write a recommendation in a haiku:
    This play is a damned joy to read. And its brilliance lies in how many layers that one can choose to dig, or not, for enjoyment.
    Its surface layers will enchant and engage, and the more you contemplate the more profoundly wonderful it gets.
    In short, this play about school girls writing poems feels like it is indeed a well written poem. I highly enjoyed it.

Character Information

As a writer, I am dedicated to creating diverse worlds onstage. Some of the most defining moments of my life involve me seeing myself represented onstage, television, or in literature. Because of this, I highly recommend casting this play diversely in regards to race, gender identity, and disability. You won’t be depicting the real world if you ignore this request.

This is acknowledging, however, that some roles are specific in the way they must be casted. In this play, the following roles have these limitations:

| All characters must be played as women. However, this does not mean that you should only cast cisgender women— Womanhood is an expansive word, and anyone who feels comfortable portraying such an experience should feel empowered to perform this piece.
  • MADELINE MEYER
    a freshman, unaware of what she’s gotten herself into; desperate to impress but even more desperate to get home before curfew
    Character Age
    14-15
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman
  • DOROTHY SOLIS
    a junior in her third year of creative writing; a quiet poet with more passion than anyone could know
    Character Age
    16-17
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman
  • JO FOSTER
    a sophomore in her second year of creative writing; funny and loud, disinterested in seeming intelligent
    Character Age
    15-16
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman
  • SARA HUNT
    a senior in her second year of creative writing; a tennis player more interested in quality than getting the job done
    Character Age
    17-18
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman
  • CARRIE BLACKWELL
    a senior in her third year of creative writing; loyal and heartfelt, but ready to take those qualities elsewhere
    Character Age
    17-18
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman
  • HESTER HELLER
    a senior in her first year of creative writing, joined because she happened to have a free period; Darcy's older sister, hellbent on taking her down a peg
    Character Age
    17-18
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman
  • ANNE "DARCY" HELLER
    a junior in her third year of creative writing, head editor of the literary magazine; a headstrong leader in need of perfection
    Character Age
    16-17
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any Race
    Character Gender Identity
    woman

Production History

  • Type University, Organization Samford University, Year 2024