Tesseract

by Scott Sickles

[FULL-LENGTH DRAMA/THRILLER (Intermissionless)]
[6 or more female-identifying actors; 2 trans male actors.
Plenty of room for NB casting as well.]

2024 RELENTLESS AWARD, HONORABLE MENTION

A 9-year-old trans boy goes missing during an airlift trying to escape a far right coup. His mothers launch a global search, but their son could be anywhere on the planet and has left no trace.

TESSERACT asks "What if the...

[FULL-LENGTH DRAMA/THRILLER (Intermissionless)]
[6 or more female-identifying actors; 2 trans male actors.
Plenty of room for NB casting as well.]

2024 RELENTLESS AWARD, HONORABLE MENTION

A 9-year-old trans boy goes missing during an airlift trying to escape a far right coup. His mothers launch a global search, but their son could be anywhere on the planet and has left no trace.

TESSERACT asks "What if the Taliban takeover in Kabul happened here? Or anywhere else?"

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Tesseract

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  • Robert Weibezahl: Tesseract by Scott Sickles
    “

    Days after seeing New Art City’s superb reading of TESSERACT, I'm still parsing the layers and textures of Sickle’s haunting play. Few plays capture the zeitgeist like this dystopian thriller … or have its keen sense of urgency. It perfectly captures our individual and collective anxieties during the stressful and often hateful times we find ourselves navigating. TESSERACT needs to be produced NOW, not later, and the theater that dares to take it on deserves all the kudos it will receive.

    Days after seeing New Art City’s superb reading of TESSERACT, I'm still parsing the layers and textures of Sickle’s haunting play. Few plays capture the zeitgeist like this dystopian thriller … or have its keen sense of urgency. It perfectly captures our individual and collective anxieties during the stressful and often hateful times we find ourselves navigating. TESSERACT needs to be produced NOW, not later, and the theater that dares to take it on deserves all the kudos it will receive.

    ”
  • Mike Byham: Tesseract by Scott Sickles
    “

    Convoluted reality may be represented by a tesseract - which is often used to conceptualize space-time. Here, Scott Sickles takes our world and current trends and pushes it through the tesseract to an irrational and disturbing conclusion. It’s an intelligent, artistic gut punch. Sickles has a knack for creating vivid dystopian worlds with gorgeous dialogue. This is fully on display with Tesseract. An interesting read, it would be absolutely captivating on stage. Beautifully heartbreaking.

    Convoluted reality may be represented by a tesseract - which is often used to conceptualize space-time. Here, Scott Sickles takes our world and current trends and pushes it through the tesseract to an irrational and disturbing conclusion. It’s an intelligent, artistic gut punch. Sickles has a knack for creating vivid dystopian worlds with gorgeous dialogue. This is fully on display with Tesseract. An interesting read, it would be absolutely captivating on stage. Beautifully heartbreaking.

    ”
  • Adam Richter: Tesseract by Scott Sickles
    “

    [2025-06-26]

    The universe that Scott Sickles builds here is rich in detail, terrifying and all-too-recognizable as one we might soon inhabit. But while the play is set in a secondary world, the core issues — treatment of trans people, children going missing, the evaporation of LGBTQ+ rights — are viscerally recognizable in our own world, in our own timeline. "Tesseract" is yet another brilliant play from Scott that needs to be read, seen and felt.

    [2025-06-26]

    The universe that Scott Sickles builds here is rich in detail, terrifying and all-too-recognizable as one we might soon inhabit. But while the play is set in a secondary world, the core issues — treatment of trans people, children going missing, the evaporation of LGBTQ+ rights — are viscerally recognizable in our own world, in our own timeline. "Tesseract" is yet another brilliant play from Scott that needs to be read, seen and felt.

    ”
View all 21 recommendations
At minimum:
Female presenting actors: 6
Trans male actors: 2
•
THE WIFE, THE WOMAN and THE SON cannot be doubled.

MINIMUM CAST BREAKDOWN:
Cast of Characters

This play can be performed with a minimum of 6 female identifying actors and 2 trans male actors. Doubling is suggested not required. Individuated cast list in Appendix.
THE WIFE: A teacher in her 40s. Cis-female. Married to THE WOMAN. “Mumma” to THE SON. [Not doubled.]
THE SON: A boy of 9. Trans male. Child of THE WOMAN and THE WIFE. [Not doubled.]
THE WOMAN: An attorney in her 40s. Cis-female. Married to THE WIFE, birth mother/ “mommy” of THE SON. [Not doubled.]
THE GRANDMOTHER: A stern woman in her 70s/80s. THE WOMAN’s mother and THE SON’s grandmother. Also plays PASSENGER #2, ICMP LIAISON and THE OLDER ATTENDEE.
ENSEMBLE #1: Female-identifying. Plays AIRPORT SECURITY, INTERPOL LIAISON, and THE FRIEND.
ENSEMBLE #2: Female-identifying actor. Plays MILITARY OFFICER, UNHRC LIAISON, THE LEADER, STAND-IN, and AIRPORT WORKER.
ENSEMBLE #3: Female-identifying actor. Plays GATE AGENT and STATE DEPARTMENT REP.
ENSEMBLE #4: Ideally, trans male actor. Plays PASSENGER #1, UNODC LIAISON, THE FATHER, MALE AIRPORT SECURITY, and THE MAN.

***

BREAKDOWN OF INDIVIDUAL ROLES:
•
THE WIFE: A teacher in her 40s. Cis-female. Married to THE WOMAN. “Mumma” to THE SON.
THE SON: A boy of 9. Trans male. Child of THE WOMAN and THE WIFE.
THE GRANDMOTHER: A stern woman in her 70s/80s. Cis-female. THE WOMAN’s mother and THE SON’s grandmother. Also plays THE OLDER ATTENDEE and others.
THE WOMAN: An attorney in her 40s. Cis-female. Married to THE WIFE, birth mother/ “mommy” of THE SON.
AIRPORT SECURITY: Firm but helpful. Cis-female.
MILITARY OFFICER: High ranking US military field officer. Cis-female.
GATE AGENT: Cis-female.
PASSENGER #1: Entitled. Any gender.
PASSENGER #2: No-nonsense. Cis-female.
STATE DEPARTMENT REP: Official but helpful. Female.
INTERPOL LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
ICMP LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
UNHRC LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
UNODC LIAISON: Also plays Support Group Member.
THE LEADER: Support group leader.
Also plays one of the Liaisons.
THE FRIEND: A cis-het woman in the support group.
Also plays one of the Liaisons.
THE FATHER: A trans man separated from their family, in the support group.
Also plays one of the Liaisons and others.
THE OLDER ATTENDEE: An older woman in the support group.
Also plays one of the Liaisons. Played by THE GRANDMOTHER
AIRPORT WORKER: Not played by AIRPORT SECURITY.
MALE AIRPORT SECURITY: Played by THE FATHER
THE MAN: A white man in his late 30s or older, even much older. Played by THE FATHER.

Development History

  • Reading, New Art City Theatre, 2026
  • Reading, Playwrights Thriving, 2025

Awards

  • 2025 Ojai Playwrights Conference & New Works Festival
    Ojai Playwrights Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2025
  • Epiphanies
    Wild Imaginings
    Honorable Mention
    2025
  • The Relentless Awards
    American Playwriting Foundation
    Honorable Mention
    2024