Alyssa Cokinis

After nuclear attacks on U.S. cities, happiness and other emotions can no longer be produced naturally by humans; their brain chemistry has been severely altered due to nuclear fallout. The Integrated Borders Union, a new government near former Washington, D.C., works with local drug designers and manufacturers to produce chemically-created emotions; these pills are part of the mandatory Pill Program for all citizens residing in the IBU. To those unlucky enough to be wandering the wasteland, they must survive the terrain and hungry groups of hunters.

We go back and forth in time between young drug addict Fern’s present, in which she resides in the Integrated Borders Union one year after the fallout, trying to get back to her old life with her boyfriend Jon and her mother and follow the rules of the Pill Program; and Fern’s past, or what happened to her on the road a few months directly after the fallout, where she meets and deals with both withdrawal and her feelings for the mysterious traveler Kerouac after the two were chased by a group of hungry fallout survivors.

**A radio play adaptation is also available upon request.

The Lark and the Nightingale is a queer retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Othello. Juliet and Desdemona, two characters canonically destined for tragic endings, break away from their scripts and attempt to find happiness in each other. Desdemona battles duty with love while Juliet struggles to let love consume her entirely. When confronted with their scripted ends, they must advocate for one another and prove that their love is worth fighting for.

Nonbinary aspiring actor Vale fails to pay rent and other necessities in memories as decreed by the U.S. government after the war, and Vale must choose whether to join the resistance to abolish memory currency or give up their most precious moments to survive.

(5-10 minutes) A queer reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood and how society defines “womanhood.”
Content warning: misgendering, transphobia

(10-minute) On a terraformed Mars, two coworkers wait to watch a large asteroid hit Earth and argue about the ethics of living on Mars.

CamBoi69, aka Cam, is the #1 player in a crystal-finding virtual reality game and has just one left to find--until his rival Sara steps on the scene and threatens his crown. However, he might just need her help to get past the forcefields.

A response to the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Written for Code Red Playwrights

Two American expat English teachers in China butt heads in their new friendship, further exacerbated by an incident that leaves them stuck in understanding how rape culture operates in America vs in China.
Content Warning: discussion about sexual assault and rape culture

An amnesiac girl named Lana wakes up on an empty ship captained by the mysterious Sal, who pulled her out of the water. As Lana integrates herself into the ship's routine, little pieces of her memory return as she begins to question who Sal is, why they have a ship, and where their ship is ultimately heading.

Artemis is missing. At least, that was what Zeus told Kat Elpida. Kat’s mother, the Deceiver—also known as Apate, from Pandora’s box—is on a mission to harness the power of the gods and eliminate the Olympians forever. As Kat encounters gods and goddesses alike, she, the god Apollo, and demigod Revi must rush to find Artemis before the Deceiver does. From the Forest of Artemis to the Fields of Asphodel, sometimes what comes out of Pandora’s box is best left inside.

A response to the shooting in Boulder, Colorado on March 22, 2021.

Written for Code Red Playwrights.

Inspired by Meng Jinghui Huang Jingang, Wang Xiaoli, and Shi Hang's "I Love XXX" -- Semi-autobiographical, semi-not, "I Love China" is a one-woman show which explores a young white American woman's experience as a foreign teacher and resident in the People's Republic of China (pre-COVID-19). This piece is still in development and will be expanded to speak to the COVID-19 era as well.

Taylor is the sole survivor of a plane crash, and she doesn't want to talk about it. She trades university for working at a shoe store, her long-time best friend for stoner Jules and high schooler Camille, and her family for the comfort of weed. And while nothing is wrong with any of that, Taylor finds that the memories of that plane crash aren't going away--in fact, they seem to be chasing her.