Heroines and History

These three plays have female protagonists, and are framed around themes of American history. THE NONSENSE OF NEUTRONS - The year is 1995, and fanfare and hype over the 50th anniversary of WW2 are all around. But Shannon, a college student, is carrying a long-time rage over her family’s distant connection to the war. Her friends encourage her, warily, to stay positive amidst all of the buzz. And gradually . . . the pending campus symposium of aging nuclear physicists proves pivotal to this play’s climax. JOHN CALHOUN AND A THIEF - Kicked out of a university PhD program, a bitter and dejected female lifts from the library archives original copies of John Calhoun’s private documents. Counseled and consoled by both roommates, her conscience slowly kicks in. But as she seeks entry to other universities her luck pitfalls, and the ultimate decision she makes with the papers causes this one-act play to become darker, if not funnier. GRACIE AND THE GALAPANZAS - Gracie is a young, accomplished, but depressed tightrope walker. She takes a man hostage in New York’s Twin Towers, and demands to speak with Phillip Palón, the world-famous tightrope walker. The authorities deliver Palón, who Gracie insists will watch her walk the two towers. Emotions and rage run rampant . . . and the gun-wielding Gracie remains the key concern of this short drama.