Based on the biblical book of Esther, which Jews memorized and recited while being executed during the Holocaust. This two act play imagines a life of the little known Queen Vashti, whose presence cannot be demanded, and her influence on Queen Esther, whose presence cannot be denied. Both women challenge the status quo of what can be expected of women in their time. This play received a staged reading with professional actors,  an audience discussion, and work with a dramaturg at the PWC. Then it was produced as a stage reading with parishioners at Prospect Park, United Methodist Church.