NIGHTJAR

Semifinalist - Eugene O'Neill Theater Center NPC, 2018
Staged Reading - Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2017

FULL LENGTH - 3W, 3M with doubling

Eastern Kentucky, coal country. The miner in his coal vein can’t stand up straight; a young man in his black vein is dancing in light. In 1950 a mining family is kicking off coal dust; business is good, and Della is the first of her family to leave for college. In 2017 the coal dust’s scrubbed clean, but Della’s still here, housing a family she didn’t expect. NIGHTJAR is a test of grace under pressure, from the interior and the exterior.

Cast: 
MARCUS [male, 40s] Eastern Kentucky coal operator YOUNG DELLA [female, 18-25] the coal miner’s daughter PEG [female, 40s] wife, sharp witted MEAN DADDY [male, 70s-80s] granddad, legacy coal miner DELLA [female, 80s] the same coal miner’s daughter, quiet grace, stern CRICKET [female, mid 20s] works at the old store REDD [male, mid 20s] Cricket’s brother, an addict BUOY [male, 70s-80s] ex-marine, the customer who’s always there