Aeneas Hemphill
he, him, his
Vienna, VA
Aeneas Sagar Hemphill is a writer & performer of plays, films, tv, and music
Biography

Aeneas Sagar Hemphill is a writer and performer based in New York City with an MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University. His work mythologizes the historical and the contemporary to uncover buried truths. His plays include A Stitch Here or There: A Sock Tragedy in One Act, The Troll King, and Black Hollow, produced as his MFA thesis.

Plays

by Aeneas Sagar Hemphill

After a school shooting rips open the heart of an idyllic American town, the people of Black Hollow reckon with their loss and fight to live on. A play about grief, community, and resilience.

Cast:
4W, 5M. RUSTY BURGESS. 16. Intelligent, charismatic, but disturbed. Hyperactive and obsessive imagination. Estranged from the people around him, except for a select group of fellow outcasts, for whom he is the de facto leader. NOAH BURGESS. 40's. A struggling but devoted father. His wife, Rusty’s mother, was his world. After she died, Rusty became his world. JESSIE HUGHES. 16. Awkward, shy, nerdy. A gamer. One of the outcasts in town. Loyal to his best friend Rusty. FAYE ROBERTS. 16. Punky nerd, emo/goth-leaning. Bright and creative, but contemptuous of authority and control. Can’t wait to get out of this town. CHRISTINA PARKER. 40's. Fifth grade teacher. Grew up in Black Hollow, went to college in-state, and came back to be a teacher. Loves her students, loves her family, loves her town. HOWARD PARKER. 40's. Commutes to the city, works in an office. He cares about his family but work often takes precedence, and he struggles to achieve a balance. EVEY PARKER. 16. Popular girl, masking a secret weirdness that draws her to the outcasts. Thoughtful and kind. She has a strong sense of empathy and trusts her gut. FRANK WADE. Late 50's. A military veteran. Owns the army surplus and camping supplies store and commands the town Militia. Libertarian-leaning, values self-reliance. SUE WALTON. 45. Beloved Sheriff of 15 years, and was the youngest Black Hollow elected in a century. Hard-working, caring, but tough. Cares deeply about her town, and is motivated by duty.
by Aeneas Sagar Hemphill

High school is hard. Hormones, bullies, and pressure from adults can take its toll. For many, the internet is a safe haven—but it can also be something more sinister. When a young gamer's love goes unrequited, a breach of trust rocks the student body and fantasy and reality collide. An epic play about youth, obsession, and video games in the internet age. 

Cast:
3W, 6M. ZACHARY. Teenager. Nerd, gamer, hyper-intelligent. Will either save the world or destroy it. MABEL. 40's. Zachary's mother, holding down the fort since his father left years ago. Caring but perhaps too generous to her son. HOPE. Teenager. Popular girl, but also a gamer. Was best friends with Zachary when they were very young. TERI. Teenager. Hope's best friend. A little valley girl, but more complex than people think. BLAKE. Teenager. One of Craig's friends on the football team. Perpetual follower, but good muscle. KEVIN. Teenager. One of Craig's friends on the football team. Leader of the bully squad. CRAIG. Teenager. Quarterback of the football team. Hope's boyfriend. Jock, participates in bullying, but maybe salvageable. YOLO SWAGGINS. Unknown. One of Zachary's online friends. WOMBRAIDER. Unknown. One of Zachary's online friends. LOKI. Unknown. A master hacker and manipulator. Rules the Dark Web.
by Aeneas Sagar Hemphill

After a lifetime apart, aging poet Rabindranath Tagore is visited by Kadambari, his first love and muse. 

Cast:
1W, 1M. RABI TAGORE. 80's. The legendary Bengali writer. KADAMBARI DEVI. 26. Rabi's first love, returned to him as an angel of Death.