I set out on this project with the idea of writing a courtroom drama. Those plays are inherently plot driven and dramatic but, I wanted to take a slightly different approach, different from a Dick Wolf television episode. 

If I have a style as a playwright it’s that my plays are always character driven and, the story gets entirely told in a unit set, or place. In classical terms this is known as the “unity of place.” And, of course, I needed an interesting story to dramatize – something original. I remember reading, or hearing, about a young girl who gets kidnapped and seemingly disappears from the face of the earth only to reappear some twenty years later. That was interesting.

Thinking about it gave rise to a myriad of who/what/what if questions: Who kidnapped her? And why? What was the impact on her family back then? What’s the impact of learning she’s still alive? How does this story impact the characters who are telling it? How to ensure the legal proceeding is accurate? As these blanks get filled in and later tweaked and edited, the form of a play takes shape – what you will see and hear at the reading.

The actors, though they have had some rehearsal, will have their scripts in hand.  There will be some minor staging on a minimalist set cobbled together from our prop and scenery warehouse.  It’s all designed to give you a sense of the development process and to give me a guideline for the future of this play. 

My thanks for attending! And, please, don’t forget to complete the survey afterward – it’s really important.