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Smudge

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  1w, 2m

Rachel Axler

"For signs of intelligent life in the theatrical universe, I hereby refer you to Smudge, Rachel Axler's pitch-black comedy." - Marilyn Stasio, Variety


Smudge

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
A dark comedy about the changing face of the American family and the limits of love and cheesecake, as a hopeful young couple gives birth to a smudge, written by two-time Emmy Award winner Rachel Axler.
History

Smudge premiered at The Women's Project in 2010 under the direction of Pam McKinnon. 

Keywords
Performing Groups
COLBY - Late twenties. Female. Married to Nick.
NICHOLAS - Late twenties. Male. Married to Colby.
PETE - Mid-thirties. Male. Nick’s older brother.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting A hospital room and Colby and Nicholas's apartment. 
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No intermission, Special Effects
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language

Media

REVIEWS

"Ms. Axler has a comic’s gift for language that is precise and imaginative, but never showy... What gives the play its charge is how Ms. Axler taps into a primal fear — giving birth to a monster — and then calmly considers it from all angles." - The New York Times, Read More

"For signs of intelligent life in the theatrical universe, I hereby refer you to 'Smudge,' Rachel Axler’s pitch-black comedy about a young couple reacting to the birth of a severely deformed child." - Variety, Read More

"Rachel Axler, an acclaimed television comedy writer, is...spread[ing] her creative wings with 'Smudge.' She takes a dark subject, immediately places her three characters in extremis, and asks us to watch what happens. There is a distinctly ambitious imagination at work here" - Backstage

Videos

  • Smudge youtube thumbnail

    Smudge

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Rachel Axler

Rachel Axler
Rachel's critically acclaimed play, SMUDGE, directed by Pam MacKinnon, premiered at Women's Project. Her play ARCHAEOLOGY premiered at Kitchen Theatre in April 2009. Other plays include THE WEIGHT OF PAPER and DISAPPEARANCE CONUNDRUM. Her plays have been produced by Vital Th ...
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