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Aliens With Extraordinary Skills

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 2m, 2any gender (adult)

Based on true stories of immigration, Saviana Stanescu's fictional dark comedy follows the exploits of Nadia, a clown from the “unhappiest country in the world,” Moldova, who pins her hopes on a US work visa.

Aliens With Extraordinary Skills

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m, 2any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
This dark comedy concerns a clown from the “unhappiest country in the world,” Moldova, who pins her hopes on a US work visa. Chased by Homeland Security, Nadia receives a deportation letter, crushing her enthusiasm. A pair of spike heels might be all it takes to burst her American Dream (or turn it into a nightmare). New York City, with its special energy, seems like the perfect solution for her problems, but is it really? Luckily, Nadia is not alone in her journey: A Russian illegal immigrant, Borat, her fellow clown, tries to find his own path in the Big Apple, by working as a cab driver. Lupita, her Latina roommate, an exotic dancer and wanna-be actress, shows Nadia the tough side of the city. Meanwhile, Bob, an American washed-up musician finds himself in the relationship with the Moldovan girl. Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is based on true stories of immigration explored and fictionalized by a playwright who tries to understand her own story. The moral of the “fable” might be that – regardless our passport and native language – we are all “aliens” in search of love, understanding and a place to call home.
History
Aliens with Extraordinary Skills premiered off-Broadway at the Julia Miles Theatre on September 22, 2008. Directed by Tea Alagic, the production featured Shirine Babb, Seth Fisher, Gian-Murray Gianino, Kevin Isola, Natalia Payne, Jessica Pimentel and Marnye Young.
NADIA – From Moldova, early-mid 20s
BORAT – From Russia, early-mid 30s
LUPITA – Dominican-American, late 20s
BOB – American, early-mid 30s
INS 1, INS 2 – Homeland Security (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting Various locations in New York City and elsewhere. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes

Media

“An enchanting piece of theater... flawlessly observant.” – The New York Times

“Saviana Stanescu's Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is an enchanting piece of theater... Ms. Stanescu's dialogue is flawlessly observant... the energy people talk about as New York's essence comes from all those newcomers' hopes and dreams in the air. Aliens pays tribute to that energy and at the same time radiates tons of its own.” – The New York Times

“Saviana Stanescu introduces us to two remarkable, resilient young women; it's gratifying to find a smart and intriguing play like this one, not only created by females but also focused on a pair of memorable heroines... Stanescu takes the audience into territory that will be uncharted for most of them: the immigrant experience is presented here with candor and without a shred of romanticism.” Martin Denton, www.nytheatre.com

“A native Romanian, [Stanescu's] writing in English has more scrupulous care, more pure attention than someone to the grammar born. Aliens with Extraordinary Skills may feel just like a lark—there's understated silliness, a set of adorable strugglers and just the right thread of romance. But it's also a triumph of listening.” Time Out

“Whatever your stance on immigration, Stanescu's upbeat mood overwrites it... In a Craigslist conversation, spoken smiley faces and all, we are all equal, and dressed up like a hamburger or soda, we are meant to be together, for we are all—especially this play—extraordinary.” Kül: That Sounds Cool

“At last, a play for the Moldovan balloon wrangler in all of us. Saviana Stanescu’s Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is like a cobweb, it’s hard not to take a little of it with you when you leave... individual scenes work beautifully...a pleasant way to spend an evening, especially buoyed by the unusually creative presentation.” – Variety

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

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Authors

Saviana Stanescu

Saviana Stanescu is a Romanian-born award-winning playwright. Her work has been widely presented internationally and in the US. Recent productions include For a Barbarian Woman (a co-production Fordham/EST directed by Niegel Smith), Aliens With Extraordinary Skills at Women’s ...

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