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Cardboard Piano

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  2w, 2m

Hansol Jung

"Haunting [...] authentic [...] Jung’s characters never offer clear answers to what is to be done when hearts and lives are broken from violence and denunciation, but this promising playwright’s story suggests a power in facing the damage done and picking up the pieces to inform each step forward." - Louisville Courier-Journal

Cardboard Piano

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
Northern Uganda on the eve of the millennium: The daughter of American missionaries and a local teenage girl steal into a darkened church to seal their love in a secret, makeshift wedding ceremony. But when the surrounding war zone encroaches on their fragile union, they cannot escape its reach. Confronting the religious and cultural roots of intolerance, Cardboard Piano explores violence and its aftermath, as well as the human capacity for hatred, forgiveness, and love.
History

Cardboard Piano premiered as a part of the Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in Louisville, KY in March 2016 under the direction of Leigh Silverman.

Keywords
Performing Groups
CHRIS - 16 in Part I, age 30 in Part II. Any Ethinicity, American
ADIEL - 16, Acholi, Ugandan
PIKA - 13, Acholi, nationality unspecified
SOLDIER - early 20s, Acholi, nationality unspecified
PAUL - 27, Acholi, Ugandan, played by Soldier from Part I
RUTH - late 20s, Bugandan, Ugandan, played by Adiel from Part I
FRANCIS - late teens to early 20s, Acholi, Ugandan. Played by Pika from Part I
  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century, 1990s
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Gun Shots
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS 

"Haunting [...] authentic [...] Jung’s characters never offer clear answers to what is to be done when hearts and lives are broken from violence and denunciation, but this promising playwright’s story suggests a power in facing the damage done and picking up the pieces to inform each step forward." - Louisville Courier-Journal, Read More 

"The action is grounded in the personal but is looking hard at current events in Uganda [...] It’s a delicate balance, and Jung walks the tightrope with skill and grace. The characters are well drawn and meaty, and their interpersonal conflict is engaging. But Jung leaves herself plenty of room for questions and accusations that reach far beyond the borders of Uganda." - Louisville Insider, Read More 


Videos

  • First look at Cardboard Piano at the 2016 Humana Festival youtube thumbnail

    First look at Cardboard Piano at the 2016 Humana Festival

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Hansol Jung

Hansol Jung

Hansol Jung (playwright) Productions: Wolf Play (Artists Rep, Soho Rep), Wild Goose Dreams (Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse), Cardboard Piano (Humana Festival), Among the Dead (Ma-Yi) and No More Sad Things (Sideshow, Boise Contemporary). Commissions: Public Theater (NY), ...

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