A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Carnival Kids

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 3m

Lucas Kavner

A dramedy about the people we choose to let in, and the parts of ourselves we refuse to live with.

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Carnival Kids

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

When an aimless former rock musician finds himself broke with nowhere to go, he’s forced to move in with his son in his cramped New York City apartment. As they try to forge a new existence together, an unusual money-making scheme further complicates their lives and loves. A dramedy about the people we choose to let in, and the parts of ourselves we refuse to live with. 

History
Carnival Kids premiered at The Barrow Group Theatre in June 2014, presented by Lesser America, and directed by Stephen Brackett.
Keywords
Performing Groups
DALE - 50s. Texan through and through. A former musician who had a moment in the spotlight long ago. At a crossroads. Almost broken but not quite.
MARK - 20s. Asian-American. Smart, handsome and deeply guarded.
ECKLAND - 20s. Off-putting, but well-meaning. A successful tech entepreneur with a mild case of Asberger's Syndrome. He really loves music.
MARISA - late 20s. That quiet, smart girl from your high school English class who discovered alcohol and sex in college. Hard-skinned, but vulnerable.
KALINA - late 20s, Syrian. Striking, desperate and eloquent. Not who she seems.
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting

    Mark and Eckland's apartment in Morningside Heights, New York City.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Play with Music
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Nudity/Partial Nudity

Media

REVIEWS 

"Critics' Pick. Surprising and very funny..." - The New York Times, Read More 

"...it is undoubtedly a great show. Its blend of witty dialogue and authentic-feeling drama makes it a thoroughly engrossing work from beginning to end with the type of snappy dialogue and action-rich scenes that entice those who do not normally enjoy theater." - Theatre Is Easy, Read More 

"Kavner’s hilarious play is a love song to slightly immoral and totally irresponsible losers, and it works." - The New Yorker, Read More 

"...a haunting and layered work…There’s an atomic nature to the play; it’s a particle chamber with collisions and scary potentials… Well done, Mr. Kavner." - Stage Buddy, Read More

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Lucas Kavner

Lucas Kavner
Lucas Kavner's plays include Fish Eye (Time Out and New York Magazine Critic’s Picks, included in New York Magazine's Best Theatre of the Year), Carnival Kids (NY Times Critics Pick, recently optioned for film), The Gum Play (EST/Sloan commission), Clickshare, and Barnes & No ...
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