THE BLUE WHALE World Premiere to be Presented at The Shawnee Playhouse

The Shawnee Playhouse, celebrating its forty-fifth season, will present the world premiere of The Blue Whale, from February 8th through February 21st, 2025. Written by Laura Zlatos, winner of the Shawnee Original Playwright Series (SOPS) 2024 Full Length Dramatic Play, and directed by Midge McClosky, this riveting show stars local talent from The Poconos, including Cadence Bohdal as Sydney Elkhorn, Esther Vough as Emily Elkhorn, Dawn Daignault as Lori Elkhorn, and Jules Gindraux as Keith Elkhorn. This captivating drama also features Kyra Lavine-Ertle as Kate, Isabelle Law as Chloe, Skipper DeBlasio as Sophie Lipton, and Abigail Weidenbaum as The Blue Whale.

A blue whale has mysteriously beached herself in Marin County, CA. Nearby, a teenage girl, Sydney, receives a DM from a man, inviting her to play an online game. Her sister, Emily, joins in, and the two are swept away on an ominous journey from which they can't escape. Their high school mirrors an aquatic ecosystem, where the cheerleaders are the sharks, the chess club is the phytoplankton, and the older sister, Sydney, and her friends are herring. Emily's only refuge is underwater, where she competes as part of the school's swim team. As each day passes, the sisters complete a series of tasks in the deadly game, while their marine biologist parents struggle to rescue a pod of stranded whales. Inspired by real life events, The Blue Whale examines the relationship between violence and social media while illuminating the climate crisis and its effects on marine life. Please be aware that this content contains graphic depictions of violence, including self harm, which may be triggering for some audience members. Viewer discretion is advised.

Laura Zlatos is a Pittsburgh born, Brooklyn-based playwright and librettist. Her plays include Show Trial (2024 Jane Chambers Prize, finalist), The Blue Whale (2024 Shawnee Original Playwrights Festival Dramatic Play Winner; 2022 Todd McNerney Playwriting Award; 2021 Marsha A. Croyle Award; 2019 Dr. R.J. Rodriguez Emerging Playwrights Contest, 2nd Place), The Even More Lamentable Tragedy of Lavinia (2020 Women are Funny Prize), and Happily After Ever (59E59 Theaters; Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Bloomington Playwrights Project; 2017 Woodward/Newman Drama Award, The Advocate's "Top 10 NY Theater of 2016," Honorable Mention). She has also written the musicals A Problem with the Pattersons (2023 CITSTS Emerging Writers Residency, Finalist; 2020 O'Neill Music Theatre Conference, Semifinalist - music/lyrics by Andre Catrini) and Reincarnation Blues (2024 O'Neill Music Theatre Conference, Semifinalist - music/lyrics by Coyle Girelli and Ben Thornewill). Laura was a playwriting fellow with Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company and a resident playwright with the Exquisite Corpse Company. She has developed work at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and the Orchard Project and was a finalist for the Princess Grace Award and the Jerome Fellowship. Laura received an MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University and an MA in Performance Studies from NYU, where her research focused on the theatricalization of gender and violence in women's mixed martial arts.

With Original Music by Tylique Settles, The Blue Whale was inspired by a real online challenge and social media phenomenon that has claimed dozens of victims since 2016. The "game," which was created in Russia, and has since spread around the globe, primarily targets adolescent girls. Laura Zlatos has stated that, "Although the subject matter of the play is troubling, I feel that it's important to address the growing issue of suicidal ideation in adolescents, particularly at a time when the ubiquity of social media and the internet create unique challenges for young people. In recent years, the CDC has reported an unprecedented rise in suicidal ideation among teenage girls. The study found that thirty percent of girls have claimed that they have seriously considered attempting suicide, which is double the rate among boys, and this number has increased by almost sixty percent from a decade ago. Unfortunately, most schools are ill-equipped to handle the complex mental health issues facing their students. Additionally, there are no federal laws that directly criminalize or even define cyberbullying. Ultimately, I hope The Blue Whale will shed light on the importance of combating cyberbullying and strengthening mental health resources for adolescents."

Zlatos has also argued that, "The Blue Whale isn't just about mental health, it also tackles the increasingly tragic and common phenomenon of whale strandings. As someone who works in animal rescue by day and theatre by night, I have a passion for protecting animals. Using an ecofeminist lens to juxtapose the vulnerability and violence of girlhood to that of blue whales, I aim to illustrate the man-made threat facing this endangered species and encourage environmental action."

Produced by Charles and Ginny Kirkwood, and under the executive direction of Midge McClosky, The Blue Whale also features a veteran technical team, including Midge McClosky as Director & Show Designer, Sarah McCarroll as Assistant Director, Stage Manager, and Emotional Health Consultant, Abigail Silva as Assistant Stage Manager & Technical Booth Operator, Anya Cameron as Costumer, Kenneth Card as promotional photographer, Robert McClosky as media manager, and Samantha Cameron as press writer.

Showtimes, dates, and ticket prices are as follows:

3:00PM: Sunday, February 9th and Sunday, February 16th

7:00PM: Saturday, February 8th and February 15th

Tickets are $22.00 each for adults, $19.00 each for seniors, and $15.00 each for children seventeen and under. Meal and a Show tickets are $50.00 per adult, $45.00 for children ages thirteen to seventeen years old, and $30.00 for children ages four to twelve years old.

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