PLAYWRITING
Full Length
WHY ARE GRAHAM CRACKERS HARD?
This is Amanda's very first full length play. She began writing Graham Crackers shortly after moving to Chicago.
The inspiration for the play came one afternoon while working at the Florence G. Heller JCC. A student was quietly snacking on a graham cracker when she abruptly stopped. She quickly got Amanda's attention and demanded to know why graham crackers were hard. Amanda opened her mouth to answer but quickly realized she had no idea. She simply replied, "because that's the way they make them." And so the play was born.
Synopsis: Life is full of unanswerable questions. Ryan, an out of work playwright, must field these questions and more when her sister Anne brings her nieces to town for an unexpected visit. Ryan’s childhood friend, Becca comes along for the ride but in the midst of the chaos reveals her affections. Affections everyone else has known for years… except for Ryan. As their worlds continue to spiral out of control, Ryan must come to terms with her choices and become the adult she never planned to be.
Cast: 5W
Why Are Graham Crackers Hard? premiered as an elevated staged reading with 20% Theatre Company February 15th-18th, 2017.
Full Length
SUICIDE ANONYMOUS
Suicide Anonymous is an extended version of Amanda’s 2014 One Act Forgiveness. Forgiveness was performed at Minnesota State University Mankato under the direction of Rusty Ruth in 2014. It was then performed 2015 at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota under the direction of Adam Karal Sahli.
Synopsis: Suicide Anonymous centers on a group of individuals who have each recently committed suicide. They find themselves trapped in a room with no idea how they got there or how to get out. Together they must share their stories to find a way to move on, that is if they can move on at all.
Cast: 3W;3M