Accelerando

by Lisa Loomer

This romantic comedy employs twelve scenes to reveal a relationship that spans an entire nighttime, A) with the way the world is speeding up nowadays, a nighttime is really what a lifetime used to be; B) HE's busy, and; C) SHE's in a rush. HE is a classical musician and filmmaker who lives for Art. SHE is a dancer determined to find Love. (The audience will ultimately be asked to vote on which is more important.) Other obstacles are their Mothers (Puerto Rican and WASP), who appear in dreams, or when reason takes a walk or a giant leap, leaving the door open for all mothers And Fathers, who appear as slides not quite flesh and blood, but still able to have left an impression. A live musician accompanies all the fun.

Genres: Plays

Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Lisa Loomer is an acclaimed American playwright and screenwriter whose work often explores family life, cultural identity, and pressing social issues. She is best known for The Waiting Room, a widely produced play examining body image and societal beauty standards across different cultures and eras. Her powerful storytelling also shaped the screenplay for the film Girl, Interrupted.
Born in New York, Loomer later moved to Mexico, an experience that deepened her connection to Latina and immigrant narratives, which often appear in her work. She studied theatre at Brandeis University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, beginning her career as an actress and stand-up comic before turning to playwriting.
Loomer's plays, including Roe, Living Out, Distracted, and Homefree, have premiered at major theaters such as the Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, with many receiving national and international productions. Her work has been honored with awards such as the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the American Theatre Critics Association Award.
In addition to her plays, Loomer has written for television and film, with credits including Girl, Interrupted, Nappily Ever After, and TV pilots for HBO, CBS, and Showtime. She served as a supervising producer for the second season of Love Is… on OWN. In 2023, she adapted Real Women Have Curves into a stage musical.
Her writing is widely studied in university drama, Women’s Studies, and Latino Studies programs. An alumna of New Dramatists, Loomer’s work is celebrated for its wit, heart, and incisive social commentary, making her one of the most important voices in contemporary American theatre.

Reviews

[Not Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Play.

[Tati Arias · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely incredible story of a one night stand that comes full circle and shows how love can be more powerful than trauma and art. Or is it the other way around?

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Play #24. This is witty, adult humor. I think it would be fabulously entertaining to see and I'm mildly interested in what it would be like to direct. I love stuff with slides. This one does a really good job with that.

[Gabie (OwlEyesReviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars.

Interesting. It would be really cool to watch with the music in it.