Refuge

by Jessica Goldberg

Set in a rundown house somewhere in America, REFUGE tells the darkly funny and touching story of a young woman, Amy, forced to care for her younger brother and sister after her parents have abandoned the family and fled to Florida for a vacation from which they will never return. The siblings are in great need of care: Nat, a brain tumor survivor, is stuttering and barely able to move; and Becca is an Ecstasy-popping needy child. In a desperate attempt at connection, Amy brings home a drifter, Sam, for a one-night stand. But Sam is so lonely and lost that once he encounters this unusual family's bonds of loyalty, he sees them as his only refuge. REFUGE is a profoundly honest and original look at four young lives-lost and unsure of what's ahead, seeking a safe place but uncertain of what safety means. The only refuge in sight may be in the distinctively heartbreaking and brutally funny language of the world Ms. Goldberg's characters inhabit.

Genres: Plays, Contemporary, Theatre

46 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2003 my best playwriting teacher recommended I read this, to help inspire the play I was working on, in a similar vein. She was a really smart teacher, so I can see why she did. (But I was too caught up to read it, at the time.)

I really liked it: the family is really good, the situation behind the family is really good, it feels like it could go longer because there's even more threads to pull.

That was almost the same as the only thing that held it back from being great for me: consistently, some of the writing is on the nose. I like that they're saying what they're saying, but good playwriting is written around those things, not all over them. Give it time.

[Mag · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story fell a little short for me, however I GOT it. B-

With a good enough cast and smart staging, this could be enjoyable.