Lewiston / Clarkston

by Samuel D. Hunter

A double volume containing two interrelated plays that focus on the modern-day descendants of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In Lewiston, an aging descendant of Meriwether Lewis sells off her family's land as she becomes increasingly convinced that her family's past is a curse. But when an unexpected visitor enters the picture, she is left to consider if there is any good left in the world. In Clarkston, a young descendant of William Clark has made the journey out west from his home in Connecticut, anxious to find meaning in his own history. Faced with the reality of the diminished towns that used to make up America's shining frontier, his faith in his future and the future of the country itself begins to falter.

Genres: Plays, Drama

161 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd say Lewiston is more of a 4.5, but combined, I'm happy with a 5-star rating for both! I'm gonna be lazy and just link four excellent reviews below, which do a much better job of explicating why these plays are so damn good than I could ever do - wish I had seen the Rattlesticks production, since I doubt these are going to be performed much elsewhere, sadly.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/th...
https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/theat...
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...#!
https://newyorktheater.me/2018/11/03/...

[Aaron Piccirillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ever since you came here i feel like you’re like asking me for some solution to your problems, but i don’t have it. my life is pretty shitty right now too, if i knew how to make it better don’t you think i would have done it?”

overall i enjoyed the play i just wish it was a little bit longer so that there was more time to spend with the characters. i just wanted more out of the show since it felt so short and was getting really good towards the end of it. i did think the lewis and clark thing was kinda weird but i guess it made sense for the characters. also big bonus points for it being set in a costco.

[Wendell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah I'm afraid I don't really see what everyone else sees in these two plays. I felt like Lewiston in particular was incredibly underdeveloped. I don't think Alice and Marnie's relationship developed in a particularly interesting way and it's the entire crux of the piece. Clarkston I liked a little more - it was cute, some of the writing just felt too cheesy at parts. Jake had the more interesting premise but Chris was the more interesting character.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clarkston is a great little play. Didn’t read Lewiston yet. Might come back to it later.

[dhishfish · Rating 4 out of 5]

read Clarkston as soon as I found out Joe Locke was going to be in it and I was never going to be able to watch it 3 but beautiful play with really well fleshed out characters (to character study them as an actor would be so good) and really lovely natural writing. i always really enjoy reading about messy queer relationships so yay!

[Erin]

LEWISTON left me a bit cold. Felt incomplete, not quite fleshed out, and the ending felt contrived.
CLARKSTON was ACE playwriting. I loved it. The characters lived on the page. It moved beautifully. Gorgeous, quiet piece. Hunter at his best form.

[Paige Felger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewiston didn’t feel quite fleshed out to me. I think the themes that are being explored in it are so important and I love that the playwright is grappling with them.

Clarkston is A+ such a gorgeous play

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved 'em.

[j · Rating 5 out of 5]

plays that make you realize this was what you were trying to write the whole time