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Kindness
Drama / 2m, 2f / Interior An ailing mother and her teenaged son flee Illinois and a crumbling marriage for the relative calm and safety of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Mom holds tickets to a popular musical about love among bohemians. Her son isn't interested, so Mom takes the kindly cabdriver instead, while the boy entertains a visitor from down the hall, an enigmatic, potentially dangerous young woman. Kindness is a play about the possibility for sympathy in a harsh world and the
- GenresPlays
68 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2010
65 people want to read
About the author
Adam Rapp
53 books306 followersAdam Rapp says that when he was working on his chilling, compulsively readable young adult novel 33 SNOWFISH, he was haunted by several questions. Among them: "When we have nowhere to go, who do we turn to? Why are we sometimes drawn to those who are deeply troubled? How far do we have to run before we find new possibilities?"
At once harrowing and hypnotic, 33 SNOWFISH--which was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association--follows three troubled young people on the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow. With the language of the street and lyrical prose, Adam Rapp hurtles the reader into the world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. His narration captures the voices of two damaged souls (a third speaks only through drawings) to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving power of compassion. "For those readers who are ready to be challenged by a serious work of shockingly realistic fiction," notes SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "it invites both an emotional and intellectual response, and begs to be discussed."
Adam Rapp’s first novel, MISSING THE PIANO, was named a Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers by the American Library Association. His subsequent titles include THE BUFFALO TREE, THE COPPER ELEPHANT, and LITTLE CHICAGO, which was chosen as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The author’s raw, stream-of-consciousness writing style has earned him critical acclaim. "Rapp’s prose is powerful, graphic and haunting," says SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. [He] writes in an earthy but adept language," says KIRKUS REVIEWS. "Takes a mesmerizing hold on the reader," adds HORN BOOK MAGAZINE.
In addition to being a novelist, Adam Rapp is also an accomplished and award-winning playwright. His plays--including NOCTURNE, ANIMALS AND PLANTS, BLACKBIRD, and STONE COLD DEAD SERIOUS--have been produced by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the New York Theatre Workshop, and the Bush Theatre in London, among other venues.
Born and raised in Chicago, the novelist and playwright now lives in New York City.
At once harrowing and hypnotic, 33 SNOWFISH--which was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association--follows three troubled young people on the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow. With the language of the street and lyrical prose, Adam Rapp hurtles the reader into the world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. His narration captures the voices of two damaged souls (a third speaks only through drawings) to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving power of compassion. "For those readers who are ready to be challenged by a serious work of shockingly realistic fiction," notes SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "it invites both an emotional and intellectual response, and begs to be discussed."
Adam Rapp’s first novel, MISSING THE PIANO, was named a Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers by the American Library Association. His subsequent titles include THE BUFFALO TREE, THE COPPER ELEPHANT, and LITTLE CHICAGO, which was chosen as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The author’s raw, stream-of-consciousness writing style has earned him critical acclaim. "Rapp’s prose is powerful, graphic and haunting," says SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. [He] writes in an earthy but adept language," says KIRKUS REVIEWS. "Takes a mesmerizing hold on the reader," adds HORN BOOK MAGAZINE.
In addition to being a novelist, Adam Rapp is also an accomplished and award-winning playwright. His plays--including NOCTURNE, ANIMALS AND PLANTS, BLACKBIRD, and STONE COLD DEAD SERIOUS--have been produced by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the New York Theatre Workshop, and the Bush Theatre in London, among other venues.
Born and raised in Chicago, the novelist and playwright now lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 26, 2024
Though completely devoid of heavy themes and not as intellectually rich as something like, say, M. Butterfly - I found this to be a deeply unsettling and intriguing black comedy as the reader/audience tries to figure out which character(s) are dangerous, and what their hidden intentions are. I was fascinated by the interplay between these characters and the introduction of them gradually - establishing totally diverse people with totally diverse backgrounds that interact on stage.
It tells the story of a teenage boy and his mother who move to New York City to escape a troubled domestic relationship. Mom is suffering from a fatal illness, the son is suffering from long-term emotional burn out. When Mom leaves the motel room to see a play with the taxi driver she just met, the son is introduced to a mysterious young woman who wanders into his room in the late night hours, and we start to wonder how safe these characters are with their respective newfound friends…
“Kindness” is a play that continuously messes with us, right up until the final moments. If you’re looking for the play to live up to all of the great metaphors and symbolism of a show-stopping classic, you may be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a Hitchcockian psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the final lights start to fade, this one might be for you. Here is a script that enjoys toying with us - and when it’s doing that, it hits its best notes.
This is not a Shakespearean tragedy or a modern masterpiece. But as a psychological thriller/black comedy, it really packs a punch. I’d love to see some modern actors get together and do this in an unconventional space - like a small church, or a black-box stage.
It tells the story of a teenage boy and his mother who move to New York City to escape a troubled domestic relationship. Mom is suffering from a fatal illness, the son is suffering from long-term emotional burn out. When Mom leaves the motel room to see a play with the taxi driver she just met, the son is introduced to a mysterious young woman who wanders into his room in the late night hours, and we start to wonder how safe these characters are with their respective newfound friends…
“Kindness” is a play that continuously messes with us, right up until the final moments. If you’re looking for the play to live up to all of the great metaphors and symbolism of a show-stopping classic, you may be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a Hitchcockian psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the final lights start to fade, this one might be for you. Here is a script that enjoys toying with us - and when it’s doing that, it hits its best notes.
This is not a Shakespearean tragedy or a modern masterpiece. But as a psychological thriller/black comedy, it really packs a punch. I’d love to see some modern actors get together and do this in an unconventional space - like a small church, or a black-box stage.
Displaying 1 of 1 review