Theatrefolk Featured Play: Anxiety is Orange by Lindsay Price

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight.  We’re excited to feature Anxiety is Orange by Lindsay Price – a vignette play where characters navigate the world, each other, and the greens, greys, blues, reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges around them.

Colours can be symbolic. Red is fiery. Purple is royal. Blue is calming. Sometimes, colours can take on too much meaning. I can’t date you – you wear wenge! He sent yellow flowers! Orange gives my brother anxiety!

Does orange make you anxious?

Let’s hear from the author!

1. Why did you write this play?
Sometimes you go down a rabbit hole of fun when you start searching on a topic. For example, colour symbolism! I knew the basics but it’s amazing how much character and colour are connected. And that was all I needed to create the scenes for the play. Any topic that I can bring to life through character interaction is a great theatrical fit.

2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.
How do we navigate the world through a sea of green, grey, blue, red, pink, yellow and orange?

3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?
Since this is a play about colour, there’s a rainbow of visual hues in this play. But I think the strongest visual line in the play is from Brittany. Brittany used to wear pink but now she wears red so that everyone knows that she is a force. I love the idea of someone using colour to show their strength.

4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?
Have fun and watch those transitions. Keep them quick and moving. And incorporate colour as much as possible!

5. Why is this play great for student performers?
Vignettes are perfect for student performers. The scenes are short, vivid and offer a variety of character development opportunities. Throw in a couple of monologues and you’ve got a great challenge for students. I think there’s some interesting tech opportunities as well – using colour in the lighting, on the set pieces and in the costumes. You could also consider how colour influences music – what sounds do you think of when you see red or purple or blue?