Theatrefolk Featured Play – Discovering Rogue by Christian Kiley

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight.  Discovering Rogue by Christian Kiley is a showdown of stereotypes and self-identity and an issue-based drama that your high school performers can truly relate to and connect with.

Rogue has the best beachfront property ever. Right on the ocean – location, location, location. Her home happens to be a cardboard box but she doesn’t mind.

Others, though, mind very much. They want Rogue to leave the beach. Now. But she isn’t budging. Rogue isn’t just runni
away from home; she’s running away from herself.

Why did we publish this play?

I love how Christian writes for teens. He always opens theatrical doors that shed new light on to topics, and that’s what we have here in Discovering Rogue. The play is about perception. How others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. Rogue isn’t just running away from others, she’s running away from herself.

How many of you know teenagers who desperately want to run away from themselves? This is an awesome character piece with something extremely relevant to say to today’s teen.

Let’s hear from the author!

1. Why did you write this play?
I have often felt like (and I’m sure others have too) I am so far from perfect that I will never reach the magical place where unrealistic expectations dwell (imagine a high, high mountaintop). I wrote this for my daughters, in large part so that they could be proud of who they are without trying to obtain this unrealistic level of perfection that is present in spoken and unspoken forms throughout our lives. Rogue is a really thoughtful young person who has to come to terms with who she really is (and is ready to destroy the expectation of unobtainable perfection).

2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.
At some point you are going to have to decide who you really are and in doing so, you are probably going to have to destroy the unrealistic expectations that are in the way.

3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?
Part of it is the setting. The beach. More specifically, the box that Rogue calls her temporary home and the flag that she makes to put on it.

4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?
Really investigate what unrealistic expectations can do to you, people in general, the members of your cast. I talk to students on a regular basis who feel immense pressure to do so much, achieve so much, accomplish so much. The staging is so simple because Rogue is running away from the crazy complexity of her life. I think the key is in the connection to the stress that comes from trying to be perfect. The comedy comes from that as well, because you can have fun overplaying many of the characters (Perfect, Teacher, Students 1-4, Dad, and Mom).

5. Why is this play great for student performers?
It comes from a very real energy I feel and experience with the students I teach. As a parent, I know I can do better in helping quiet those expectations for my children. And I hope as a playwright I have done that with this play. The characters are engaging and fun. And they are grappling with real stresses and problems that young people face today.