Theatrefolk Featured Play – Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price is one of our most unique plays, based solely on action and no dialogue. Suitable for performance and in-class work, the play focuses on non-verbal storytelling through mask and movement.

Seven strangers meet in a train station. Instead of luggage, they all carry their “emotional baggage.”

They must confront themselves and one another. Everybody carries emotional baggage with them. What’s yours?

Why did we publish this play?
Emotional Baggage is one of our most unique plays. There is no dialogue and so the play’s story is told through the physical action of the characters. This presents a wonderful creative challenge for students and directors. We’ve seen many different productions of the show over the years and each one is different than the next.

Let’s hear from the author!

1. Why did you write this play?
I love a challenge. So why not write a play in which there is a clearly defined story, but none of the characters have any words to express that story. It went through a number of workshops to get the description just write on the page so that anyone picking up the script would know what they were supposed to do, and convey with an action. This is one of the plays I’m most proud of.

2. Decribe the theme in one or two sentences.
Everybody carries emotional baggage with them. What’s yours?

3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?
The heaviness of the “baggage” each character carries with them. It doesn’t matter the size of the baggage (one character carries a small purse), the weight is enormous.

4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?
Know exactly what each character is “saying” with each movement.

5. Why is this play great for student performers?
What a great challenge for students! How do you tell a story when you don’t have any words? Also, all of the characters are archetypes so there’s a lot of fun to be with costume, hair, and make-up.