Reading Room: Chemo Girl and Other Plays

 
My friend Christian Kiley has written a collection of four beautiful plays that absolutely need to be read, produced, and experienced. I had the great honor of reading Chemo Girl and Other Plays while it was in the development process and I cannot tell you how much they moved me. They are fascinating, sensitive, and (most amazingly) humorous portrayals of teenagers dealing with cancer, from a variety of different perspectives.

My father passed away from cancer when I was 14, so The Other Room hit a nerve that I was not expecting. The play centers around a teenager coping with his dad's illness as he recovers from chemotherapy treatments in the other room. My father's death was a defining experience in my life, yet I've never been able to put into words the experience of going through his demise. The fear I had of going into that "other room" continues to haunt me to this day, and The Other Room is so real, so raw, that I felt as though I was experiencing that fear all over again. At first I wasn't sure I could handle it, but as the play progressed I felt myself coming to peace with my dad's passing, and as I turned the final page, tears of joy were running down my face. It was the catharsis I had been looking for since I was 14. It was exactly the play I needed at the exact time I needed it...and one that I wish I could have written myself.

My niece is currently battling leukemia and her courage and determination inspires me every single day. Her positive outlook in the face of such unfortunate circumstances reminds me that anything is possible if we put our heart and soul into it. So when I read Chemo Girl, about a young girl who finds the strength to fight her own battle with cancer through video games, I was reminded of my niece and what a super hero she has become. The theatricality and creative invention of Chemo Girl blurs the line between fantasy and reality in a way that young actors and directors will really be able to sink their teeth into.

The two other plays in the collection, Red Rover and Waiting Room, tackle the physical and emotional repercussions of a cancer diagnosis. The two plays could not be more different, yet they compliment one another beautifully and provide actors the opportunity to tell a story with their bodies as well as their voices.

Chemo Girl and Other Plays is now available from Theatrefolk and I encourage anyone looking for a play that will knock the socks off their audience to consider it for their next production. It's a truly extraordinary evening of theater that will delight, enlighten, and inspire everyone involved.