Everything You're Told

A play about sexuality, religion, and the drive to love someone whose ideas you oppose.

Cast: 4 (2F, 2M)

Description:

It is autumn 2014, and two college students want to make a difference: Alex, a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance, works on the peer support line; Kevin, a member of the University Fellowship of Jesus, studies philosophy. They meet when Kevin calls the line, and their frank conversation about religion and homosexuality thrusts them into an unexpected romance. As the end of college looms and the complexities of the larger world seep into their lives, Alex and Kevin must figure out how much of themselves to reveal to each other, and if it’s truly possible both to love someone and to resist their ideas.

Developmental History & Honors:

SEMIFINALIST - O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, 2023
RESIDENCY - Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, 2022
WINNER - Chesley/Bumbalo Playwriting Award, 2021
READING - La MaMa, 2019: http://lamama.org/xandra-clark/
DEVELOPMENT - Queer|Art Fellowship, 2018-19

Before becoming the play it is today, Everything You’re Told was developed as a multimedia documentary play exploring true stories of belief, doubt, and conviction. That multimedia project is outlined here.

Cast: 6

Before becoming a fictional play, Everything You’re Told started as a live anthology of true stories told through audio interviews, live storytelling, music/soundscape, reimagined memories, and movement/dance. The play centered on the stories of three real people and their radical transformations—Sean, an evangelical Christian with a lesbian mother; Faye, a formerly Orthodox Hasidic Jew; and Pankaj (the playwright’s father), an ashram-goer-turned-atheist.

One story thread from this documentary project led to the fictional play, Everything You're Told.

Developmental History:

WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE - The Tank, 2016
WORKSHOP PRODUCTION - Brooklyn College, 2015 (streamed live through the TV center)
WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE - Bowery Electric, 2015

Check out an early-iteration excerpt of the 2015 documentary project from its Brooklyn College showing, featuring a story about Xandra’s Great Aunt Bita:

Credits from Brooklyn College Showing:

Written, Directed, and Performed by Xandra Clark
Dance Choreography and Performance by Kristin Swiat
Music Composition and Performance by Nolan Green
Music Accompaniment by Oliver Hill
Video Filming and Production by Stephen LoRusso