JUST PRESS SAVE is a queer coming-of-age ensemble play set in the fictitious town of Willow Peak, PA. The intensity of the world is swirling around them as Gustavo, Maynor, Damon, Curtis, Jocelyn, and Bolin navigate their post-pandemic lives to survive, thrive, and graduate as part of the class of 2023.
*previous versions of the play were a 2018 semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Playwriting Conference; and an honorable mention for the 2016 Relentless Award.
Reviews from New Play Exchange:
“ This is a beautiful, surprising, and delicately written piece with a keen eye towards its character's important intersectional identities. This ensemble cast has a bunch of amazing roles for teens of various backgrounds. It treats all of these characters with the respect they deserve and is a piece that is important and very appropriate for teens to read, see, perform, and interact with in any number of ways. It looks at queerness, betweenness, "otherness," and a whole host of important issues while focusing on relationships and positivity rather than trauma. So wonderful to see characters' queerness be matter-of-fact truth. ” - Nick Malakhow
“ A vision of our very near-future that's both inspiring and upsetting, Rodney Hicks writes with warmth and compassion for his characters and their struggles. It doesn't shy away from harsh realities, but suggests that human connection and empathy will always prevail. ” -Conor McShane
*This play is available to download and read at www.newplayexchange.org.
2020 PRIDE plays reading cast
MONICA ALVAREZ, Rocky Vega
CARTER ALVAREZ, Rafael Molina
DAMON WEBSTER, Wyatt Gray
BOLIN HSU, Kenny Tran
JOCELYN BAXTER, Tony Award Nominee Hailey Kilgore
CURTIS MILLER, Taylor Trensch
PRESS: The Daily Beast -“Rodney Hicks and Azure D. Osborne on ‘Pride Plays’ and fighting for Black Queer Change in Theater”
Playbill -”Garrett David Kim and Rodney Hicks Throw a Fresh Digital Lens on Queer Coming-Of-Age Stories”
On Saturday June 20, 2020, PRIDE PLAYS in partnership with Playbill.com streamed a private virtual industry workshop of JUST PRESS SAVE. I am so incredibly grateful to write that the reading was directed by my longtime friend–Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen, Next To Normal, RENT)
This play has been workshopped and developed for over the past nine years in many incarnations to get to the play that it is Today. I am so grateful to ALL who helped on this journey. Endless thanks and love to you. The current script is dated August 1, 2023, and is available to download and read on www.newplayexchange.org. Much love and peace!
PREVIOUS READINGS CAST FROM 2014-2017 PICTURED BELOW
