CALVARIA
A Full-Length Play; 100 Minutes
CALVARIA:
A Play for Feral Girls
When her family’s bull is found decapitated in the middle of a farm field, Edie Hruska makes it her mission to find the culprit. While on her search, she comes across a group of young girls claiming to communicate with gods, begging Edie to become their newest acolyte. While acclimating to their lifestyle, Edie finds herself face-to-face with the girls’ true intentions, and they are much more sinister than just a dead bull.
CALVARIA was the winner of Babes With Blades Theatre Company's 2023-2024 Joining Sword & Pen Competition, where playwrights were asked to write a play inspired by Morgan Manasa's artwork, Cave Treasure. It will be developed over the next year with Babes With Blades, and will be a part of their 2025 Fighting Words Festival, where it will receive two public readings between September 6th and 7th, and September 13th and 14th.
CALVARIA was written to explore human nature in a devastated society, setting the story in the midst of America's Great Depression. When gifted the power to change the world for the better, but at the cost of millions of lives, is it better to destroy society and rebuild it, or does it deserve to be redeemed?
Cave Treasure by Morgan Manasa
REVIEWS
"Maggie Smith’s full-length play, “Calvaria: A Play For Feral Girls”, is a fascinating story of a group of young girls, who are trying to make the world better. I found myself totally engrossed throughout and strongly believe an audience will also be totally engaged. There are so many levels to this play. There are strong and penetrating personalities, which will be a wonderful challenge and opportunity for female actors. Nobody will leave the theater without being emotionally impacted."
— Jack Levine, New Play Exchange