“Stronger Than This”

Barnes, David-Matthew (American playwright, director, writer, 1970-____), “Stronger Than This,”

a 20-minute drama in English, set in a modest apartment in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., a rainy night in March, present,

2m1f

; • © 2003 by David-Matthew Barnes; • in David-Matthew Barnes’ Stronger Than This (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.: The Author, 2003); • script/rights available from DNPAC Productions, Attention: Nick A. Moreno, Literary Manager, 2221 West Giddings Street, Chicago, Illinois 60625, U.S.A., telephone 773-784-0344, fax 773-784-4530, e-mail nmoreno@davidmatthewbarnes.com; contact David-Matthew Barnes at www.davidmatthewbarnes.com. • Cited by Nick A. Moreno, Literary Manager, via ftp February 26, 2004; Barnes says,

§ Dramatis Personae Kyle (m), 28, sad; Martin (m), __, victim of a fatal hate crime; Samantha (f), __, emotionally crippled.

§ Synopsis “Kyle's lifetime partner, Martin, died in a vicious hate murder. Samantha's soul mate, Charlene, died in a tragic car accident. Both young people are emotionally crippled by their grief and feel discarded by their loved one's conservative families. They become instant friends when they both attend a support group, seeking some type of solace. Rather than tell a roomful of strangers about their feelings, Kyle and Samantha decide to see each other through their anguish. Through the tears, both are able to see slivers of a new found hope.

§ Comment “Kyle, having lost his soul mate, suffers a permanent sense of sorrow; he has found it difficult to maintain a normal life. Samantha is both sad and angry, Like Kyle, she is emotionally crippled from the sudden death of her girlfriend and, particularly, having been denied the right to attend her girlfriend’s funeral. She finally finds a sense of hope when she befriends Kyle at a grief support group. Martin, the victim of a fatal hate crime, returns via Kyle’s imagination to say good-bye to the only person he ever loved. • Contains adult language and themes.”

§ Themes death, discrimination, gay, grief, hate crime, homosexuality, lesbian, relationship, murder, prejudice, soul mate, spirit.



See also David-Matthew Barnes'

• "Are You All Right in There?," a 23-minute teenage comedy-drama in English, set in the upstairs master bathroom of an American home, almost midnight, Friday, in spring, 1995, 1m2f
• "Baby in the Basement," a 15-minute drama in English, set in the basement of an old, abandoned warehouse in an unnamed American city, a night in March, present, 1m1f
• "Clean," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set at a bus stop in Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A., a Wednesday afternoon, 2002, 2f
• "False Hopes," a 20-minute drama in English, set in the break room of a corporate office, 2001, 3f
• "Hour Glass," a 20-minute drama in English, set in the formal dining room of the Caulwells' home, somewhere in Connecticut, U.S.A., Saturday evening, on the brink of spring, present, 1m1f
• "I Ate Lunch Alone Today," a 25-minute comedy-drama in English, set in a modest one-bedroom apartment, New York City, April, 2002, 2m2f
• "Number 76," a 10-minute teenage Latino drama in English, set on a bus stop on a city street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., a Sunday night in the middle of October, 1999, 1m1f
• "Threnody," a 23-minute drama in English, set in a farm house in Central California, summer, 1989, 1m1f
• "Unrequited," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set in a high school supply room, during a high school dance, 2001, 1m1f
• "Wendy's Hurricane," a 15-minute drama in English, set in a studio apartment near a university in the city of Chicago, middle of January, present, 1m1f

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