A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Dr. Ride's American Beach House

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w

An intimate snapshot of queer anti-heroines. On the eve of Dr. Sally Ride’s historic space flight, four women with passionate opinions and no opportunities
sit on a sweltering St. Louis rooftop, watching life pass them by.

Dr. Ride's American Beach House

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary
It’s 1983, the evening before Dr. Sally Ride’s historic space flight. Hundreds of miles from the launch, a group of women with passionate opinions and no opportunities sit on a sweltering St. Louis rooftop watching life pass them by. Their uncharted desires bump up against American norms of sex and power in this intimate snapshot of queer anti-heroines.
History
Dr. Ride's American Beach House premiered off-Broadway at Ars Nova in New York City on October 21, 2019, under the direction of Katie Brook.

(4f + male offstage voices)

Harriet – grumpier than usual, tired of herself
Matilda – focal point of most parties
Meg – loves metal music because it’s a burden to be this smart
Norma – a martyr for building maintenance

Radio Voices – male

  • Time Period 1980s
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 90 minutes

Media

“Luscious. Funny. Erotic. The play itself just keeps soaring up and up and up.” – Vulture

“A revelation… I couldn’t stop grinning, partly because Liza Birkenmeier’s play is so witty and partly because it’s so weird. Both are welcome these days… Birkenmeier is exploring the power women achieve when they make themselves the subject of their stories instead of the object.” – Jesse Green, The New York Times

“A specific and evocative depiction of identity and power at a crossroads – of who can reach for the sky, and who gets left behind.” – Adam Feldman, Time Out NY

“Subtly Poignant. Discerning and Disarming.” – New York Stage Review

“Birkenmeier’s play probes what it means to live authentically.” – Curtain Up

Videos

  • Dr. Ride's ABH - Promo Video youtube thumbnail

    Dr. Ride's ABH - Promo Video

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Liza Birkenmeier

Liza Birkenmeier is the author of Dr. Ride’s American Beach House, which premiered at Ars Nova in 2019, directed by Katie Brook (Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Drama). Her play Grief Hotel  was commissioned by Clubbed Thumb and premiered at Summerworks in 2023, dir ...
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