Snapshot (play)


Snapshot is a dramatic anthology of sixteen individual short plays and monologues that collectively comprise a full-length stage play.
Snapshot includes A Quick Tour of the Monument by Craig Wright; Monument by Honor Molloy; Scene at Mount Rushmore by Quincy Long; Tyler Poked Taylor by Lee Blessing; Rock Scissors Paper by Deb Margolin; Little Pezidents by Michael Bigelow Dixon and Val Smith; Defacing Patriotic Property by Tanya Barfield; Her First Screen Test by Dan O'Brien; Thrift of the Magi by Annie Weisman; Night Out by Sunil Kuruvilla; Here and Now by Chay Yew; The Great Father by Victor Lodato; American Klepto by Allison Moore; Becoming American by Lynn Nottage; History Lesson by David Lindsay-Abaire; Bomb Squad by Craig Wright; and On Lincoln's Head by Julie Jensen.
Originally commissioned by the Actors Theatre of Louisville, the play premiered as part of the 26th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, which ran from March 3 – April 13, 2002. Snapshot was subsequently published by Playscripts Inc., an has been licensed for production over 100 times at theatres and universities across the United States, Canada, and India.

Plot

According to Snapshot's editor, Tanya Palmer:
A Quick Tour of the Monument by Craig Wright
An introduction to Mt. Rushmore from a slightly perplexed tour guide.
Monument by Honor Molloy
Two emergency telephone operators handle a terrifying series of calls on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001.
Scene at Mount Rushmore by Quincy Long
In this beautiful, humorous family drama, brothers Bobby and Did contemplate stone-faced presidents and their momma's memory.
Tyler Poked Taylor by Lee Blessing
In his annual ritual at the foot of Mt. Rushmore, an 18-year-old reveals his erotic presidential fantasies.
Rock Scissors Paper by Deb Margolin
An teenager tells the tale of her drug-dealing brother, her ill-fated family vacation, and her mother's inability to turn around and face facts.
Little Pezidents by Michael Bigelow Dixon and Val Smith
Dave and Karen are stranded in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but some Pez dispensers to take their minds off their totaled car and relationship.
Defacing Patriotic Property by Tanya Barfield
A man approaches a plastic surgeon with an unusual request.
Her First Screen Test by Dan O'Brien
A young vaudeville actress prepares for her first photo shoot.
Thrift of the Magi by Annie Weisman
Trey and Tina search for the perfect ironic-retro-tourist-vintage-party clothes, only to discover each other's secret sacrifices.
Night Out by Sunil Kuruvilla
The morning after an extramarital liaison, two lovers scramble desperately to find the man's keys and hide the evidence from the woman's husband.
Here and Now by Chay Yew
A couple in their twilight years relives an entire relationship, full of youth, possibility, secrets, disappointments, and enduring connection.
The Great Father by Victor Lodato
A young man and woman in a psychiatric ward confront the violence lurking in history and in their own pasts.
American Klepto by Allison Moore
A woman goes to great lengths to defend her theft of a federally-protected piece of petrified wood.
Becoming American by Lynn Nottage
A phone-support instructor teaches his Ghanaian recruits how become American for the two or three minutes that it takes to solve the problems of a U.S. caller.
History Lesson by David Lindsay-Abaire
It is Maggie's last day as a park ranger, and she has an arsenal of made-up historical facts to unload on her helpless listeners.
Bomb Squad by Craig Wright
A ranger is powerless to stop a man determined to defuse the "conceptual land mine" that is Mt. Rushmore, all in song...
On Lincoln's Head by Julie Jensen
Aggrieved over her lost father, Babe is throwing firecrackers off the top of Lincoln's head. Annette, a ranger, is the only one crazy enough to stop her.

Production history

World premiere

Snapshot had its world premiere at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky as part of the 26th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, which ran from March 3 – April 13, 2002. The production was directed by Russell Vandenbroucke, and featured a 22-person ensemble of Colette Beauvais, Joey Belmaggio, Matt Bridges, Camilla Busnovetsky, Ellie Clark, Ryan Clardy, Kristi Funk, Amy Gillroy, Jake Goodman, Christopher Illing, Barbara Lanciers, Anthony Luciano, Alan Malone, Stacy Mayer, Elisa Morrison, Melanie Rademaker, Dave Secor, Donovan Sherman, Collin Sullivan, Kate Umstatter, Lindsey White, and Tom Wooldridge. The creative team included Paul Owen, John White, Tony Penna, Colbert Davis, Doc Manning, Sarah Hodges, Amy Wegener, and Tanya Palmer.

Canadian premiere

Snapshot had its Canadian premiere at the William Davis Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 20, 2004.

Indian premiere

Snapshot had its Indian premiere at Dramatist Anonymous in Ghaziabad, India on March 1, 2010.

Critical reception

Snapshot received considerable critical praise upon its release. In a review for Booklist, Jack Helbig noted,
In a review for Duluth News Tribune, V. Paul Virtucio noted "Disturbingly funny and thought-provoking... This is a play that encourages questioning conventional wisdom. You cannot show up expecting to be entertained without doing a little bit of brain work. And how better to start that off than to challenge the ideals encased in stone and superficially embraced by the millions of visitors to Mount Rushmore."
In a review for American Theatre, Andy Propst offered similar praise, writing ""In many ways, the photograph, as central to each play, helped to produce an intriguing fractal view of the country."
Backstage praised Snapshot as "A terrific collection of perspectives -- both directly and indirectly inspired by the photo, ranging from serious to sassy..."

Publication

Snapshot was first published by Smith & Kraus in the anthology Humana Festival 2002: The Complete Plays on January 1, 2003.
The play was subsequently published and licensed internationally by Playscripts Inc. on August 13, 2003.