FULL LENGTH PLAY
Drama
Secrets and faith collide after a tragic loss, 
intertwining those left behind in a fight for survival.


CHARACTER INFORMATION
José - Male/questioning, Early 20s, Latinx

Sister Philomena - Female, 70s, Latinx

William - Male, Early 20s, white

Yvonne - Female, 50s, white


THEMES


AWARDS & RECOGNITION

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Pegasus PlayLab, University Of Central Florida, FL - 2024
SEMI-FINALIST
Playwrights Foundation, CA - 2023

SEMI-FINALIST
Keegan Theatre, D.C. - 2023

SEMI-FINALIST
Fault Line Theatre, NYC - 2023

SHORTLIST
Epiphanies New Works Festival, TX - 2023
REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS
“DESERT OCEANS explores culture, gender, sexuality, and faith, seamlessly blending the diverse elements into a beautifully poetic play. Rich, genuine, flawed characters, separated by generations and language, connect and confess in memorable scenes of sparkling wit and surprising revelations. With a story that is simple and lovely yet complex and relevant at the same time, Mabey has written an elegant and emotional journey for his characters and his audience.”
(Ken Preuss)

“A gentle, lyrical work that looks at queer identity and grieving in four sympathetic and disparate characters. Each has urgent needs, wants, and histories that impact the present. It feels very intentional that divergent opinions on funeral traditions, faith, honoring the dead, and grieving play potent roles throughout. John captures a poignant loneliness inherent in queerness without exploiting the trauma of their tenderly drawn characters. I'm eager to see this work on stages!”
(Nick Malakhow)
READINGS & WORKSHOPS
University Of Central Florida, Pegasus PlayLab, FL - 2024
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