John Mabey - The Most Brave Girl In The Whole Wide World

SHORT PLAY
Dramedy

A grief-stricken college student with a secret pays a visit to his former Catholic high school teacher, Sister Agatha.

CHARACTER INFORMATION

Sister Agatha - Female, early 50s, any race / ethnicity

William - Male, early 20s, any race / ethnicity

THEMES

faith, LGBTQIA, religion, suicide, healing

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Best 10-MINUTE PLAYS
(Smith & Kraus Publishers, NH - 2022)

SEMI-FINALIST
(MadLab, OH - 2022)

REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS

“Goodness, reality - Mabey finds it all in this look at grief through love and spirituality. He brings out the best in what religion should do - no judgment and everlasting love.”
(Claudia Haas)

“Oh, this play makes my heart ache and expand with joy at the same time. I love Sister Agatha. She's just what William needs, and he knows it. This is a beautiful play about love and grief and understanding.”
(Marj O'Neill-Butler)

“What a joy Sister Agatha is!

There are members of the Catholic clergy who actually live by the teachings of Christ and love their neighbors. Agatha is one of them. She's just the nun William needs as he faces a terrible crisis that's left him dangerously adrift.

Both characters are beautifully drawn. William's love, pain, and loss are realistic, complex, and achingly vivid. While the play's tension comes from a loving place, its resolutions are still hard-won.

A terrific two-hander that can restore your faith in good people.”
(Scott Sickles)

“Nothing that John Mabey writes is trivial, so when you see the set-up for this short play, you must be prepared to see beyond the surface of the roles. In this powerful piece, we find friendship, consolation, a touch of confrontation that recognizes the love and respect Sister Agatha has for William, and he for her. Presented by LGBTQ+ Online Short Play Program from Almost Adults Productions, it was a fine performance by both actors and should be seen again and again.”
(Philip Middleton Williams)

“It’s what isn’t said that resonates most powerfully in this beautiful short piece from Mabey, and what is said is said with extraordinarily smart dialogue; the combination is quite impressive, some of Mabey’s most moving work. The two roles are gifts for their performers, and the whole things reads (and plays) like a dream.”
(Doug DeVita)

“This is such a lovely play, and there is so much to be admired and appreciated. I was especially struck by the character of Sister Agatha. Mabey cuts through all the clichés about nuns and creates a fully realized character that you won't easily forget. I was also impressed by the levels of nuance and humanity Mabey brings to the subject matter of suicide, once again avoiding clichés and creating something that is powerfully moving.”
(Peter Dakutis)

“Not much makes me want to cry but this sure did. I highly recommend this play, not only because it is urgent and necessary, but also because it's so relatable and real. Every moment of it works. A great piece to study if you're looking for what works. And it works so beautifully because of what isn't written. Mabey gives us room to fill in all the unspeakables from our own emotional reservoirs to remind us how human we are. That's what makes theatre great.”
(Emma Goldman-Sherman)

“Like a poem, a play can create magic not only with what is said but with what it leaves unsaid. Mabey embraces this idea beautifully, giving his characters time and space to explore an eloquent conversation on religion and remorse, confessions and connections. Understated and profound in equal measures, 'the most brave girl in the whole wide world" moves us with its stillness.”
(Ken Preuss)

“A piece of theatre brimming with heartache and loss, Mabey skilfully navigates through the temptations to over-tell, and instead allows the history between William and Sister Agatha to coax the details to the surface. Sister Agatha is tough yet loving, a mentor that we all wish we had at some point in our lives. Even though William is at his lowest ebb and doesn't want to admit it, we are sure that with Sister Agatha in his life he is going to be okay.”
(Toby Malone)

“With skillful showing vs telling, Mabey addresses weighty issues with a deft hand. I appreciated the honoring of religion and faith here, and the illustration of how LGBTQIA identity may exist within instead of in opposition to Christianity. Both characters are warmly drawn and treat each other with a reaffirming tenderness while still demonstrating potent internal conflict and tension.”
(Nick Malakhow)

“A truly lovely piece about grief, healing, and the indirect ways that are all we can sometimes manage when asking for help.”
(James McLindon)

“Oooh I love this short play! I love that Sister Agatha is a "cool" nun rather than dogmatic, and I love that the play ends without everything tied up and resolved, just like life. John Mabey's plays are always engaging and touching and wonderful, and this one is no exception.”
(Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend)

“The theological and philosophical questions at the heart of this short piece are fascinating. Like the best questions, they force us to reconfigure our views on sacrifice and how we derive meaning from parable and religious expression. More importantly, the philosophy is tied to personal human experiences and expressed through realistic dialogue between two characters who are fully rounded and realized. A compact piece that is going to stay with me.”
(Maximillian Gill)

PRODUCTIONS

Metropolitan State University Of Denver, CO - 2023

A Light In Dark Places, TX - 2022

Almost Adults Productions, NM - 2021

The Wildwood Theatre, MN - 2021

Stella Adler Theatre, CA - 2019

TEASER VIDEO

IMAGES

A Light In Dark Places

Wildwood Theatre

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