I Want to Give You My Heart, and Eat Your Brains
Ethan is a typical high school junior, well ... typical with the exception of the fact that an attack three years ago left him as one of the undead. Previously discriminated against, zombies (such an ugly word) have been now given the chance to attend public school, with Ethan being chosen as the first openly undead student in his state to do so. As he chronicles his journey on YouTube, Ethan learns the ins and outs of fitting in when you're obviously different. This humorous story has an inclusive theme and tackles the difficulty of not feeling normal during a very challenging time of your life. The show runs about 35-40 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
Playwright Brent Holland Talks About his Play
I Want to Give You My Heart, and Eat Your Brains
What inspired you to write this play?
I wrote the whole thing around the concept of an extremely likable zombie who despite obvious prejudices, is a very upbeat positive person who looks for the best in people. He is excited about everything and is a total optimist. I thought that would be fun to center a show around. I really like Ethan and I hope you do too!
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
Ethan's interactions with Madison and Courtney are a lot of fun and I really grew to love Student #3 as i got further into the script. (Dude...) I am also happy about where Ethan and Megan end up by the end of the show.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
Absolutely! My shows are filled with former friends, students and people in my life. I think everyone knew a girl like Madison in high school and everyone wanted to know a girl like Megan. I have a group of current and former students that pre-read my my shows and point out flaws and holes and often their names and personalities end up in my shows. (Shout out to Sam, Garrett, Arabella, Eyma, River, Carli, Ana, and Hyrum for helping make me a better playwright!)
What did you try to achieve with this play?
I wanted it to be fast paced and funny but at the same time deal with the realism of high school. I think theatre should be super inclusive and I work pretty hard to make that happen in my program. Ethan's "more than meets the eye" personality wins people over regardless of what they thought of him in advance.
Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
Minor changes to fit your cast are always good with me. Feel free to email me, or message me on twitter (@tacosid) or facebook with any questions or concerns you have with the script. Thanks for taking a look at this show, and thanks to Eldridge for publishing it!