FROM STACIE, THE DIRECTOR:

At our core we are all the same. We all fear, love, hate. We all make mistakes, but we can change. We have the power to change. “grow a pair of…wings” is a play about transformation. Transformation is messy. It’s a struggle. It's uncomfortable. When a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, it must first digest itself.

This play begins with Passover, Amelia's favorite holiday. Passover teaches us that out of death, sorrow and slavery comes freedom. Out of darkness comes great light, for it is out of struggle that transformation can begin. Only after our darkest moments do we realize the open door for change.

Through the course of the play, we watch our protagonist, Sarah Klein, struggle to rise above the turmoil of everyday life and transform. These are struggles we can all understand – career, family, self. It is only when she accepts her flaws, her imperfections, and her roots, that she begins to shed the things that are holding her back, and embrace the ones that will propel her forward.

From AMELIA, THE WRITER:

In 2008, I did the thing every new college graduate does: I wrote about how hard life is. Then, Lena Dunham came out with TINY FURNITURE and soon after, GIRLS. So, “wings" got put on hold. Life happened, experiences were had, and this play transformed into a story not about a girl just out of college…but about a woman stumbling into adulthood. It started as ten pages, has gone through countless drafts, endings, characters, and themes. For awhile, I thought it would just be my writing gym, but then the play turned into something real.

My realizations, struggles, and stories went into this play. Though some events are more truthful than others, this play is 100% fiction. (However, I admit some of the characters are based on people in my life. Okay, all.) My hope is that "grow a pair of…wings" will allow the audience time to reflect on their own journey – past, current or future. What does it mean to make healthy decisions? How do we discover who we are? Who do we choose to surround ourselves with? What do we value? Stacie, the director, saw themes in this play that I didn't realize were there. I was writing a coming of age story about a girl who needs to find herself. Stacie saw a butterfly's transformation. For that, I am ever grateful.