A Scramble for Calf Scramble

Hamilton, Wicked, The Great Gatsby, Aladdin—we enjoy our Broadway shows. Light dances through the set, weaving through the actors who wear the brilliant rays like a dress. It’s these moments that make these productions such an integral part of theater culture. But Broadway doesn’t have to be the only place where plays come to life. Just a few streets away lives an entirely different world, parallel yet something else entirely: the realm of off-Broadway shows.

They aren’t as well known as some Broadway productions are, of course, but that means nothing when it comes to their quality. Little Shop of Horrors, The Play That Goes Wrong, Heathers: The Musical, and the list can go on and on. All have something unique to offer, their own niche to fill in the heart of theater, and Calf Scramble is no different.

Calf Scramble, set in an East Texan farm, tells the story of five teenage girls raising cows for a competition. Along the way, they learn what exactly it means to do well, be that in school, in religion, and even in friendship. It emphasizes the messiness yet importance of learning to face their own struggles.

At just one act and running for 90 minutes without intermission, Calf Scramble has something for everyone. The story runs quickly, throwing its audience straight into the plains of Texas and bringing event after event to keep viewers on their toes through a window into a rural world that most of them might not be familiar with. And yet, it reflects universal themes of growing up, friendship, and finding one’s place in the world, challenging audiences to reflect on the pressures that shape all of our lives, especially during our teenage years.

Seeing as how the play is still new, there is not a sufficient amount of critical response to tell much. The first preview itself wasn’t until February 28th, and the opening date was March 10th. But even without reviews, we can try and get a sense of what to expect through learning about the playwright.

Libby Carr is a writer and dance artist, based in Houston, Texas. Their work celebrates the queer and trans community, exploring human relationships, identity, and social pressures. Their plays have been produced through a variety of groups, such as Playwrights Horizons and Playwrights Workshop. Calf Scramble, in particular, was developed by the Ojai Playwrights Conference, a well regarded play development program that helped bring other off-Broadway shows to the world, such as Other Desert Cities and Eclipsed. While these titles might not be familiar to most, you can rest assured that they have received positive feedback from critics, who have praised them for their powerful storytelling and performances. 

Carr comes from an outstanding academic background as well, earning dual BAs from the University of Texas at Austin: one in playwriting, and the other in Plan II Honors. This combination of skills and education places the production in good hands.

With 30 tickets offered by AP Lang classes to watch the play for free at the end of March, this trip was open to all juniors interested. So, what does this mean for them? 

It means they’ll have the chance to skip class to go watch a show that hopefully goes well. Of course, even with the hard facts we can garner from websites and from the writer themself, the show is still just a child born only a few weeks ago. There is no way to tell for sure if it will be good or not at this point, but from the looks of what we can find, there are high hopes that this show will be a success.