2025 - 1st Play - Abortion Road Trip by Rachel Lynett
Carrie Ann Schlatter as Driver, Viviana Quiñones as Lexa, and Leona Jones as Minnie in Fonseca Theatre Company’s (Indianapolis) 2023 production. (Photo credit not found.)
Why was this the first play in 2025? It starts with an A. I scanned through my list of plays from the top and this was the first one I hadn’t read and really wanted to. A very scientific selection system …
Summary: “Minnie and Lexa join Driver on a road trip from San Antonio to New Mexico to get an abortion. While on their journey, each of three women discuss all of the baggage we carry with us and how the circumstances leading to three very different abortions shaped them into who they are.” New Play Exchange
Laura’s thoughts in brief: What blew me away was finding out that this show premiered in 2017, before Roe v. Wade was overturned. I really thought this play was written in the last few years. Fascinating and eerily prescient … But the play seems less about that than about the array of complexities that women face when considering an abortion. Without giving any spoilers, we learn that other characaters have been in like situations, with various similar and differing emotions. This facet of the play was extremely interesting to me. That being said, it took me a while to care about the main characters, Minnie and Lexa, especially because of the way they treated the driver of the cab, who they decided to call “Driver” despite knowing her name. I think that anyone who hasn’t had an abortion would benefit from seeing this play before judging someone else, particularly men, even those who aren’t judging. Sorry to get binary right off the bat, but being exposed to the variety of issues, thoughts and fears that women deal with when they get unexpectedly pregnant would be helpful for understanding as well as empathy. One of the reviews had a really interesting comment that I loved: “I would like to note that for anyone who thinks the stories are absurdist propaganda, I have either experienced or been a party to every one of these scenarios. They are far from uncommon or false.” Wendy Carson, Plays with John and Wendy. I would really like to see a production of this show, as reading it was interesting, but not amazing. I think a cast of three-dimensional strong female-presenting actors could push this play over the edge into being really good. And I love the all-femme cast (sorry boys!). I would definitely be interested in being in this show or directing one day. Call me Chicago theatres!
READ MORE! Here’s what others had to say about productions:
https://dctheatrescene.com/2017/07/08/abortion-road-trip-capital-fringe-review/
https://asota.wordpress.com/2023/02/13/abortion-road-trip-at-fonseca-theatre-company/