Stray

Stray by Ruth McKee

(0)
Productions (7)
Drama
|
100 - 120 minutes
4 W, 1 M, 
Content Notes: Mild adult language
Set: Suggested set with desks and chairs.

Well-educated, middle-class couple James and Rachel have moved back to America from Uganda with their traumatized adopted son in hopes of providing him with a better life. Instead, Daniel is threatened with expulsion from school for his violent behavior. As his behavior becomes increasingly dangerous, Daniel's rocky progress is revealed through the eyes of the adults who are responsible for him -- his levelheaded principal, his apprehensive teacher, and his sympathetic counselor -- and James and Rachel are forced to grapple with the backlash of their choices.

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $85
Standard Edition $13.99
Stage Manager Edition $24.99
Archival Video License $150

*The per performance fee begins at $85. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.


Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

Play Details

Well-educated, middle-class couple James and Rachel have moved back to America from Uganda with their traumatized adopted son in hopes of providing him with a better life. Instead, Daniel is threatened with expulsion from school for his violent behavior. As his behavior becomes increasingly dangerous, Daniel's rocky progress is revealed through the eyes of the adults who are responsible for him -- his levelheaded principal, his apprehensive teacher, and his sympathetic counselor -- and James and Rachel are forced to grapple with the backlash of their choices.

  • Drama
  • |
  • 100 - 120 minutes
  • 4 W, 1 M, 
  • Content Notes: Mild adult language
  • Set: Suggested set with desks and chairs.
  • Standard Edition ISBN: 978-1-62384-538-4

Published Reviews

"McKee dispassionately observes how each of these adult authority figures fails to help Daniel emerge from his private hell. By keeping him offstage, she places the focus squarely on how adult desire, always rationalized, displaces a child's basic needs."

Charlotte Stoudt, Los Angeles Times

Production History

MAR 16, 2023 - MAR 26, 2023
Wiesbaden Performing Arts Center (WPAC)
Wiesbaden, Germany
Wiesbaden Performing Arts Center (WPAC) Wiesbaden, Germany
NOV 03, 2011 - NOV 12, 2011
Working Class Theatre Company
Fairport, NY United States
Working Class Theatre Company Fairport, NY United States
MAR 01, 2010 - MAR 31, 2010
Cherry Lane Theatre, Mentor Project
New York, NY United States
Cherry Lane Theatre, Mentor Project New York, NY United States
OCT 01, 2009 - NOV 30, 2009
Black Dahlia Theatre and Chalk Repertory Theatre (co-production)
Los Angeles, CA United States
Black Dahlia Theatre and Chalk Repertory Theatre (co-production) Los Angeles, CA United States
FEB 01, 2009 - FEB 28, 2009
Cultural Conversations
State College, PA United States
Cultural Conversations State College, PA United States
JUN 01, 2008 - JUN 30, 2008
Ensemble Studio Theater
New York, NY United States
Ensemble Studio Theater New York, NY United States
JAN 01, 2008 - JAN 31, 2008
Black Dahlia Theatre
Los Angeles, CA United States
Black Dahlia Theatre Los Angeles, CA United States
No upcoming productions.
MAR 01, 2010 - MAR 31, 2010
Cherry Lane Theatre, Mentor Project
New York, NY United States
Cherry Lane Theatre, Mentor Project New York, NY United States
OCT 01, 2009 - NOV 30, 2009
Black Dahlia Theatre and Chalk Repertory Theatre (co-production)
Los Angeles, CA United States
Black Dahlia Theatre and Chalk Repertory Theatre (co-production) Los Angeles, CA United States

Awards (1)

Winner, Stanley Drama Award (2008)