Airness (High School Edition)
by Chelsea Marcantel

Airness (High School Edition) Book Cover — Airness (High School Edition) Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

105 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Expandable Casting Flexible Cast Size Multicultural Casting Bare Stage/Simple Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy.

As she befriends a group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend.

From artistic merit to originality to feeling itself, Nina must learn the pillars of air guitar if she wants to compete.

There are 7 pillars of air guitar, after all, including the elusive state of “airness.”

Will Nina be able to let go and set herself free onstage?

A shred-or-be-shredded comedy about the spirit of competition and community found through music.

This version has been adapted specifically for high school performers.

Press Reviews

"Delivers a rocking good time, laughs, and a rock classic earworm to follow you home… If you’re looking for a little escapism and just want to turn off your brain and rock out, this is the show for you."
— Chicago Reader

"A fabulously fun piece."
— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"[Airness is] the state of being so dedicated to and lost in a particular activity that a person loses all his hangups and finds himself feeling so free and uninhibited that he revels in a state of pure joy. The audience will come to understand this sensation."
— Chicago Theatre Review

"The most fun you will have at the theatre this year… to call this play a crowd pleaser is a drastic understatement."
— Insider Louisville

"A refreshing and satisfying quest to understand and achieve airness — that purest, untainted form of joy and happiness — and its message will appeal to air guitarists and non air guitarists alike."
— The Sacramento Bee

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
SHREDDY EDDY 20s or 30s. Real name: Ed Leary. Represents artistic merit.	—	20s	20s or 30s. Real name: Ed Leary. Represents artistic merit.
GOLDEN THUNDER 20s or 30s, actor of color. Real name: Gabe Partridge. Represents originality.	male	20s	20s or 30s, actor of color. Real name: Gabe Partridge. Represents originality.
FACEBENDER Older than the rest of the group by a few years. White. Real name: Mark Lender. Represents feeling.	—	—	Older than the rest of the group by a few years. White. Real name: Mark Lender. Represents feeling.
CANNIBAL QUEEN 20s or 30s. Real name: Astrid Anderson. Represents technical ability.	—	20s	20s or 30s. Real name: Astrid Anderson. Represents technical ability.
THE NINA 20s or 30s. Real name: Nina O’Neal. Represents airness itself.	—	20s	20s or 30s. Real name: Nina O’Neal. Represents airness itself.
D VICIOUS 20s or 30s. Real name: David Cooper. Represents charisma/stage presence.	—	20s	20s or 30s. Real name: David Cooper. Represents charisma/stage presence.
STATEN ISLAND ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
MID-ATLANTIC REGION FINALS ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
SPRITE EXEC	—	—	—
CENTRAL CONFERENCE FINALS ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
HOODED FIGURE	—	—	—
DARK HORSE ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
GOLDEN THUNDER should be an actor of color and	male	—	should be an actor of color and
FACEBENDER should be white. FACEBENDER should also be older than the rest of the group by a few years.	—	—	should be white. FACEBENDER should also be older than the rest of the group by a few years.