Self Defense, or death of some salesmen

Carson Kreitzer

Seven white men have been found dead along I-95 in Florida. A prostitute is arrested and charged with their murders. The police say she’s a serial killer. She claims seven separate acts of self-defense.

Lynne McCollough and Mark Zeisler in <i>Self Defense, or death of some salesman</i> at New Georges. Photo by Colin D. Young.
Lynne McCollough and Dee Pelletier in <i>Self Defense, or death of some salesman</i> at New Georges. Photo by Colin D. Young.
Lynne McCollough and Dee Pelletier in <i>Self Defense, or death of some salesman</i> at New Georges. Photo by Colin D. Young.
Lynne McCollough in <i>Self Defense, or death of some salesman</i> at New Georges. Photo by Colin D. Young.
Cast Requirements

3 men
5 women
with doubling

Honors

Smith and Kraus’ Women Playwrights: Best Plays of 2002; Playscripts, Inc.

Press

“The play moves like lightning, cutting through a series of brief scenes that illuminate the story in puzzle-piece fashion...smart and surprisingly funny... Insightful, engaging, witty, earnest...Self Defense is socially-conscious drama at its best.”
—Brooke Pierce, TheaterMania

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Press

“Stunning and compelling...raw and bold, brutal and ironic, and full of nagging questions. Whereas the film Monster dealt with the more sensational aspects of Wuornos’ Florida killing spree, Self Defense...lashes out at the twisted society that turned her trial into simply another media-driven circus.”
—Ed Kaufman, Hollywood Reporter

“Like a playful documentary filmmaker, Kreitzer treads along various genres: police story, courtroom drama, confessional monologue, and feminist tract... Kreitzer’s smart, gritty script whips between locations, interlacing scenes and providing multiple perspectives.”
—David Cale, Time Out New York

“The West Coast premiere of Carson Kreitzer’s 2001 fantasia about executed murderer Aileen Wuornos is stunning, true political theater with a visceral punch.”
—David C. Nichols, Los Angeles Times

Production and Development History

Productions: Perishable Theatre (2001); Frank Theatre at The Playwrights’ Center (2002); New Georges and Reverie Productions at HERE Arts Center, NYC (2002); The Actors’ Gang, LA (2004); Steppenwolf Garage, Chicago (2004).

Developed in residencies with Mabou Mines; The Playwrights’ Center; A.S.K. Theatre Projects.

Commissioned: New York State Council on the Arts.