I received this book from Playwrights Canada Press in exchange for an honest review.
Estranged cousins Kat and Eli meet online and bond through their queer identities, though both live very different lives. Kat lives in Toronto with her two gay dads and is out and proud herself, passionate that everyone should be comfortable and proud about who they are while Eli is trans and closeted, living in Italy while still remaining close to his faith. Kat is desperate to learn more about her heritage and connect with family she thought was lost to her and, with the best of intentions, decides to crowdfund a flight for Eli so he can attend Toronto Pride, unknowingly outing him in the process in a chain of events that effects both families.
Duecentomila is a remarkable play! The teenagers sound and feel like teenagers, the story is compelling, and the decisions the teen characters make feel realistic for the age group, and it was equal parts hilarious, stressful, and full of heart. Kat, Eli, Matteo, and Hannah were such compelling characters, and even though I knew where the plot was going based on the summary I was still excited to read about what was happening. The play is also incredibly funny, and that was just from reading it, I can’t imagine how much funnier it would be seeing it performed live!
Kat was a difficult protagonist to follow, she’s loud, egotistical, and has a victim complex. She’s well-intentioned, but despite claiming to care for others really just cares about herself. But honestly, that’s how teens are, a big part of adolescent development is focusing on themselves, their wants and needs over others. So while Kat got on my nerves, the reality of her character is impressive. I really enjoyed reading from Eli and his relationship to his faith and found Hannah to be so incredibly sweet and caring. My heart ached for Matteo who was at war for himself. It was interesting to see queerness shown through Canada and Italy, how different they are and how much work still needs to be done.
Some things were a little too vague. I didn’t understand why Eli’s father stayed in Rome with his new girlfriend for months on end. Was it because Eli was outed as trans? Was it shamed? It was never explained, only mentioned at the beginning of the play that he had left and then revealed that months later he still wasn’t home. Maybe I missed something, but that just made no sense to me and I’m not sure why it was mentioned without being talked about more.
Duecentomila is a wonderful play for all audiences, but I think one teen audiences and actors would have a lot of fun watching and performing. It can be hard to find theatre that accurately speaks to young age groups, and I think taddei’s play does this perfectly!
Publication: April 4 2023
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Pages: 144 pages (paperback)
Source: Playwrights Canada Press (Thank you!)
Genre: Fiction, Play, Contemporary, Queer, Young Adult
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
Estranged teenage cousins Eli and Kat have recently met online and bonded over their queer identities, but they have a limited understanding of each other’s very different realities. In Italy, soft-spoken Eli is trying to find a way to come out as trans to his conservative Roman Catholic family. In Canada, strong-headed Kat is desperate for connection to a culture and place she’s never known. Kat and her friend Hannah are the only ones who know that Eli is trans—not even his brother Matteo knows. And while her intentions are good, Kat’s decision to crowdfund a flight for Eli to attend Toronto Pride unknowingly outs him to the public, setting off a chain of events that leave the cousins and their loved ones reeling. Full of poetry, laughter, and big questions, this touching story paints a portrait of what it’s like for young people wanting to reconcile what they’ve inherited with what feels right.
Sarah O'Connor 