Ray Roberts as Dope Fiend and Sean Moran as Corner Boy at Trinity Street Players.

Ray Roberts as Dope Fiend, Juliet Embry as Tiny Banger, and Alaithia Velez as Jailbird at Trinity Street Players.

Juliet Embry as Tiny Banger at Trinity Street Players.

Elizabeth Mason as Good Apple, Alaithia Velez as Jailbird, and Brandon Pegram as Officer Jordan at Trinity Street Players.

Ray Roberts as Dope Fiend and Juliet Embry as Tiny Banger at Trinity Street Players.

Ray Roberts as Dope Fiend at Trinity Street Players.

Special performance following a brunch for people experiencing homelessness at University United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas.

Group photo following a developmental reading at the Helping Up Mission in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Tiny Banger

by Lane Michael Stanley

3M | 3F | 1-2 any

The Tiny Banger tells the story of a homeless family trying to survive in an increasingly hostile city. It uses Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp archetype and film aesthetic within a contemporary setting to trouble pervasive perceptions about homelessness and illuminate how these biases lead to the criminalization measures that keep many trapped in cycles of homelessness and incarceration. We follow Dope Fiend, Jailbird, and their son Tiny Banger in their efforts to stay together. As the play goes on, the silent film world strips away, and we encounter the messy, complex world in which the family actually lives.

The Tiny Banger will be adapted for each city it plays in, incorporating the unique landscape of homelessness in a theater’s city directly into the story. It is meant to bring homeless and housed audiences together, and create community connections. Productions and development thus far have led to specific, replicable strategies for engaging with the homeless community. For more information, please see our 6-page report on Community Engagement Findings from the workshop in Austin, TX or contact Lane.

Production History

Trinity Street Players - Austin, TX
Workshop Production
directed by Adam Sussman
December 7-20, 2018
with special performances at University United Methodist Church and the Mobile Loaves and Fishes Community First! Village.

Development History

The Challenger Street Newspaper - Austin, TX
Reading
August 19, 2018

Helping Up Mission - Baltimore, MD
Reading
July 31, 2018

Cohesion Theatre Company - Baltimore, MD
Residency
July 26-August 2, 2018

Read The Tiny Banger on the New Play Exchange or contact Lane for the script.

Read Our Community Engagement Report