The Amphibians

by Dan Caffrey

Finalist, O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, 2020/2021
Semi-Finalist, Princess Grace Awards Playwriting Fellowship, 2021

Set thirteen years in the future, The Amphibians follows best friends Simone and Bryn, two high-school tudents in coastal Florida grappling with climate change, growing independence, and the shifting dynamics of their friendship. When they make an unexpected ecological discovery in...

Finalist, O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, 2020/2021
Semi-Finalist, Princess Grace Awards Playwriting Fellowship, 2021

Set thirteen years in the future, The Amphibians follows best friends Simone and Bryn, two high-school tudents in coastal Florida grappling with climate change, growing independence, and the shifting dynamics of their friendship. When they make an unexpected ecological discovery in the woods near their town, what begins as a private escape becomes a test of responsibility, trust, and moral choice. As the situation unfolds, the girls must decide how to care for something fragile while also confronting what it means to grow up in a world shaped by uncertainty.

Fast-paced and often funny, The Amphibians is a near-future coming-of-age play that centers teenage voices while engaging timely themes of climate change, friendship, and ethical decision-making. The play features two strong female roles, imaginative yet flexible staging, and rich opportunities for discussion across English, theatre, and environmental studies aclassrooms.

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The Amphibians

Recommended by

  • Quinn Gilchrist: The Amphibians by Dan Caffrey
    “

    I fell in love with this play from the first time I read it, and it has stuck with me ever since. The Amphibians is a beautiful coming of age climate crisis play with the perfect mix of realism and fantasy. It has wonderful strong female characters and the potential for some incredible design work when staged. Love this play!

    I fell in love with this play from the first time I read it, and it has stuck with me ever since. The Amphibians is a beautiful coming of age climate crisis play with the perfect mix of realism and fantasy. It has wonderful strong female characters and the potential for some incredible design work when staged. Love this play!

    ”
  • Ramona Rose King: The Amphibians by Dan Caffrey
    “

    I'm always excited by plays that address the climate crisis—I don't think there are enough of them—and this one does so from a very personal, character-driven place, which I find very effective. I also love the juxtaposition of this magical, surreal creature inserted into an otherwise totally realistic play, and there's a lot of theatrical potential—I could see this working in a really bare-bones way (perhaps having the creature represented purely by sound and lighting effects), or in a full-scale production, with an amazing puppet.

    I'm always excited by plays that address the climate crisis—I don't think there are enough of them—and this one does so from a very personal, character-driven place, which I find very effective. I also love the juxtaposition of this magical, surreal creature inserted into an otherwise totally realistic play, and there's a lot of theatrical potential—I could see this working in a really bare-bones way (perhaps having the creature represented purely by sound and lighting effects), or in a full-scale production, with an amazing puppet.

    ”
  • Chandler Hubbard: The Amphibians by Dan Caffrey
    “

    A human and small symptom of a macrocosmic problem, beautifully rendered in the small-town angst of growing up. Would love to see this energetic work on its feet and fully staged!

    A human and small symptom of a macrocosmic problem, beautifully rendered in the small-town angst of growing up. Would love to see this energetic work on its feet and fully staged!

    ”
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