“Feminism has failed women.” That is the prompt given to the debate team of an elite all-boys prep school one hour before the final match of their high school careers. As they develop compelling arguments to demolish their sister school, a "rumor" leaks about their team that threatens to blow up everything they have worked for. What begins as a riotously funny satire turns into a sharp exploration of power and privilege, from high school to the highest circles of political influence. Following multiple sold-out runs in Australia, playwright Emmanuelle Mattana’s Trophy Boys makes its American premiere in a thrilling new production featuring Mattana as part of the cast. Directed by 2024 Tony Award-winner Danya Taymor (The Outsiders), Trophy Boys is a provocative comedy about the singular pursuit of victory, and the cost of reaching it.
Running a snappy 70 minutes from start to finish, Emmanuelle Mattana’s sly dark comedy Trophy Boys is a small play that thinks big — and, to its credit, out of the box.
Gender differences can be heavy-going material for the stage, but here Mattana manages with real wit and insight to highlight the warping and depressing affects that gender norms can instill on young minds. In program notes, the writer asserts that gender is “not only learnt but taught” and urges us to examine our deep-seated notions about masculinity and see it for “a comical, absurd and ultimately disturbing performance.” The same could be said for this play.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
MCC Theater Off-Broadway Premiere Off-Broadway |
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