Help Put Goatman on its Hooves

“You ever go through something bad and you look at an animal and you’re like—you have no idea what’s going on, do you? You don’t have a thought in your tiny little head. Me, I want a tiny little head with no thoughts.” - Steph, Goatman

Dear friends,

I started writing Goatman in 2020. It began as a restaurant play in a Paula Vogel-style bake off, a writing exercise with assigned elements and a quick turnaround. I followed a few of the rules and submitted at least double the page limit. But it was COVID, and I needed something to do. I needed something to make me feel better. Over many drafts over many years, Goatman shifted into my magical Appalachian grief play, and I’m so happy that I will finally get to share it with audiences as part of the SheNYC Festival at Classic Stage Company this summer.

As I wrote this play, I spent a lot of time grieving—trying and failing to wrap my head around grief for my mom, who isn’t dead but also isn’t a part of my life, a decision that I had to make for my own well-being.

And I spent a lot of time staring at my cat (Sweet Harry—love him so much) and thinking of how lucky he was to not have a single thought in his precious little head, no understanding of the global pandemic or his mother’s sheer panic due to having no job, no place to live, no savings, and no college degree. All it meant to Harry was that we spent a lot more time together. I think he got tired of me.

Goatman has been my way of processing grief, imagining an easier way out, and learning that there isn’t one. My hope is that Goatman reaches others who struggle to ask for help, have a hard time accepting love, and are grappling with grief—especially the more difficult to define griefs. There are all kinds of ways to lose someone.

I still struggle with these challenges, too, but I’m asking for help now. I’m asking you to help me put Goatman on its feet (or hooves) and compensate the unbelievably talented cast and crew who are lending their artistry to this project. This will be the first time that I get to collaborate with a full artistic team for more than a few days, and this experience will be invaluable as I further develop this script and pitch it to theaters for a full production. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for these supremely talented artists and the SheNYC Festival.

I want more conversations about grief, estranged parents, and Appalachia. My greatest hope for Goatman is that it opens doors for those conversations, offers an opportunity for connection, and serves as a reminder that getting to be a person is a pretty damn magical experience.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Love,

Jenny

Show Information: LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Venue: Classic Stage Company (136 E 13th St, New York, NY)

Dates: July 16th and July 17th at 7:30PM

Play Synopsis:

Nothing kills a romantic getaway like a dead parent. When Steph’s estranged mother dies unexpectedly, her brother, Dan, crashes her couple's trip with her partner, Rosie, to scatter their mom’s ashes in the Appalachian Mountains. There, they are presented with an unusual method for coping with their grief. They can leave all of their problems and sorrow behind for an idyllic life in the mountains. All they have to do is turn into goats.

Artists Involved:

Jen Jarnagin

Josh Boerman

Sarah Alice Shull

Marx

Dan Victor

Chance Kester

Emani Brielle Simpson

Playwright’s Bio:

Jen Jarnagin (they/them) is a writer, actor, and everything you’ve ever heard about Scorpios. Their work has been developed with Echoes Writers Group at Primary Stages (NYC), Under Construction at the Road Theater (LA), The Fled (NYC), Dear Butte (Butte, Montana), and Theatre Write Now (NYC). They are a graduate of Stella Adler Studio, Actors Theater of Louisville’s Professional Training Company, and Upright Citizens Brigade. Catch them performing and writing for @SerialsNYC or follow @jenny_jarnagin.