Black Box

Holly Pollard is an undergraduate student in a college directing program who defies her advisor by choosing to adapt a controversial 1980s young adult novel, The Children’s Reaper, for the stage. The book follows a group of children who are terrified and mistreated by their seemingly devout foster parents. Holly has kept the book since her teenage years, marking the inside cover with her name and the year 1993 to claim ownership. Through rehearsals, we watch the young cast grapple with the material as they shape their performances, and we see how the disturbing themes begin to spill into their real lives, touching on sexuality, boundaries, and the way they relate to one another.

Within the rehearsal room, Holly is involved with Jarrett, a Junior Advisor at the school. Elsewhere, life outside the theater intrudes: Eddie is married with a pregnant wife, and Adam is wrestling with coming out. Brandon is openly bisexual, and Madeline reveals that a kiss during a rehearsal was truly her first. She also faces pressure over a nude scene. During a drunken post-rehearsal party, Terra asks to kiss Madeline, while, in another corner, [Adam] and [Brandon] begin to explore a relationship that adds another layer of complication to the night.

Into this charged environment steps William Peters, the author of the book, who attends rehearsals. While walking with Adam, the discussion leads him to wonder if the elder man is also gay. When one actor falls ill, Peters helps with a scene but soon feels overwhelmed, and he continues to stay in town, frequently attending rehearsals and often nitpicking at Holly’s adaptation. It becomes increasingly clear that the source material feels autobiographical, and watching it performed plunges Peters into mental anguish.

Opening night arrives with a mix of tension and quiet momentum: a girl brings flowers backstage to [Brandon], though he insists it isn’t what it seems. Holly overhears Madeline’s family discussing how they should look away during a particular moment in the performance. Peters leaves town with a plan rather than sticking around to watch the show, yet the production itself progresses, landing with a strong sense of achievement.

A few days later, at home, Holly revisits her worn copy of the novel—the one she has carried throughout the production—and discovers, beneath the inscription she wrote in 1993, that the author has written his name, [William Peters], and the current year, 2013. The revelation underscores the boundary between fiction and life, reminding us that the performance has been deeply interwoven with real experiences and that the autobiography at the heart of The Children’s Reaper continues to resonate long after the curtain falls.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:08