Elon students produce original play centering female friendship
‘Sororophobia’ brings 2010s nostalgia to Elon’s Black Box Theatre
With purple posters around campus promoting senior Laney Lynch’s original play “Sororophobia,” cast member and sophomore Josie Milner said she’s seen people assume the play’s title refers to a fear of sororities.
While the “soror” root — meaning “sister” in latin — is the same in both words, “sororophobia” refers to the way women often seek out and recoil from relationships with other women.
“It’s fear of sisterhood but also longing for sisterhood,” Milner said. “It’s about female connections and female friendships and how they can be both a blessing and a curse.”
There were three performances of “Sororophobia” across May 2 and 3 in Elon University’s Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.
The show follows a group of middle school girls who summon a demon that promises to make their deepest desires come true.
After the production’s invited dress rehearsal May 1, Women and Gender Studies professor Layla Savloff hosted a Q&A with Lynch who said she set the play in middle school because she had seen memes and online discourse making fun of media geared toward young girls.
“Whatever they like gets made fun of and is not taken seriously,” Lynch said. “So I just wanted a world where these girls are serious. And yes, it’s very camp, very chaotic, very fun. But it’s also very real to them.”
Lynch said she wanted to create a work that validated the overwhelming experience of being in middle school that was often ignored or undermined.
“I have some very, very visceral memories of that time in my life,” Lynch said. “To me, middle school was very high stakes.”
Despite the supernatural elements of the show, the characters themselves accurately reflect the 2010s experiences of many 12 to 14-year-old girls across America during the decade, Milner said.
“It’s like watching an extra-comedic read through of my middle school experience,” Milner said. “Plus demons, I didn’t have any of those.”
One of the "Sororophobia" posters that was shared online and hung up around campus. Courtesy of Laney Lynch.
One of the "Sororophobia" posters that was shared online and hung up around campus. Courtesy of Laney Lynch.
From left, sophomore Janae Willock, senior Aniya Arnold, sophomore Ella Schultz and freshman Maya Max sit on the main set piece in “Sororophobia” during rehearsal April 27. Admin producer and junior Zane Miller re-upholstered the ottoman specifically for the show.
From left, sophomore Janae Willock, senior Aniya Arnold, sophomore Ella Schultz and freshman Maya Max sit on the main set piece in “Sororophobia” during rehearsal April 27. Admin producer and junior Zane Miller re-upholstered the ottoman specifically for the show.
“Sororophobia” playwright and senior Laney Lynch also plays the demon, BB Jr., in the play. Lynch sits in the CFA Black Box on April 27, so the crew can plan the lighting for one of BB Jr.’s speeches to the audience.
“Sororophobia” playwright and senior Laney Lynch also plays the demon, BB Jr., in the play. Lynch sits in the CFA Black Box on April 27, so the crew can plan the lighting for one of BB Jr.’s speeches to the audience.
With purple posters around campus promoting senior Laney Lynch’s original play “Sororophobia,” cast member and sophmore Josie Milner said she’s seen people assume the play’s title refers to a fear of sororities.
While the “soror” root — meaning “sister” in latin — is the same in both words, “sororophobia” refers to the way women often seek out and recoil from relationships with other women.
“It’s fear of sisterhood but also longing for sisterhood,” Milner said. “It’s about female connections and female friendships and how they can be both a blessing and a curse.”
One of the "Sororophobia" posters that was shared online and hung up around campus. Courtesy of Laney Lynch.
One of the "Sororophobia" posters that was shared online and hung up around campus. Courtesy of Laney Lynch.
There were three performances of “Sororophobia” across May 2 and 3 in Elon University’s Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.
The show follows a group of middle school girls who summon a demon that promises to make their deepest desires come true.
After the production’s invited dress rehearsal May 1, Women and Gender Studies professor Layla Savloff hosted a Q&A with Lynch who said she set the play in middle school because she had seen memes and online discourse making fun of media geared toward young girls.
From left, sophomore Janae Willock, senior Aniya Arnold, sophomore Ella Schultz and freshman Maya Max sit on the main set piece in “Sororophobia” during rehearsal April 27. Admin producer and junior Zane Miller re-upholstered the ottoman specifically for the show.
From left, sophomore Janae Willock, senior Aniya Arnold, sophomore Ella Schultz and freshman Maya Max sit on the main set piece in “Sororophobia” during rehearsal April 27. Admin producer and junior Zane Miller re-upholstered the ottoman specifically for the show.
“Whatever they like gets made fun of and is not taken seriously,” Lynch said. “So I just wanted a world where these girls are serious. And yes, it’s very camp, very chaotic, very fun. But it’s also very real to them.”
Lynch said she wanted to create a work that validated the overwhelming experience of being in middle school that was often ignored or undermined.
“I have some very, very visceral memories of that time in my life,” Lynch said. “To me, middle school was very high stakes.”
“Sororophobia” playwright and senior Laney Lynch also plays the demon, BB Jr., in the play. Lynch sits in the CFA Black Box on April 27, so the crew can plan the lighting for one of BB Jr.’s speeches to the audience.
“Sororophobia” playwright and senior Laney Lynch also plays the demon, BB Jr., in the play. Lynch sits in the CFA Black Box on April 27, so the crew can plan the lighting for one of BB Jr.’s speeches to the audience.
Despite the supernatural elements of the show, the characters themselves accurately reflect the 2010s experiences of many 12 to 14-year-old girls across America during the decade, Milner said.
“It’s like watching an extra-comedic read through of my middle school experience,” Milner said. “Plus demons, I didn’t have any of those.”
Hear from playwright Laney Lynch and cast members Aniya Arnold and Sitare Sadeghi about the impact "Sororophobia" has had on them. This video was part of ENN On-Air on April 30.
Inspired by real people — and friendship dynamics — in Lynch’s life, Lynch said she wanted the tweens in “Sororophobia” to feel like complete characters, rather than archetypes.
“Yes, these are all different characters, but bits and pieces are taken from every single person that I’ve met in my life,” Lynch said.
One of those people is senior Sitare Sadeghi, one of Lynch’s roommates.
Sadeghi plays Jasmine, a deeply-closeted lesbian who would do anything for her friends. Sadeghi said performing in “Sororophobia” has felt “meta,” as if she is talking directly to her middle school self.
From left, senior Aniya Arnold and senior Sitare Sadeghi rehearse a scene in Act I of "Sororophobia" on April 27. Arnold and Sadeghi play the characters Elena and Jasmine, respectively. Both actors live with playwright and senior Laney Lynch.
From left, senior Aniya Arnold and senior Sitare Sadeghi rehearse a scene in Act I of "Sororophobia" on April 27. Arnold and Sadeghi play the characters Elena and Jasmine, respectively. Both actors live with playwright and senior Laney Lynch.
“Sororophobia” is far from the first show Sadeghi has been in. Recently, she played Natasha in Elon Performing Arts’ main stage production of “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.”
Sadeghi said being part of an original piece, which was actively being workshopped, was a much different experience than working on a licensed piece with a set script.
“Lines and scripts and pages are changing,” Sadeghi said. “And we just have to be ready for that as actors.”
Lynch and the “Sororophobia” team produced the show independently, meaning they funded the project through donations and were not associated with a student organization or a faculty advisor.
"Sororophobia" playwright senior Laney Lynch and admin producer junior Zane Miller organized a "GoFundMe" campaign to fund the production. The campaign received $1,530 across 19 donations.
"Sororophobia" playwright senior Laney Lynch and admin producer junior Zane Miller organized a "GoFundMe" campaign to fund the production. The campaign received $1,530 across 19 donations.
Assistant director and sophomore Parker Bowen said this was simultaneously freeing and daunting. Bowen has never been part of a show that was solely student produced and said it was challenging to navigate at times.
“But it is very, very, very rewarding whenever we do come together and that scene really worked or that little bit that we added works great,” Bowen said. “To see us flourish and all be student-led is just the most motivating thing in the world.”
One of the trickier — and most enjoyable — aspects of navigating a student-run production, Bowen said, was working with his friends.
“It’s hard to toe the line between, ‘OK we’re hanging out right now, we’re friends’ and then to switch over and be leading them in the show,” Bowen said.
Despite being on the production team, Bowen also graced the stage as one of demon’s lackeys throughout the performances, wearing a tank top with the words “demon twink” across his chest in a serif font.
Before the show started, Bowen handed out paper plates to audience members. The audience was invited to grab snacks from the Act I sleepover-themed set, including Cheetos, Skittles, Ring Pops and Scooby Doo gummies.
Admin producer and junior Zane Miller wore a matching tank top, and the two moved set elements and helped transition scenes throughout the show. The two also gave some of the pre-show announcements as they circled the stage area, which had audience members seated on three sides.
Then the two exited and Lynch walked into the Black Box in a sparkly, multicolored wig to begin the show’s opening scene. In addition to being the playwright, Lynch played the demon, Beelzebub “BB” Junior.
“Sororophobia” cast members listen to feedback from senior Marina Jansen and sophomore Parker Bowen — the director and assistant director, respectively — during April 6 rehearsal. Bowen said it was both daunting and thrilling to work on an independent production that did not have a faculty adviser giving them feedback and helping secure resources.
“Sororophobia” cast members listen to feedback from senior Marina Jansen and sophomore Parker Bowen — the director and assistant director, respectively — during April 6 rehearsal. Bowen said it was both daunting and thrilling to work on an independent production that did not have a faculty adviser giving them feedback and helping secure resources.
Sophomore and assistant director Parker Bowen sits on the main "Sororophobia" set piece April 27 in the Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.
Sophomore and assistant director Parker Bowen sits on the main "Sororophobia" set piece April 27 in the Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.
Assistant director and sophomore Parker Bowen said this was simultaneously freeing and daunting. Bowen has never been part of a show that was solely student produced and said it was challenging to navigate at times.
“But it is very, very, very rewarding whenever we do come together and that scene really worked or that little bit that we added works great,” Bowen said. “To see us flourish and all be student-led is just the most motivating thing in the world.”
One of the trickier — and most enjoyable — aspects of navigating a student-run production, Bowen said, was working with his friends.
“It’s hard to toe the line between, ‘OK we’re hanging out right now, we’re friends’ and then to switch over and be leading them in the show,” Bowen said.
From left, senior Marina Jansen and sophomore Parker Bowen — the director and assistant director, respectively — discuss staging ideas during April 6 rehearsal. Bowen said it was both daunting and thrilling to work on an independent production that did not have a faculty adviser giving them feedback and helping secure resources.
From left, senior Marina Jansen and sophomore Parker Bowen — the director and assistant director, respectively — discuss staging ideas during April 6 rehearsal. Bowen said it was both daunting and thrilling to work on an independent production that did not have a faculty adviser giving them feedback and helping secure resources.
Despite being on the production team, Bowen also graced the stage as one of demon’s lackeys throughout the performances, wearing a tank top with the words “demon twink” across his chest in a serif font.
Before the show started, Bowen handed out paper plates to audience members. The audience was invited to grab snacks from the Act I sleepover-themed set, including Cheetos, Skittles, Ring Pops and Scooby Doo gummies.
Admin producer and junior Zane Miller wore a matching tank top, and the two moved set elements and helped transition scenes throughout the show. The two also gave some of the pre-show announcements as they circled the stage area, which had audience members seated on three sides.
Then the two exited and Lynch walked into the Black Box in a sparkly, multicolored wig to begin the show’s opening scene. In addition to being the playwright, Lynch played the demon, Beelzebub “BB” Junior.
Then-junior Laney Lynch had "Sororophobia" staged reading cast members decorate their script binders in character Feb. 19, 2024. The staged reading was part of a three-day, student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival at Elon University.
Then-junior Laney Lynch had "Sororophobia" staged reading cast members decorate their script binders in character Feb. 19, 2024. The staged reading was part of a three-day, student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival at Elon University.
The three Black Box performances were not the first time “Sororophobia” found its way to the stage.
Lynch hosted a staged reading of the play as part of “Breakthrough,” a student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival on campus, in February 2024.
In February 2025, Lynch’s high school alma mater in Michigan debuted “Sororophobia” as its winter play. Lynch said it was empowering to see the Holland High students relate to her writing and put their all into their performances.
For Lynch, creating “Sororophobia” has always been about cultivating community. But on opening night, some people weren’t in the audience. The parents of one of the students refused to see the show, Lynch said. The student told Lynch it was because of an LGBTQ+ plotline in the play. In another situation, Lynch said it might have be easier to put distance between the characters in the play and the students performing them.
“Maybe you could say that this story isn’t representative of the people who are from my town,” Lynch said. “But that’s the reason we have to do it. Because we are here.”
She said this show was proof to the students — in the cast, the crew and the audience — that it’s OK to be LGBTQ+ in their towns, even if some people don’t agree.
“Queer people are in Holland,” Lynch said. “I am from Holland. I am from this town, and I wrote this story.”
Lynch said she hopes the production was able to connect with LGBTQ+ students at the school, especially those who are unable to come out.
“They saw for a second that a student that came from their situation is now making queer art and is successful and is being praised by the school,” Lynch said.
Beyond being grateful to see the high school she graduated from uplift her work, Lynch said it had been exciting to see how current high school students viewed her writing. She said for many of the students, reading her script felt natural to them, as if it was something they’d actually say.
In an interview with Elon News Network about her first play, “Cardboard Boxes,” Lynch said she was drawn to playwriting because she wanted to hear Generation Z dialogue — characters that talk the way the people in her life do.
Playwright Laney Lynch and director Marina Jansen, both Elon seniors, discuss script changes April 6.
Playwright Laney Lynch and director Marina Jansen, both Elon seniors, discuss script changes April 6.
Since the staged reading, high school production and even the last week of rehearsals, “Sororophobia” has continued to change. Throughout the production process, the script continued to be workshopped and developed, with some scenes even being moved earlier into the show.
The part of the play that changed the most from the initial reading was its ending. Lynch constantly revised it throughout the semester, asking herself what message she wanted to leave the audience with.
A few weeks before opening night, Laney was able to solidify the ending. She said she wanted to leave the audience with hope. The play ends with BB, the wish-granting demon that feeds on the girls' insecurity, hoping to one day retire.
“One day they won’t need me and I will lose Sororophobia and all my power with it,” Lynch, in the role of BB, says during the play’s final monoluge.
“Sororophobia” cast members rehearse the Act I demon summoning scene March 30 in the Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre. The staging of this scene changed throughout the rehearsal process. In the final production, the actors are facing in the circle and reading from a "spell book" that they pass around.
“Sororophobia” cast members rehearse the Act I demon summoning scene March 30 in the Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre. The staging of this scene changed throughout the rehearsal process. In the final production, the actors are facing in the circle and reading from a "spell book" that they pass around.
“Sororophobia” cast members rehearse the Act I demon summoning scene April 13 in Roberts Theatre. The staging of this scene changed throughout the rehearsal process, with April 13 being one of the first rehearsals where the cast faced each other, instead of the audience, during this scene.
“Sororophobia” cast members rehearse the Act I demon summoning scene April 13 in Roberts Theatre. The staging of this scene changed throughout the rehearsal process, with April 13 being one of the first rehearsals where the cast faced each other, instead of the audience, during this scene.
Throughout the performances, audience members would laugh during relatable and nostalgic bits of dialogue and staging — telling each other about their first periods, putting on ridiculous amounts of lip gloss, sharing Silly Bandz and navigating the politics of where to sit on the bus.
But it also shows the audience the way the girls’ perceptions of themselves and one another were influenced by technology and self-comparisons.
“It’s funny, but there’s also heart in it,” Milner said.
From left, sophomores Ella Schultz and Josie Milner practice lines during a "line-through" rehearsal April 21. Schultz plays Laura and Milner is the production's swing, meaning she was familiar with each character's lines and staging in case one of the overstudy cast members was unable to perform.
From left, sophomores Ella Schultz and Josie Milner practice lines during a "line-through" rehearsal April 21. Schultz plays Laura and Milner is the production's swing, meaning she was familiar with each character's lines and staging in case one of the overstudy cast members was unable to perform.
"Sororophobia" script excerpt from Act I
An excerpt from Laney Lynch's original play "Sororophobia," which follows a group of middle school girls who summon a wish-granting demon. This audio clip was recorded May 1 during the production's final dress rehearsal at Elon University's Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.
Script courtesy of Laney Lynch
JASMINE
I just think there’s probably a better way –
ELENA
It’s too late. This is the only way now.
The door opens. MELANIE enters, jittery and talking a million miles a second, as EMMA shyly comes in behind her.
MELANIE
Ayyyy, what’s up! I pregamed with not one but two Red Bulls! I feel like I could kick a hole in the wall right now!
She dramatically punches the wall. It hurts her more than the wall.
EMMA
Nooooo, don’t hurt the walls, Melanie! Elena’s Mom was just saying they remodeled –
JASMINE
Don’t be lame, Emma.
ELENA
Chill, Jasmine. She’s not that stupid, she was just homeschooled.
EMMA
I’m totally chill guys, no worries. I mean, this is my first sleepover, but like, don’t worry! I’ll totally keep up. I’m like, known to sleep. Super well.
MELANIE
Elena’s right, Jasmine, little Emma is like a baby bird under our wing.
JASMINE
Hey – all I’m saying is that our nest (pointing around) may be full.
ELENA
Our group needed some fresh meat. It was getting boring. And girls – what are we not?
EVERYONE
Boring!
LAURA enters excitedly through the door.
LAURA
Hey! Don’t tell me y’all already ate the Dominos!
ELENA
Laura, you’re late! You’d be lucky to get a slice of Hawaiian at this point.
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