Happy Saturday, Bookwyrms! Today’s post is going to look a little different, for two very exciting reasons. First, Caverns isn’t a novel… it’s a play! That means that this story is told entirely through dialogue and designed to come to life on stage, not just the page. Second (and the most exciting part): Caverns is especially close to my heart because I WROTE IT! Now, since I’m obviously a bit biased, this won’t be a traditional review. But I do want to share a bit about the play, the story behind it, and what makes it so meaningful to me.
In this action-packed dramedy perfect for fans of Indiana Jones and The Mummy, an unlikely archeology team must delve deep into the Incan caverns to find what they’re looking for… and maybe even what they need.
It’s the early 1950s, and archeologist Laura Hennings is determined to make her mark in a male-dominated field. She’s searching the jungles of Peru for the ancient Legacy Tablet… but she might find more than she bargained for. After all, she’s never led an expedition team like this before. Stuck with a ditzy movie star, a determined reporter, a sexist corporate man with his disillusioned son, and a clutzy assistant, Laura has to push past their differences to find the Legacy Tablet. Things get even more complicated when her old rival Doctor Everest Quinn shows up… and even he has secrets to be discovered.
Writing the Adventure
I wrote Caverns as a response to several disappointing shows I had seen. I love movies with characters like Indiana Jones, movies where adventure, love, and mystery come together. The only thing I was missing was a woman in the leading role. That’s when Doctor Laura Hennings was born, and Caverns grew from there.
At first, it was just the seed of an idea. I wrote bits and pieces in my limited free time, while juggling homework and college application. Senior year was a busy time, so I didn’t even attempt to complete Caverns. Then an opportunity came.
Our theatre department was looking for a show. We needed a clean show to put on for our Spring Play, one with a strong female cast. And every search came up dry. With some encouragement from a friend, I got to work and completed the first draft. Then, I presented it to our troupe. To my surprise and joy, everyone agreed… it needed to be performed. The encouragement from that class sent me back to the writing desk to complete Caverns so that it would be performance ready.
The Characters
At first glance, it seems like the characters in Caverns are just tropes. We have the headstrong assistant, the ditzy movie star, the stuck-up businessman… but those first impressions are exactly what I hoped to subvert. People are always more complex than they first appear, and so are these characters.
A quick note about the setting: Caverns is deeply rooted in a specific historical era (the 1950s), and its characters are shaped by the gender roles, power dynamics, and cultural assumptions of that time. As such, some language, attitudes, or behaviors portrayed in the play may feel outdated, or even offensive, by today’s standards. The goal with these portrayals in Caverns is to reflect the era authentically and to highlight the challenges the characters face within it.
Newsworthy!
While Caverns does have several reporters, that’s not the only news outlet it’s been featured in. This play has been seen on 12 News Now and The Examiner. It’s been described as “action-packed and witty,” with “never a dull moment.” One reviewer even says this: “A story well told pulls the audience in by having relatable characters and a splash of the unexpected. Caverns does that and more.”
Conclusion
I’m incredibly proud of this play. To me, Caverns is a rich blend of adventure, love, and self-discovery. While Caverns is fictional, the issues discussed inside aren’t. Sexism, bias, and power imbalances still exist today (often in subtler forms). It is my hope that this story shows readers how far we’ve come as a society… and how far we still have to go.
What began as a random idea turned into something greater than I could ever have imagined when I began senior year. Whether you read it or see it performed, my hope is that Caverns gives you what it gave me: a challenge to change the world through storytelling. As Marion, Laura’s assistant, says in Act Two: “Society needs to be shaken up a little bit, every now and then.”
You can buy Caverns here.
Marie