No Shrinking Violets Here: Tina Esper Brings Tight to St. Pete—And She’s Got Something to Say
By Avery Anderson
What do you get when you mix a 78-year-old widow, her suspiciously charming handyman, and a very alarmed daughter? In Tina Esper’s new play Tight, the answer is comedy, confrontation, and a whole lot of questions about aging, agency, and attraction.
This week, Studio@620 is offering a rare peek behind the curtain with a developmental reading of Tight—part of its NuWorks series, a program devoted to the development of bold new plays. Directed by Kristin Clippard and guided by Artistic Executive Director Erica Sutherlin, the reading is more than just a test run. It’s a leap of trust, a creative collision, and a deliberate act of space-making in an industry that often forgets women over 50 exist—let alone have stories to tell.
“The three of us got on a Zoom a few months ago and the sense of connection and camaraderie was instant,” Esper said. “We shared stories about our mothers, about the power that women of that generation have on shaping who we eventually become, sometimes in spite of ourselves! It’s this undeniably complex mother-daughter bond that’s at the heart of Tight.”
This reading marks the first time Tight will be tested with a full cast in front of a live audience—after just a single table read and a brief scene showcase in New York. And for Esper, that live audience matters deeply.
“We playwrights see so much in our ‘mind palaces,’” she said. “But when a play actually gets in the hands of actors and when there’s an audience in the room… we get to hear the essence of the play—which can be quite sobering.”
Sobering, sure. But Tight is also funny. Very funny. At its core: a septuagenarian widow who’s “determined to win [her handyman’s] affection and is willing to go to pretty outrageous lengths to turn back time.” Her daughter, understandably, is less than thrilled. Cue the generational warfare.
That kind of premise might be played for cheap laughs in lesser hands. But Esper is laser-focused on depth, pacing, and character nuance. “Tight is a comedy, so testing the pacing, the physical humor, and seeing whether the funny bits are actually landing is absolutely essential to its ultimate success,” she said.
If you’ve never been to a developmental reading, Esper makes a convincing pitch: “It’s just the script, the actors, and the audience—no scenic design, no music, and no costumes. Audiences get to focus on the play without being dazzled by the extras.” And yes, your feedback matters. Talkbacks aren’t just for fun—they’re part of the process.
And that process? It’s got stakes. Especially for women writing about women who’ve been aged out of American theater's imagination.
“Take a look at the lineup of plays at Playwrights Horizons this season,” Esper said. “There are no female playwrights over 50. How is this still happening in 2025?”
Her answer isn’t to wait for the industry to change. It’s to keep writing, keep developing, and keep building community with places like Studio@620. “Thank goodness for spaces and places like these,” she added.
After the St. Pete reading, Esper plans to return home and revise the script based on what she learns—both from her collaborators and from the audience in the room. She’s aiming to fine-tune character arcs, sharpen comic rhythms, and find a company ready to give Tight a full production.
“There’s a hunger for plays that challenge assumptions around beauty, aging, and the power dynamics around untraditional couples,” she said. “And Tight lives right in that space.”
Let’s hope more theaters make room for it.
If You Go
Developmental Reading of Tight (as part of Studio@620’s NuWorks series)
🗓 Thursday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m.
📍 Studio@620, St. Petersburg 🎟