Welcome to Script Insights! Ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a playwright? In this series, you get a rare and exciting opportunity to hear directly from the authors themselves. Each article offers personal insights from the playwright, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, character motivations, and thematic explorations that bring their scripts to life.
Below, you’ll find a downloadable blog post offering valuable insights directly from the author of Stranger. The downloaded PDF also includes supplemental classroom activities to help you connect the play’s themes and characters with your students.
Be sure to download this resource by clicking the button above!
The Monsters Inside: Vampirism and Social Media
By Azrael Thomas
When I was writing Stranger, I wanted to create characters who reflected different facets of our modern world. It didn’t take long for me to land on Bebe, the social media influencer who lives for likes and attention. What surprised me, though, was how naturally Bebe’s obsession with validation mirrored the vampires in the story. The more I wrote, the clearer it became: Bebe’s relentless pursuit of fame and adoration wasn’t all that different from the way a vampire craves blood.
It’s no accident that the vampires in Stranger serve as metaphors for our collective hunger in the digital age. Just as vampires have always represented society’s fears—disease, forbidden desires, or exploitation—they now take on new meaning in a world dominated by curated images, viral moments, and the endless chase for online approval.
Bebe’s Hunger for Validation
Let’s start with Bebe. As an influencer, Bebe thrives on attention. Every moment is an opportunity for content creation, every interaction a chance to expand their “brand.” But what lies beneath the glossy exterior? Like many influencers, Bebe is deeply insecure, relying on external validation to fill an internal void.
This dynamic plays out in ways that are both comedic and tragic. Bebe’s over-the-top persona adds levity to the play, but it also highlights the darker side of performative culture. What happens when the likes and followers aren’t enough? What happens when the need for validation starts to consume everything else? For Bebe, that hunger is as insatiable as a vampire’s thirst for blood.
Vampires as Modern Metaphors
Vampires have always been powerful symbols, evolving with each generation to reflect its anxieties. In Stranger, they represent the darker side of social media culture: the constant need to feed on others for validation, relevance, and power. Characters like Casey and Ramirez reveal how this hunger can manifest in different ways.
Casey, the struggling comedian, uses humor to mask deeper insecurities. Their vampire identity mirrors the way some people adopt online personas that are larger-than-life, a protective shield against vulnerability. Ramirez, on the other hand, represents a more hidden hunger, lurking beneath the surface and only revealing itself when absolutely necessary. Together, they show the spectrum of how this need for validation can shape our identities—both online and off.
The Monsters We Create
One of my favorite elements of Stranger is how it blurs the line between the supernatural and the everyday. The vampires aren’t just mythical creatures; they’re reflections of ourselves. Bebe’s obsession with fame, Casey’s need for approval, and even Anne’s relentless pursuit of the truth all point to the ways we feed on each other, whether for attention, validation, or power.
Social media has amplified these dynamics, making them impossible to ignore. Just as vampires drain life from their victims, platforms can drain our time, energy, and self-worth. But they also hold a mirror up to our desires, forcing us to confront the question: How much are we willing to give to feel seen?
Reflections for the Classroom
I think Stranger opens the door to important conversations about how we navigate social media and its impact on our mental health. For students, this could mean reflecting on their own experiences with online personas or the pressures of staying “relevant” in a digital world.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Why do you think people act differently online than in real life?
- How are vampires in the play like people who spend a lot of time on social media?
- Do you think it’s okay to change who you are to get more attention? Why or why not?
- In what ways can the “hunger for validation” impact someone’s mental health or relationships?
- Do you think social media is more like a tool or a trap? Why?
For a creative activity, ask students to imagine their own supernatural metaphor for a modern-day issue. If vampires represent social media addiction in Stranger, what might represent online gaming, influencer culture, or virtual reality?
Final Thoughts
At its heart, Stranger is a story about the monsters we create—both literal and metaphorical. Whether it’s a vampire craving blood or a person craving likes, the play asks us to reflect on the things we hunger for and the cost of feeding those desires. My hope is that audiences, especially students, walk away with a better understanding of how these dynamics shape our lives—and how we can navigate them without losing ourselves in the process.