Book excerpt: Gretel is in a coma. In the course of finding out how she got there, this gripping story unfolds through flashback, the reactions of those around her, speculation, and visual dramatic devices. In the end, the cause of Gretel's coma is not as clear-cut as might be expected. Requiring a minimum cast of 17 but capable of handling a much larger performance group, Gretel’s story is presented with a mix of psychological realism, ensemble performance, monologue, and improvisation.