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In a library in a mid-western city in the United States, all of the action takes place in the janitorial office. Paul is the supervisor, a divorced man looking to get back into the dating game. He oversees Dex, a young man that sees conspiracy at every turn, and Tyler, the new guy in the department, whose marriage is ending after he gambled away his (and his wife's) savings. In one day, their secrets are revealed and their fates are changed, with the help of Katie (Tyler's soon-to-be-ex), Rena, an arty Story-Time lady, and Lori, the library director who has taken a shine to Paul. A happy ending is on tap with no thanks to Susan, an upwardly mobile librarian who's been dating Tyler, or Alec, the sleazy computer tech. When you add in the revelation that Dex's father is a sitting United States Senator who will be hosting a town hall meeting at the library that very night, you have a Peyton Place of swirling emotion and intrigue... with virtually all of it played for laughs.
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2014
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 19, 2014
This review can be found here: http://www.guyvestal.com/home/2014/10... as well as Amazon.
So... It took me a bit of thought before I could come up with a review. Not because I had nothing to say, but because I didn't know how to say it.
-Is it a well written play? Yes.
-Are the characters believable, relatable? Yes.
-Is it something entertaining? Yes and no.
-Bottom line, it is the short story of a bunch of regularly functional dysfunctionals.
Something that is simply "everyday" in my world, and the world of everyone I know.
Paul: He is your average poor slob that is stuck being in charge, and stuck having to deal with the chuckleheads under his command. Stuck because that is the way the job works, you do your job, and you deal with the boneheads that you work with. Nothing new under the sun.
Dex: - A doomsday prepper that lives for Alex Jones and Infowars. Nothing new there.
Tyler: - A good guy that just got caught up in online gambling. Poor sap.
Alec: - IT (information technology) narcissist. The player/tool/douche of the group. Dime-a-dozen.
Rena: - A woman who more than likely never gets laid, and more than likely owns a lot of cats. Nosey Rosie. Every company has this pathetic woman poking around.
Lori: - The old Dowager. The Bella Swan/Mary Jane of the senior set.
Katie: - The wife of the gambler that got the short end of the stick.
Susan: - (a character not noted in the cast for some reason?) An easily duped and desperate Molly Ringwald type. that got some dick from the douche (Alec) and is now in a frenzy.
I paid $7.65 at Amazon, and it is a sturdy book, nice cover, good paper, ink dark, typeset clear. The work is complete. Directors notes/Directions (kinda), stage properties, costume plot, stage furnishings.
It's "production history", which I would have left out, because it is just a shot in the foot once read, was 30 people in a library, for a readers theatre. Which is where I see this never getting past.
It is by no means community theatre material, because the audience would be in danger of losing interest by scene two, and I would be hard pressed to have my students use it as a community college showing if I was the instructor, because there is no depth to the characters, nothing to really be learned from it that most haven't already observed in everyday life.
It's not a "bad" play, and it is not so much a "boring" play, it is simply nothing new under the sun. Unless you are close to the indescribable description of "normal", I don't see much comedy to hold the attention of a ticket buying audience.
I would have like to see more directions, more stage positions being explained. (Stage Right, Stage Left) I know that it is easy to leave it up to the director, but a good director wants to know as much as possible (in print) from the writer.
The Hollands are good playwrights, but this particular idea is just one that isn't a hit. That's ok, because a good playwright knows that not everything is going to be the next "Cats" on Broadway...
___________________________________________
Playwright Interview with Marc Holland & Kathy Holland
1. Question: And just who is this Marc & Kathy Holland duo?
We're your neighbors. Instead of getting together with a couple for a game of bridge, we gather around a microphone and perform a radio show with them. If you own a hardware store, that's your family business. Theatre is ours.
2. Question: Why this play? How did it come together with two writers? Who gets the blame if the critics jeer it?
It's a fanciful re-telling of when I worked in the custodial department of a library. If the office had been equipped with a revolving door, it never would have stopped spinning.
3. Question: Using the play as a guide, give us 5 tips on how to live a better life.
1) Love fearlessly.
2) Practice forgiveness.
3) Laugh often.
4) Be honest.
5) Eat more cake
4. Question: If you could choose any songs, royalty free, to compile a soundtrack to accompany the play, what would those 7 songs be
Paul-"You May Be Right" Billy Joel
Lori: "Ready to Take a Chance Again" Barry Manilow
Tyler: "Something" George Harrison
Susan: "Money" The Beatles
Rena: "Do You Want To Know a Secret" The Beatles
Katie: (You Ain't Woman Enough) To Take My Man" Loretta Lynn
Dex: "Lawyers, Guns and Money" Warren Zevon
5. Question: Let us have a quick Improv. Set up for us, a short scene , discussing this play.
An improv of my children discussing Mom and Dad's play
LUCY: (21 and headstrong) I wish Mom and Dad were this funny all the time.
DAN: (18 and headstrong) I wish they were this funny ANY time.
LUCY: Do you think they really believe this stuff? Love conquers all?
DAN: I'd ask them but they're...ahem...sleeping in this morning.
LUCY: That's disgusting, old people making love.
DAN: So you were planning on giving that up at some point in your life?
LUCY: Touché.
DAN: HEY, WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE HASH BROWNS?
So... It took me a bit of thought before I could come up with a review. Not because I had nothing to say, but because I didn't know how to say it.
-Is it a well written play? Yes.
-Are the characters believable, relatable? Yes.
-Is it something entertaining? Yes and no.
-Bottom line, it is the short story of a bunch of regularly functional dysfunctionals.
Something that is simply "everyday" in my world, and the world of everyone I know.
Paul: He is your average poor slob that is stuck being in charge, and stuck having to deal with the chuckleheads under his command. Stuck because that is the way the job works, you do your job, and you deal with the boneheads that you work with. Nothing new under the sun.
Dex: - A doomsday prepper that lives for Alex Jones and Infowars. Nothing new there.
Tyler: - A good guy that just got caught up in online gambling. Poor sap.
Alec: - IT (information technology) narcissist. The player/tool/douche of the group. Dime-a-dozen.
Rena: - A woman who more than likely never gets laid, and more than likely owns a lot of cats. Nosey Rosie. Every company has this pathetic woman poking around.
Lori: - The old Dowager. The Bella Swan/Mary Jane of the senior set.
Katie: - The wife of the gambler that got the short end of the stick.
Susan: - (a character not noted in the cast for some reason?) An easily duped and desperate Molly Ringwald type. that got some dick from the douche (Alec) and is now in a frenzy.
I paid $7.65 at Amazon, and it is a sturdy book, nice cover, good paper, ink dark, typeset clear. The work is complete. Directors notes/Directions (kinda), stage properties, costume plot, stage furnishings.
It's "production history", which I would have left out, because it is just a shot in the foot once read, was 30 people in a library, for a readers theatre. Which is where I see this never getting past.
It is by no means community theatre material, because the audience would be in danger of losing interest by scene two, and I would be hard pressed to have my students use it as a community college showing if I was the instructor, because there is no depth to the characters, nothing to really be learned from it that most haven't already observed in everyday life.
It's not a "bad" play, and it is not so much a "boring" play, it is simply nothing new under the sun. Unless you are close to the indescribable description of "normal", I don't see much comedy to hold the attention of a ticket buying audience.
I would have like to see more directions, more stage positions being explained. (Stage Right, Stage Left) I know that it is easy to leave it up to the director, but a good director wants to know as much as possible (in print) from the writer.
The Hollands are good playwrights, but this particular idea is just one that isn't a hit. That's ok, because a good playwright knows that not everything is going to be the next "Cats" on Broadway...
___________________________________________
Playwright Interview with Marc Holland & Kathy Holland
1. Question: And just who is this Marc & Kathy Holland duo?
We're your neighbors. Instead of getting together with a couple for a game of bridge, we gather around a microphone and perform a radio show with them. If you own a hardware store, that's your family business. Theatre is ours.
2. Question: Why this play? How did it come together with two writers? Who gets the blame if the critics jeer it?
It's a fanciful re-telling of when I worked in the custodial department of a library. If the office had been equipped with a revolving door, it never would have stopped spinning.
3. Question: Using the play as a guide, give us 5 tips on how to live a better life.
1) Love fearlessly.
2) Practice forgiveness.
3) Laugh often.
4) Be honest.
5) Eat more cake
4. Question: If you could choose any songs, royalty free, to compile a soundtrack to accompany the play, what would those 7 songs be
Paul-"You May Be Right" Billy Joel
Lori: "Ready to Take a Chance Again" Barry Manilow
Tyler: "Something" George Harrison
Susan: "Money" The Beatles
Rena: "Do You Want To Know a Secret" The Beatles
Katie: (You Ain't Woman Enough) To Take My Man" Loretta Lynn
Dex: "Lawyers, Guns and Money" Warren Zevon
5. Question: Let us have a quick Improv. Set up for us, a short scene , discussing this play.
An improv of my children discussing Mom and Dad's play
LUCY: (21 and headstrong) I wish Mom and Dad were this funny all the time.
DAN: (18 and headstrong) I wish they were this funny ANY time.
LUCY: Do you think they really believe this stuff? Love conquers all?
DAN: I'd ask them but they're...ahem...sleeping in this morning.
LUCY: That's disgusting, old people making love.
DAN: So you were planning on giving that up at some point in your life?
LUCY: Touché.
DAN: HEY, WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE HASH BROWNS?
Displaying 1 of 1 review