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Suggested Production Notes for a Mid-20th Century American Dramatic Play
To be staged indefinitely until the end of time
Small Town Play
Scene
Sets include a farmhouse kitchen, a bandstand, a barn.
Cast
Men:
A drifter/conman: Written as mid-20s, to be cast with a man in his mid to late 30s who looks like Burt Lancaster.
He has muscles and can dance. (This is not optional)
An artist type: Mid-twenties; to be cast with a man up to age 35. Fading hairline ok, muscles optional, pale skin preferable.
An old man: can be any age over 40. Occupation: a failed salesman or a farmer.
Women:
Young girl: 12–14, cast with a girl no younger than 16 who looks young but also, you know, not. Must be able to limp (or have a chronic cough), do cartwheels and blow large bubble gum bubbles.
Ingenue: 18, cast a woman who is 19–22. Must be improbably beautiful and able to pull off gingham and ribbons in her hair. Looks great in a slip.
The crazy cuckoo bananas one: cast a beautiful actress who looks great in bras and slips. No older than 26, size 0–2. Ability to have a nervous breakdown onstage, real, or otherwise, is preferable.
Act One:
(Small town play)
A farmhouse: Two sisters are laughing. The youngest is a tomboy, the eldest a stunning prom queen type.
(train whistle blows)
The drifter appears from a misty dawn (order dry ice!)
There is a picnic, a sultry dance between ingenue and drifter (note: have the stage manager call a saxophonist!). Sex is implied with silhouette shadows and saxophone music.
Act Two:
There is (implied) loss of virtue. Dad yells and drinks, eldest son cries.
Ingenue is now dressed dowdy with her hair pulled back.
Younger brother is jealous, possibly wants to have sex with the drifter or his sister.
