Written By: Dale Watts
Synopsis: Contemporary inter-generational family dynamics, cultural biases, sibling rivalry, miscommunication and misunderstandings are prevalent. The conflict starts when middle child, Shelley, after recently breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, decides to invite a new man in her life, who is not Jewish, to Sunday dinner. This distresses Selma, her mother, but gives Shelley's siblings, Rhoda and Gerald, an opportunity to reveal unsettling secrets of their own. The patriarch of the family, Zaida (Grandfather) Rosen, is hard of hearing, which contributes to the confusion and frequent miscommunication. Periodically, voiceover excerpts of a TV soap opera foreshadow and parallel what is actually happening in the play.
History: This play was produced at the 2007 Winnipeg Fringe Festival as well as for the Summer Theatre in Gimli program.
Availability: The play is contained in a book of four plays entitled Four on the Floor: One-Act Stage Comedies, a copy of which resides in the Manitoba Association of Playwrights Library. Copies of the play may also be obtained from the playwright.
Running Time (mins): 46-75
Cast: 3M / 3F
Genres: Comedy