Patriarch
by Bob Mahnken
#2006-0028ISBN #1-933159-78-2
The Cast
(Ages are approximate: what matters is the
relative age of all the characters)
JACK, 55 - The patriarch, who must constantly juggle fact and fiction
to make sure
his family thrives;
KATE, 50 - Jack's ex-wife, mother to Michael and
George, who seems to have
dominion over the family no matter what shape it takes;
LUCY, 35 - Jack's current wife; mother to Amanda; awash in
tranquilizers and drink; who has a secret she thinks she's been hiding for a
long time;
LAUREN, 25 - Jack's assistant, who either has an agenda of her own or
is part of
someone else's, whose tension derives from not knowing which;
MICHAEL, 25 - A young man coming to grips with ongoing revelations
about who's who in his family, and who isn't;
GEORGE, 16 - A teenage boy constantly questioning the nature of
identity and
relationships, especially with respect to the structure of his dysfunctional
family;
AMANDA, 15 - The teenage girl George is in love with, who is sort of
his step-sister, as far as he knows, and who seems as overwhelmed by their
family dynamic as he is.
Synopsis
Low-budget, self-made independent businessman Jack
Amherst, his wives and his children are all under one roof this weekend,
waiting for the arrival of the bastard who ties them all more closely
together than they know. On the surface, all is chaos; but are these
seemingly random events part of a larger plan? And if so, whose?
The Setting
A porch roof and a duplex kitchen in a city or town near
you.
Costume List
 | KATE dresses like someone who doesn't go out much and
doesn't care much what people think. It just doesn't matter, as long as
she doesn't look like she's going to work and as long as it looks
effortless and slightly elegant on her. |
| LUCY can appear first in a nightgown & robe, or
sweatpants & tank top, or whatever we imagine she's stumbled out of bed
in. Her next appearance should be some kind of ensemble, which she wears
for the rest of the play. Whatever this consists of, it should be clear
that fixing herself up is where her talent lies, and also that she tries
much harder than Kate. |
| JACK dresses like a guy who has for decades run a
number of businesses, any one of which could yield disaster at any time.
Casual; lots of pockets. He should look not altogether sane, but
presentable. |
| LAUREN wears, in Act One, whatever fabulous
career-oriented multi-tasking go-getter twenty-somethings are wearing,
and in Act Three, whatever remains of this after her offstage ordeals. |
| MICHAEL wears semi-respectable traveling clothes in
Acts One and Two, and semi-respectable sleepwear in Act Three. |
| GEORGE and AMANDA dress like teenagers, for better or
worse.
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Props List
| Kitchen table, chairs |
| Teapot, cups |
| Silverware |
| Silver polish, cleaning rag |
| Glassware |
| 4 or 5 cell phones |
| A suitcase |
| A joint |
| Cigarettes, lighters |
| Ashtrays |
| Duct tape
|
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