|
Showing 1 - 2 of
2 matches in All Departments
Dramatic Comedy / 3m, 3f / Unit Set Woodie Guthrie had it. Arlo may
have it. It's usually hereditary, but not always passed on to every
offspring. The symptoms do not normally appear until a person
reaches their mid-forties. Referred to as "The Dance of Death,"
Huntington's Disease is a complete degeneration of the nervous
system. Recently, medical researchers developed a blood test to
determine if the disease is present in young people. The question
is: Should we know? There are over 100,000 people in the U.S. that
are currently "at risk." Of these people, only 500 have actually
taken this test. Could I Have this Dance? is about two sisters in
their 30's: Monica and Amanda. Their mother, Jeannette, has
Huntington's and lives with her daughters. The action takes place
in the Los Angeles office/home where the girls run a thriving
public relations firm, Grapevine, which was started by their
mother. During the course of the play, we come to understand the
time bomb these two sisters live with. Their possible fate is
dramatically evidenced in the characterization of Jeannette which
is interpreted through dance. The effects of the disease are
"visible" to those onstage, but "invisible" to the audience, except
in a few rare instances where the actualization of the disease is
revealed. The other characters in the play are the men in these
women's lives. Jeannette's husband (and the girls' father), Hank,
has come to accept his wife and still loves her very much. Both
Monica and Amanda have shunned long-term romantic relationships
because of their unknown fate; bitter Monica plays it safe and
vibrant Amanda takes every chance with young, one-night-stands. Yet
the girls and their father never lose their sense of humor. As the
play unfolds, both women have met men they'd like to get serious
with and the knowledge of the test both repels and attracts them:
Amanda, desperate for the answer and Monica, in morbid fear of it.
Could I Have this Dance? is ultimately about love and cherishing
what life we are given. This is a deeply romantic play about
difficult choices. As the once-murky medical crystal ball becomes
clearer, the universal question remains: Are we better off not
looking at what the future holds? "Playwright Doug Haverty uses
Huntington's Disease not in the telepic fashion where the
disability is the star, but as a vehicle to explore human nature
... The play is kind of cross between Lee Blessing's Independence
and Arthur Kopit's Wings ... Every character has color and
dimension." - DAILY VARIETY "In a profound blend of pathos and
humor, the memorable world premiere of Doug Haverty's drama
repeatedly transports the audience from out right hilarity to
heartfelt sorrow .. electrifying ... this show is one of the
season's best." - L.A. READER
|
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.