Waiting for the Parade

Play

Writers: John Murrell

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
1977
Genres
Drama
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1940’s
Cast Size
small
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
Some Dance
Ideal for
All-Female Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes young adult, adult, mature adult, elderly, late teen characters

Synopsis

In John Murrell’s Waiting for the Parade, five Canadian women deal with their anxieties about World War II through courage, tension, humour, and a little music. Marta, a German immigrant, combats prejudice and social isolation; Eve, a young school teacher, is unsettled by those who champion war (including her husband); Margaret, a God-fearing mother, is afraid she has lost her boys to war in more ways than one; Catherine, a young woman new to the workforce, struggles with the uncertainty of her husbands fate; and Janet, the bossy organizer, obsessed with volunteering for the war effort activities. Follow these women while they endlessly wait for their men to return and discover their inner strength in the process.

Lead Characters


Waiting for the Parade guide sections