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Overview
Synopsis
Sister Rose was a beloved nun and teacher in the 121st street neighborhood of Harlem. She has recently passed, and to the shock of everyone in the area, her dead body has been stolen overnight. Balthazar, a New York City Detective who grew up in this neighborhood, is tasked with figuring out what happened to Sister Rose’s body, while everyone else who showed up to pay their respects waits to hear any news. There is Rooftop, who has come into town from Los Angeles and is trying to avoid his ex-wife Inez, who is remarried and holding a deep grudge. There are Edwin and his brother Pinky, who is brain-damaged from a childhood accident, and there’s Norca, also called Nasty Norca, who is a mean menace of the neighborhood. Flip, a lawyer, and his husband, Gail, are in town from Wisconsin, and Flip is desperately trying to get Gail to act less “gay”, while Sister Rose’s niece, Marcia, uncomfortably sticks around until her aunt’s body is found, feeling like the whole world is against. Oh, and there’s Sonia who nobody knows and who clearly doesn’t fit in. This colorful cast of characters hang out for the first time in years and struggle with their feelings of grief for Sister Rose and deep-seated grief from the past. When Sister Rose is found, will they all go back to the way they were before her death?
Show Information
- Book
- Stephen Adly Guirgis
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2002
- Genres
- Dark Comedy
- Time & Place
- In and around the Ortiz Funeral Home, Harlem, New York
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Diverse Cast, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Our Lady of 121st Street originally ran off-broadway, put on by the LAByrinth Theater Company and directed by Phil Seymour Hoffman. It was one of the 10 Best Plays of 2003 and it received Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Best Play Nominations. In 2018, a production directed by Phylicia Rashad was performed at Signature Theatre in New York.
to read the context for Our Lady of 121st Street and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One Scene 1
A cop named Balthazar has come to the Ortiz Funeral Home to investigate the disappearance of a corpse. A beloved nun and teacher, Sister Rose, died and over the night her corpse has gone missing. When he arrives, he meets a man named Victor (Vic) who doesn’t have any pants on. Vic complains about people being inconsiderate to Sister Rose by talking on the phone or playing video games, or wearing casual clothes in front of her casket. Balthazar offers Vic a drink, which he
to read the plot for Our Lady of 121st Street and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
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Female |
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Featured |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
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Videos
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