Overview
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.
Show Information
- Book
- John Murrell
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- 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
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- All-Female Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Late Teen Characters
Context
John Murrell was commissioned to write a Canadian historical play by the Alberta Theatre Projects while he was a writer-in-residence from 1975-1977. While developing the show, Murrell conducted interviews with people who had lived through World War II. Murrell discovered the stories of the women who stayed behind during the war to be the most interesting to him and developed Waiting for the Parade to centre around the women who held Canada together while the men were away.
Each scene in
to read the context for Waiting for the Parade and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
A rattling of drums is heard in the distance as a regiment of Canadian infantry begin to hit the parade ground. The drumming fades into a Glenn Miller style band as the lights come up on five women, seated near a dance floor, waiting. Janet, the bossy organizer, is determined to raise their spirits and invites each woman to dance with her. The other women do not feel like dancing, but Janet bullies them onto the floor. After a half-hearted attempt, each of the women take a seat and continue to
to read the plot for Waiting for the Parade and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
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
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Emma Houlahan
Canadian vocalist and actor now based in London.