Happy in the Poorhouse
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Overview
Synopsis
Langston Hughes once asked, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Derek Ahonen’s ensemble comedy Happy in the Poorhouse explores the same question, albeit with more madcap and less poetry. Mary and her husband, amateur mixed martial arts fighter Paulie, are planning a welcome home party for Mary’s ex-husband, Petie. What is already a recipe for disaster quickly becomes even more combustible when Petie brings his gay male nurse, Stevie, for Paulie and demands that Mary leave with him so they can rekindle their troubled marriage. In the middle of everything, Paulie’s sister Penny shows up with her new girlfriend and announces that she is giving up on her dream of being a country singer. Meanwhile, Mary has given up writing children’s books, leaving Paulie the only one in the family clinging to a dream. Happy in the Poorhouse is a brash and bold ensemble comedy with an underlying heart about the value of keeping your dreams.
Show Information
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2010
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- An apartment in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Present day.
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Playscripts, inc
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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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
Key Terms
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Videos
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Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright