Explore this Show
Overview
Synopsis
Different times and different cultures collide with each other in Lisa Loomer’s dark comedy.
Three women meet in a waiting room, each from a different time and culture and suffering from the effects of their culture’s beauty practices. Victoria, from Victorian England, is about to have her ovaries removed to treat her “hysteria”. Forgiveness From Heaven, an 18th-century Chinese woman, has rotting feet from the feet binding practiced in her culture. Wanda, a modern woman from New Jersey, has advanced breast cancer that wasn’t caught sooner because of her large implants. Douglas, a hapless surgeon, is caught in the middle, torn between his obligations to his patients and his hospital. An ensemble feminist play, The Waiting Room takes a no-holds-barred look at the price women pay for beauty.
Show Information
- Book
- Lisa Loomer
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1994
- Genres
- Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Period, Contemporary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- New York City, England, China, The past and the present
- Cast Size
- large
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- Diverse Cast, College/University, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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
Also called “black comedy,” takes a pessimistic view of the world.
A group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.
A activist of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
Theatre that is focused on women's stories, separate from men, and often examines gender, class, race, and privilege within social, cultural, and historical systems.
Relating to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) or a person who lived in the Victorian era.
Videos
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