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Overview

Synopsis

Joe, Brian, and Felicity come from different walks of life, different parts of the country, and are in different stages of accepting the things they have in common: they are all dying of cancer, and they are all living out their final days, in company with friends and family, in homey hospice cottages on the green and pleasant grounds of a large California hospital. They are observed, studied, and counseled by an invisible Interviewer as they talk candidly about their emotional and physical struggles, and face interpersonal challenges: Joe’s wife Maggie, in denial about her husband’s impending death, refuses to go inside his cottage; artistic Brian, busy trying to write and paint enough for twelve lifetimes, must mediate between his ex-wife Beverly and his boyfriend Mark; and Felicity, confused and in pain, refuses to die until she gets a visit from her daughter Claire -- a daughter who has been dead for years. Michael Cristofer’s sensitive, emotionally devastating, ground-breaking play exploring the end of life experience won both a Tony Award for Best Play and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1977.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1977
Genres
Drama
Settings
Multiple Settings, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
1970s, california, a hospital, hospice cottages
Cast Size
medium
Licensor
Samuel French
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Early Teen, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Interviewer

Supporting

Either Gender

Spoken

Joe

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Maggie

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Mark

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Beverly

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Felicity

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Agnes

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Brian

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Steve

Featured

Male

Spoken

Songs

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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

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

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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