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Overview

Synopsis

Killer Joe is an early play by award-winning playwright Tracy Letts. It tells the story of a young drug dealer named Chris who finds himself in desperate need of some cash. He and his father Ansel come up with the idea to murder Chris’ mother for her life insurance policy. They hire part-time hitman Joe Cooper to do the job, but complications arise when Joe insists on being paid in advance. Because the two men obviously can’t pay him before they receive their own dividends, Joe decides to accept Chris’ strange and childlike sister Dottie as “retainer” until his money comes through.

Killer Joe premiered off-Broadway in 1994, to mostly positive reviews. Letts went on to produce the screenplay for a film version of Joe, which won him a Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction. The film Killer Joe was released in 2012 starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, and Juno Temple.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Mature Audiences (M)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1993
Genres
Dark Comedy
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
west dallas, texas, present day
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Samuel French
Ideal For
College/University, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Chris Smith

Lead

Male

Sharla Smith

Lead

Female

Ansel Smith

Lead

Male

Dottie Smith

Lead

Female

Killer Joe Cooper

Lead

Male

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.

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