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ISBN 978-0-573-66374-1Bridget Carpenter3m, 3fDramatic ComedyUnit SetUp invites us into the life of Walter Griffin, a failed inventor obsessed with Philippe Petit’s famed 1974 wire-walk between the twin World Trade Center towers. Walter’s greatest moment of glory – a flight on a lawn chair festooned with helium balloons – is now long behind him, though Walter dreams of inventing something wonderful once more. His wife, Helen, has become disillusioned and frustrated at being the family’s only breadwinner. Their teenage son, Mikey, harbors dreams of his own: after befriending Maria, a pregnant girl in his class, Mikey becomes involved in her family’s phone sales business, with surprising results. When Walter finally takes a job, Mike keeps his a secret, and Helen allows herself to dream of a more secure life. But when Helen discovers the truth about Walter’s employment, it becomes clear to this family that life itself is lived on a wire not unlike Petit's, this one strung between happiness and sadness. Up is part of the upcoming 2008-2009 Steppenwolf Theatre Company season directed by Anna D. Shapiro, Tony-award winning director of Steppenwolf’s critically acclaimed production of August: Osage County, currently playing on Broadway.“A brilliant play…original, poignant, moving, sad and funny. I have rarely sat in a theater audience that laughed so hard at one moment and, at the next, sat so still you'd swear you could hear the actors' hearts beating together on stage.” - Eugene Register-Guard “The incredible and beautiful conclusion leaves the audience thinking, philosophizing and talking in the car all the way home…a perfect mix of comedy and drama.” - Grants Pass Daily Courier “Not only has the playwright nailed the ultra-cool cadence of the next generation, but she also has captured an essential truth about the lure of the impossible dream, its freedom and its danger.” - Mercury NewsFEE: $75 per performance.Restrictions currently apply on this title, please inquire for specific details and licensing availability.Character descriptions:Walter Griffin, 44Helen Griffin, 38
Mikey Griffin, 15Maria, 16Aunt Chris, 35-55Philippe Petit, 35-50Student, 16Firefighter, 20-30Helen’s Mother, 50Student, UPS Man, and Firefighter are played by the actor who plays Philippe Petit.Helen’s Mother is played by the actor who plays Aunt Chris.Other Bridget Carpenter titles available from Samuel French:
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