A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Facility for Living

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Katie Forgette

Joe Taylor, a retired actor, moves into a prison-turned-elder-care facility shortly after the demise of Medicare and discovers a community of loveable, irascible inmates hell-bent on bucking the dehumanizing system in which they have landed...

A Facility for Living

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Christmas/Holiday
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary

Joe Taylor, a retired actor, moves into a prison-turned-elder-care facility shortly after the demise of Medicare and the election of Dick Cheney to President.  There he discovers a community of loveable, irascible inmates hell-bent on bucking the dehumanizing system in which they have landed. Together, this band of aging misfits rediscovers purpose and dignity in the face of a system mightily stacked against them. A delightful comedy with bite from Katie Forgette, that dares to confront the issue of aging in America.

History

A Facility for Living premiered at A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) in Seattle, Washington under the title Assisted Living in April of 2013. 

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

KEVIN - (25-35) aspirations exceed opportunities and perhaps intellect.  Tattoos.

BEATRICE "JUDY" HART - (65+) ill, but not so that you would necessarily notice.

WALLY CARMICHAEL - (65+) cranky mush-pot.  Well hidden, but present, regard for human frailty. 

NURSE CLAUDIA - (30-50) re-energized in her role as a nurse now that personal responsibility is the new slogan in health care. Speaks quickly and with authority.  Tough love practitioner, not sadistic.

MITZI KRAMER - (65+) former nurse, now resident; declining health but not kindness.  Her speech is fluid and bright.  She could very easily be mistaken for an employee at the nursing home except for rare moments of pixilation.

JOE TAYLOR - (65+) loyal, tenacious.

  • Time Period Contemporary, The Future
  • Setting

    The second floor of Federal Nursing Home #273, in the not-so-distant future.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

"In Forgette’s brilliantly imagined and unforgettable rendering, the four residents of 'A Facility For Living' inhabit a Catch-22 world, eerily reminiscent of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.' Laced with jabs at everything from America’s broken healthcare system to the Catholic Church along with theological rants about the Virgin Birth, 'A Facility For Living' is an endearing mix of 'Monty Python,' 'MASH' and 'Catch 22.'  Yet, cleverly embedded in this modern theater of the absurd are memorable and profound meditations about mortality." - Crosscut
 
"'A Facility For Living,' a world premiere by Katie Forgette, is a dark comedy about getting old, respecting human dignity, and examining how society treats the elderly, with some hijinks taken from a lost episode of 'I Love Lucy.' Forgette does a remarkable job being fresh and funny about a subject not easily joked about without settling into well-worn Old People Jokes territory." - Seattle Examiner

"...amusing, entertaining, life-affirming ... " - Seattle Times (Critic Recommended)
 
"Despite its plot about bureaucracy and rebellion, 'A Facility For Living' is sweet and funny, a lighter riff on some of the themes from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest."  - Seattle Stranger (Critic Recommended)

"'A Facility For Liviing' is one of Barter's funniest plays ever."  - Bristol Herald-Courier

"Timely and hilarious, Detroit Rep's 'Facility For Living' explores senior care." - Detroit Free Press

"'A Facility For Living' is a bold, black comedy with plenty of laughs." - SWVA Today

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Katie Forgette

Katie Forgette
Katie Forgette has spent most of her professional life as an actor. At the Seattle Repertory Theatre she appeared in Inspecting Carol, An Ideal Husband, Private Eyes, All in the Timing, Scapin, Dancing at Lughnasa, Buying Time, A Flaw in the Ointment, Harvey, The Miser, Six C ...
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