A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Property

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  3w, 2m

Greed permeates this contemporary romantic comedy set in a Garden
District mansion in New Orleans. A young man is caught between his
dedication to his family's past (and "property") and his own very
different future. Should he follow his heart and marry a New-Age nurse
or succumb to his imperious society-driven mother Irene Dubonnet and
drop her?

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! American Embassy invitation to Georgia, USSR, and citations from the Consul of Mexico, and the Consul of Japan in Louisiana

Details

Summary
Property is about the doom and delight of too much wealth. Greed permeates this contemporary romantic comedy set in a Garden District mansion in New Orleans. A young man is caught between his dedication to his family's past (and "property") and his own very different future. Should he follow his heart and marry a New-Age nurse or succumb to his imperious society-driven mother Irene Dubonnet and drop her? The satire intensifies because it's carnival in New Orleans when old and new traditions and masked traditions consume the family. Property is a sequel to O'Neill's card plays Wishing Aces, Solitaire, and Black Jack, about matriarch Irene Dubonnet with many family members reappearing. The selective staging of a dayroom during Mardi Gras time draped with beads and costumes adds a heightened theatricality.
History
Property was first produced in Thilisi, Republic of Georgia, in October 1999.
IRENE SONIAT DUBONNET – Fifties. A landowner, she redefines the word style - in designer dresses, and flawless makeup. Irene is one of those striking women - nerves of steel, iron lungs, sharp as a tack - who has nothing to do but protect her grown children, and she watches them like a dog guards her bone.
ROOSTER DUBONNET (Nicknamed Roo) - Late Twenties. A painter who has pushed himself beyond reasonable limits. He is critically ill from cancer. The disease gives him a distinct nonchalance, the charm of the damned.
BUNKY DUBONNET LEGERE - Early Twenties, Irene’s grandson. He dresses like a rebel. His consuming interest is singing the blues. When he drinks, his personality changes into exaggerated gaiety and hair-trigger rage.
OOZIE RANSOM - Twenty-five to fifty. Companion to Irene. Oozie is always fixing herself - freshening her lipstick, puffing her hair, buffing her rings.
MONICA FALCON - Late twenties. A nurse, attractive, with a passion for things of the spirit. He gentleness is matched by delicate features: fine skin, graceful hands, hair, which tumbles around her face.

Parts for as many as 3 men and 10 women

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

Photos

  • Property

    Image: Courtesy of Rosary O'Neill

  • Property

    Image: Courtesy of Rosary O'Neill

  • Property

    Image: Courtesy of Rosary O'Neill

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:

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Authors

Rosary Hartel O'Neill

Rosary Hartel O’Neill is the author of 25 plays, 18 published by Samuel French, Inc., and four books of nonfiction. The fourth edition of her text The Actor’s Checklist is used in schools nationwide.

Her book New Orleans Voodoo: A Cultural History (co-written with Rory Schmi ...

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