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Easter Monday

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  1w, 2m

"An interesting examination of an unusual father-son relationship... The Sondheim lyrics 'stay a child while you can be a child' are embodied in Mack, the overprotective father. In his eagerness to keep his adopted son Billy with him, Mack has in…

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary

An eccentric widower, Mack, has been a stay-at-home dad for twenty years, his daily existence revolving around his son Billy. Not only can't he let go, Mack's convinced he's more needed than ever. First up is pulling Billy from a dead-end copy shop job and enrollment in culinary school-after all, he was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-off. Then Mack discovers that Billy, adopted from infancy, has contacted his birthmother, a Washington, DC secretary about to make a first trip to New York City. Panicky Mack spends a sleepless three days coaching his son, determined to impress Adela with Billy's upbringing-and their indestructible father-son bond. Over a snowy Easter weekend, these three square off. Confronting timid Adela, Billy's romanticized ideas about his identity are turned inside out, as Mack's deepest insecurities surface. Mack is convinced the woman will psychologically lay claim to the child she gave up two decades earlier. Yet for Adela, a lasting reconnection with the boy couldn't be further from her mind. With abundant humor, Easter Monday addresses what it means to be a parent, and to be parented, illuminating both the pain and joy in finally saying goodbye to childhood.

 

History

Pendragon Theatre, Saranac Lake, NY. In rep, May 22 - August 27, 2003

MACK: 55-ish; a radically sentimental, unapologetic Pollyanna; unselfconscious, devoid of vanity, he's alternately tender, prickly, impatient, cuddly, bullying, at times fiercely defensive and aggressively paternal.

BILLY: Mack's son, 20; attractively boyish, yet preternaturally world-weary; gentle, introspective and cautious, he has developed a short fuse, and though desperate to avoid confrontation, he can turn combative.

ADELA: Billy's birthmother; 35; unprepossessing, plain-spoken and intensely focused on whatever meager task is at hand; though decidedly meek, she's capable of standing up for the truth — and herself.

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting

    New York City, now or very recently.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

 "....An interesting examination of an unusual father-son relationship... The Sondheim lyrics 'stay a child while you can be a child' are embodied in Mack, the overprotective father. In his eagerness to keep his adopted son Billy with him, Mack has in essence tried to keep him a child. He creates a wonderful world of nostalgia that is very moving... Easter Monday holds our interest, and Corley has written some beautifully evocative lines ... " -Connie Meng, NPR Radio

RELATED ARTICLES ON BREAKING CHARACTER:

When Dad Stays Home: Thoughts on fatherhood as a career in American plays
by Hal Corley
June 14, 2012

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:

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Authors

Hal Corley

Hal Corley’s plays have been widely performed in the U.S. (Seattle Rep, Syracuse Stage, Walnut Street, NYC’s Westbeth, SF’s New Conservatory Theatre Center, and in Atlanta, LA, Boston and Charlotte). Recent: Pas d’Action, Theatre Artists Studio, Scottsdale, AZ (March 2019); B ...
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