A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Weekend Near Madison

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

Kathleen Tolan

"Warm, vital, glowing...full of wise ironies and unsentimental hopes."- Newsweek

"A new playwright of sharp perceptions, humor, and tender sensibilities."- Christian Science Monitor

A Weekend Near Madison

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 2m
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
A hit at Actors Theatre of Louisville and later Off-Broadway, A Weekend Near Madison takes place during a reunion of college friends now in their early thirties. The occasion is the visit of Vanessa, the "star" of the group and the leader of a lesbian/feminist rock band. Vanessa arrives at the home of an old friend, a psychiatrist, hand in hand with her younger lover who plays in the band. Also on hand are the psychiatrist's wife a novelist suffering from writer's block and his brother, who was once Vanessa's lover and loves her still. In the course of the weekend, Vanessa announces that she and her lover desperately want a child and attempts to persuade her former lover to be the father.
History

A Weekend Near Madison premiered at the Humana Festival at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville in May 1983 under the direction of Emily Mann.

Keywords
Performing Groups
DAVID - in his mid 30s
DOE - a.k.a Dorothy, Dody, early 30s, David's wife
JIM - early 30s, David's brother
NESSA - a.k.a Vanessa, early 30s
SAMANTHA - a.k.a Sammy, about 23
BUTCH - a big dog who is never seen
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting Early autumn, 1979, Wisconsin
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS

"Warm, vital, glowing...full of wise ironies and unsentimental hopes." - Newsweek

"A new playwright of sharp perceptions, humor, and tender sensibilities."- Christian Science Monitor

"Appealing characters and fresh from the vine dialogue."- The New York Post

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Kathleen Tolan

Kathleen Tolan
Kathleen Tolan worked for years as an actor. Her plays includeA Weekend Near Madison, Kate's Diary, Approximating Mother, A Girl's Life and The Wax. They have been produced in regional theatres (including Trinity Repertory Theatre and the Actors Theatre of Louisville), in New ...
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