A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Chasing Manet

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  4w, 3m

" Chasing Manet has an inspirational message at its core concerning the potential that lives in us all, no matter what the barriers, to defy expectations and take action to attain our dreams." —NYTheatre.com

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
In Tina Howe's comedy, Chasing Manet, a rebellious painter from a distinguished family in Boston and an ebullient Jewish woman with a huge adoring family form an unlikely bond. Inside the confining walls of Mount Airy Nursing Home, the two plot an escape to Paris aboard the QE2. But can they possibly pull it off amidst the chaos of their surroundings? The tension and comedy grow as they struggle to take wing for the last time. Certain licensing restrictions may apply, please inquire for availability.
History

Chasing Manet premiered at Primary Stages in New York City in May 2009 under the direction of Michael Wilson.

HENRY – A patient who cries for help
SAVIANA – A patient who makes strange noises
IRIS – A patient with Alzheimer's disease
CATHERINE SARGENT – A prominent painter from Boston who's legally blind and suffers from depression, among other ailments, 80s
CHARLES – Nurse and PT instructor, African American, a man with a past, 30s-40s 
ESPERANZA – Catherine and Rennie’s Hispanic nurse, 30s 
ROYAL LOWELL – Catherine’s son, a professor in the English Department at Columbia, 50s 
RENNIE WALTZER – Catherine’s new roommate, a lively Jewish woman in the early stages of dementia, wheelchair bound due to crippling arthritis, 80s 
RITA – Rennie’s daughter, 50s 
GABE – Rita’s husband, African American, 40s-50s
MAURICE – Rennie’s brother, 70s 
MARVIN – Rennie’s son, 50s 
ANGELICA – Marvin’s Hispanic wife, 40s 
SHERWOOD – A patient, the proverbial dirty old man 
MARIE CLAIRE – The French arts and crafts instructor, 40s 
STEWARD – From Trinidad, 30s 
CAPTAIN OF THE QE2 – A charming Englishman, 60s

Doubling Breakdown for 3M, 4F:
CATHERINE SARGEANT
RENNIE WALTZER
ESPERANZA, ANGELICA, SAVIANA, MARIE CLAIRE
IRIS, RITA
CHARLES, GABE, STEWARD
ROYAL, MARVIN, SHERWOOD
HENRY, MAURICE, CAPTAIN OF THE QE2

  • Time Period 1980s
  • Setting Mount Airy Nursing Home in Riverdale, NY.
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language

Media

REVIEWS

"Chasing Manet has an inspirational message at its core concerning the potential that lives in us all, no matter what the barriers, to defy expectations and take action to attain our dreams. — NYTheatre.com 

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Our Picks For The 2019/20 Season
Lawrence Haynes
January 7, 2019

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Tina Howe

Tina Howe (1937-2023) was a prolific and influential American playwright. Her most produced plays include Birth and After Birth, Museum, The Art of Dining, Painting Churches, Coastal Disturbances, Approaching Zanzibar and Pride’s Crossing. These and other works premiered at t ...

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