Near To Me - An Irish Gangster's Love Story

by  Joseph Geringer

Full Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  13m, 4f

This nostalgic serio-comedy peeks into a typical home in Chicago's "Irish Bungalow Belt" in 1928 where not-so-typical events occur. When a pair of gangsters - who aren't so tough after all - invade the serenity of the house, the result is entertainment in terms of quick action, hearty laughs and…

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Near To Me - An Irish Gangster's Love Story

by  Joseph Geringer

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Near To Me - An Irish Gangster's Love Story

  • Cast Size

    Cast Size

    13m, 4f
  • Duration

    Duration

    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre

    Subgenre

    Period, Docudrama/Historic
  • Audience

    Target Audience

    • Adult

Additional Info

This nostalgic serio-comedy peeks into a typical home in Chicago's "Irish Bungalow Belt" in 1928 where not-so-typical events occur. When a pair of gangsters - who aren't so tough after all - invade the serenity of the house, the result is entertainment in terms of quick action, hearty laughs and tender romance.

Tossing together a diverse blend of colorful characters in one amusing predicament after another, Near to Me is a moving tribute to the "good old days" when, let's face it, life could be quite chaotic. What makes this play especially unique is its attention to historical detail. While the story is fictional, its characters refer to actual people, places and events contemporary to the Roaring Twenties - sometimes on the very days on which this story is set.

An explanatory glossary in the back adds to the reading script and helps directors and actors better understand the era and the characters they portray. Newspapers, magazines, even the 1928 "blue books" and phone directories were consulted for accuracy. Near to Me is fun for all ages!

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Considerations

Performing Groups

  • High School/Secondary
  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre

Cautions

  • Caution Mild Adult Mild Adult Themes

License details

  • Minimum Fee: $75 per performance

Production

Details

  • Time Period: 1920s
  • Duration: 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Setting: The living room of the O'Halloran bungalow on South Ada Street, the Southwest Side of Chicago, 1928.
  • Features / Contains: Period Costumes

Music

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

Casting

13m, 4f
GEORGE O'HALLORAN - Born in Ireland, but has lived in American for 12 years, a lean, little man, jovial
DR. JOE GARRISON - Semi-retired, has all the appearance of a small-town physician
ELLEN O'HALLORAN - George's daughter, in her late 20s, ship-shape, red-haired, quite pretty and headstrong
JIMMY O'HALLORAN - George's 12-year-old son, a fun fellow
MARY O'HALLORAN - George's wife, also from Ireland, attractive and patient
WALLY GETZEL - Ellen's moose of a boyfriend, not too bright
FR. MICHAEL MCGUINN - O. Carm., gentle and soft spoken, in the right light resembles a finely chiseled plaster saint
"ROMEO" JACK MCGUINN - A gangster, light on his feet, handsome in a cocky way, quite charming
PADDY "PINTSTRIPES" WYATT - Attractive, but his looks are fading from liquor an a tragic maturity, a poet by nature
MRS. KOEHNKE - Well-meaning neighbor
JEANETTE - Her 10-year-old daughter
OFFICER MULCAHAN - Cop on the beat
AMBULANCE ATTENDANTS
RADIO ANNOUNCER - A voiceover
OFFICER LICCIARDI - A rookie
CAPTAIN SALVATORE INCARDONA - Plainclothes detective, bullish, speaks in a thick Sicilian accent
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Authors

Joseph Geringer

Joseph Geringer

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