SNOWFALL

 A dysfunctional trio of strong-willed sisters gather in the Kansas City home of their larger-than-life father in his final days. Comic relief comes through the eccentric certified nursing assistants, an ominous juicing machine and an offbeat doctor who threatens to take the father out of the country to a special clinic. Despite the odds, the sisters learn to listen to each other, to empathize and to eventually accept their differences as well as their father’s final exit. 

Minimum cast requires three women ages 45 to 55, three men ages 20 to 60 with one man speaking in a refined English accent and others  doubling. There are a total of 10 characters, with one being a non-speaking character.

The story takes place in the upscale home in the Kansas City neighborhood known as The Plaza. Other action takes place further downstage when one character speaks to the audience as narrator. While there, she  cuts out paper snowflakes which are used as metaphor. If mounted on a traditional proscenium stage, a batten flies in and out to collect the paper snowflakes. The time is “now.”

COLLEEN

(to the audience)

Then came the hugger.

         Lights up on SAM being hugged by NURSE #2, a rotund woman who also wears pastel medical pants. SAM drinks tea. TREVOR stirs a pot.

NURSE #2

The family needs as much attention as the patient. You need love.

SAM

I need something stronger than this goddammed tea.

TREVOR

Courage mon amor!

SAM

(to herself, mumbling)

Nothingchangesifnothingchanges.

          NURSE #2 opens her arms and tries to hug TREVOR. He circles away from her.

NURSE #2

This is a trying time doncha know. There will be things here that you cannot control. Control is an illusion ya know. Remember that. 

          NURSE #2 circles the other way and traps TREVOR into a hug. She looks up at him.

NURSE #2

Do I know you?

SAM & TREVOR

No.

          MICKIE walks in, again on cell phone, again with a bag of groceries from Whole Foods. NURSE #2 hugs Mickie before she has a chance to put down the food bag.

NURSE #2

Hello! Oh, my my my. Please know that there are people here for ya.

MICKIE

(into phone)

Later. You’ll see me when you see me, David.

(hangs up phone, then, to Sam)

This is...?

SAM

Dad’s latest nurse.

NURSE #2

You are loved.

MICKIE

Why aren’t you upstairs?

TREVOR

Your father told her to get out.

NURSE #2

C’mon everyone. Group hug.

          NURSE #2 pulls TREVOR and SAM into her hug with MICKIE.

NURSE #2

There. Can you feel all that love? All that energy? Remember, energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It is what it is. Not even death will stop it. Our energy turns into people or flowers or animals or the rings around Saturn or a great big storm even...always, always there. For all eternity. We will all be together. Forever. Beyond death.

TREVOR

Knock knock.

NURSE #2

Oooo! Who’s there?

TREVOR

Anyone from the Dark Ages.

NURSE #2

Anyone from the Dark Ages who?

TREVOR

Precisely.

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