Speaking to the Dead
by
Sharon Fogarty
Description: Upon learning of her father’s death, Grace Todd becomes obsessed with a collection of suicide notes whose study eventually enables her to speak with dead people on the game show, “Let’s Play Dead.”
First Produced: 2010
Date Added: 8/6/2011
Content Advisory: Contains adult themes, only medium strong language, okay for TV
Keywords:
Comedy
Death and the afterlife
Musical comedy
Mostly Male Characters
Large Cast Size
1 Act, 70 Minutes
4 Females, 6 Males
NOTE: Speaking to the Dead is fully protected by copyright law and is subject to royalty. All inquiries concerning production, publication, reprinting or use of this play in any form should be addressed to sharon@sharonfogarty.com.
Original Production Information
Speaking to the Dead was first presented by TheatreLab’s Open Frames Festival in 2010 at 13th Street Rep, with the following cast and credits:
Grace Todd: Kaira Klueber
Mrs. Todd/Puna : Renée Torrière
Mr. Todd/Wilfred: T.D. White
Pete/Lawrence: D. Zhonzinsky
Chris/Terry: Danny Stix
Jackie Kaplan: Jeff Wills
Brandon/Scott/Nathan: Michael Kirby
Claire/Connie: Karen Christie-Ward
Emily/Laura: Sarah Ecton-Luttrell
Arnold/Marty: Tony Di Sante
Direction, choreography, design and piano accompaniment by Sharon Fogarty
Stage Management by Rekima Cummins
Excerpt from Speaking to the Dead
GRACE: My mother and I set out for a long drive to a town upstate called Monroe, New York. When we got there, our first stop was the local library.
MRS. TODD: Get a book.
GRACE: I wandered towards the mystery section as my mother disappeared into self help.
Mrs. Todd drifts off stage.
GRACE: Suddenly, this book falls right off the shelf, like right in front of me.
A book falls to the stage at Grace’s feet.
GRACE: (picks up the book) It’s called “Speaking to the Dead - a collection of suicide notes,” compiled by Detective William Fogarty in the 1950s. I immediately became obsessed with this book. I read it again and again and again. Then, something began to happen.
Pete, a ghost, enters.
PETE: Five minutes Miss Todd.
Grace sees him but turns her attention back to the audience.
GRACE: Every night, right around sunset…
PETE: And God said, let there be dark.
Chris enters.
CHRIS: Five minutes Miss Todd.
GRACE: (to Chris) Thanks Chris.
Chris exits, followed by Pete.
GRACE: (to audience) I’m not going to talk about it. I’m just going to show you.
About Sharon Fogarty
Sharon Fogarty’s plays generally include two or more realities. Songs and fantasies might appear in a dream life. Revenge might play out in a fantasy. But they are clear, have a beginning, middle and ending. She does not wish to confuse her audience any more than they already are, as life is hard enough. Her style ranges from horror and healing. Some of her musicals are written as a Mass, others with a chorus ensemble, and others in a more modern dysfunctional family style of Rock. Sharon’s undergrad and early history was in dance. Her masters and teaching is in music, but her career is in theatre. She is an award winning composer, choreographer, playwright, actress, musician, composer and short story writer. Her plays use minimal sets, a piano or a small pit band and work better if the director incorporates movement, especially stage combat as they can get quite dicey sometimes.
Website: www.sharonfogarty.com
Contact Info: sharon@sharonfogarty.com
Plays by Sharon Fogarty
Speaking to the Dead
by
Sharon Fogarty
