Description: In the wake of losing their child, a married couple must decide where their future lies: Is it with a romantic talking dryer who dreams of her homeland of IKEA? An adventurous 10-year old boy who dreams of true love and basketball camp? Or with leaving behind the memories that still haunt their home?

First Produced: 2010
Date Added: 7/2/2011
Content Advisory: Light cursing, adult themes
Keywords: Comedy  Drama  Families  Grief and mourning  Single Set  Surrealism/Absurdism 
2 Acts, 90 Minutes
2 Females, 3 Males, 1 Gender Neutral

NOTE: The Conveniences of Modern Living 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 danieljohnkelley@gmail.com .

Original Production Information

The Conveniences of Modern Living was first presented by Jilted Pigeon Productions, as part of the New York International Fringe Festival in 2010 at Players Theatre, with the following cast and credits:

Agnes Hutchinson: Maya Baldwin
Harold Hutchinson: Rory Sheridan
The Dryer: Jessica Love
Bobson Bennington: Zack Palomo
Bettina Bennington: Tavia Trepte
Bernard Bennington: David Ian Lee

Director: Emily Plumb
Assistant Director: Jeffery Morris
Stage Manager: Kate Dial
Set Design: Jesse Proia
Light Design: Christopher Weston
Sound Design: Nick Moore
Costume Design: Kate Mincer
Producers: Daniel John Kelley & Hilary Krishnan

Review by Heather Lee Rogers

Daniel John Kelley and Emily Plumb's fine play The Conveniences of Modern Living should be a must-see on your FringeNYC list this year. Most of the play takes place in the small home of Agnes and Harold Hutchinson. As the clothes dryer explains, she "was brought to this house to help Agnes and Harold Hutchinson dry clothes. They needed the help because Matthew Hutchinson was to be born and Agnes and Harold are good parents, like the manufacturers at IKEA." Unfortunately we also learn from the The Dryer that, unlike herself, Matthew did not come with a ten-year warranty and died two years ago. Since Matthew's death Agnes and Harold have forgotten how to talk to each other and so have all the other furniture pieces and appliances. In order to break out of her grief and loneliness The Dryer begins talking to Harold. For the same reason, Agnes begins babysitting a ten-year-old boy named Bobson. Although Agnes and Harold still can't communicate with each other, they at least find comfort and escape in their relationships with Bobson and The Dryer separately.

I very much enjoyed the performance of Jessica Love as The Dryer. She brings to the role a silly, youthful enthusiasm tempered hilariously with the all-knowing confidence of an appliance who sees it all. Her costume by Kate Mincer is also fantastic fun. She is helped by getting some of the best lines in the play which she handles with a maximum load of quirky humor. As an example, she tries to explain to Harold why people are happier in Sweden by flashing the IKEA catalogue. "Just look in the catalogue. Everyone seems so happy just being with their furniture."

Also fantastic is young Zack Palomo as Bobson, the ten-year-old boy Agnes (Maya Baldwin) begins babysitting. Their first scene together, where Agnes nervously tries to get to know him by playing pretend, is so much fun that when I attended they earned enthusiastic applause at the scene blackout. Palomo's comedic delivery is dead-on hilarious and he employs great range by any acting standards. Go see this play so when he's famous you can say you saw Zack Palomo in a play with a talking clothes dryer back when he was in middle school!

Other reasons to see the play are, of course, great writing and an imaginative concept that takes a fun and unexpected route to explore the depths of love and grief. The Conveniences of Modern Living is also a good example of what's great about FringeNYC—shows that are original and take an experimental step away from the mainstream in a fun, hip, and totally downtown way.

reviewed at the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival

Excerpt from The Conveniences of Modern Living

BOBSON

My mom and dad met each other when they were very young. I haven’t met anybody. I fear it may be too late.

AGNES

How old are you?

BOBSON

Ten.

AGNES

You have your whole life, Bobson.

BOBSON

I’m not sure about that. Do you think your heart just shrivels up when you aren’t loved? Or does it just stop pumping and freeze solid?

AGNES

It doesn’t do either, actually.

BOBSON

Have you ever fallen in love?

AGNES

That’s a personal question…

BOBSON

It is. Have you?

AGNES

Yes.

BOBSON

What’s it like?

AGNES

Uh…well…

BOBSON

It’s always like this! No one ever tells me! And I want to know!

AGNES

It’s just kind of a feeling, I guess.

BOBSON

A feeling.

AGNES

And you feel like your life wouldn’t be complete without it. And you’ll do anything to get it, and keep it. Yes.

BOBSON

Anything?

AGNES

Anything. But you have to be patient. It starts with an inkling, a tiny feeling, like “Has the mail come yet?” And then there’s doubt-“No, no, it couldn’t have.” So you march down the hall, and open the mailbox door and find everything. Yes. Letters connecting you to people and places, you’ve both forgotten and never knew existed. It could be wonderful. Or you could open the mailbox door and it could be empty. But here’s the thing that’s hard to remember, that everyone, including me, forgets sometimes: Love is something that you wait for. And waiting is hard. But the mail always comes. Always. It may not be on time, or may be a holiday, but sooner or later…the mail comes. Yes. Like love. You just have to keep going to get it.

BOBSON

Wow. That sounds better than I imagined.