Advertisement
Yasmina Reza’s dark comedy follows two pairs of upper-middle-class parents who meet to calmly discuss a fight between their eleven-year-old sons. What starts as a mature and respectful conversation quickly becomes an argument as the adults begin behaving just as immaturely as the children.Character Descriptions:
ANNETTE REILLE
Female - Age 45+
Ferdinand’s mother is an anxious and emotionally overwhelmed woman who often appears close to having a panic attack. Her stress becomes so intense that she vomits twice during the play. The demands of being a wife and mother have taken a toll on her confidence and sense of stability. Annette also feels neglected by her husband, Alan, whose attention is almost always focused on his work. Alan spends much of the play absorbed in his phone, which eventually pushes Annette past her breaking point. She takes his phone and throws it into a vase of tulips. Of the four characters, Annette displays the most physical aggression and destruction. must be comfortable portraying convincing vomiting onstage.
VERONICA HOULLIE
Female - Age 25+
Veronica initially appears to be the most compassionate and reasonable member of the group. Rather than immediately pursuing legal action over her son Bruno’s injury, she wants the adults to have a productive conversation and reach an understanding about how Ferdinand should take responsibility. Veronica is particularly committed to maintaining peace and resolving the conflict without allowing it to escalate. Among the four adults, she demonstrates the strongest investment in keeping everyone civil and finding common ground.
MICHAEL HOULLIE
Male - Age 25+
Michael initially presents himself as welcoming and eager to settle the disagreement between the two boys. He seems interested in developing a friendly relationship with the Reilles and attempts to make everyone comfortable by offering them food and drinks. He frequently agrees with the Reilles’ perspective and tends to downplay the seriousness of the boys’ fight. At one point, he even jokes about his own childhood experiences and recalls being involved in a neighborhood gang, suggesting that he views youthful violence as something relatively ordinary.
ALAN REILLE
Male - Age 45+
Alan is a highly distracted and abrasive lawyer whose professional obligations constantly interfere with the family meeting. He spends much of the conversation on his cell phone, repeatedly interrupting and showing little regard for the other people in the room. His law firm represents a pharmaceutical company facing a lawsuit over a new medication that has reportedly caused dizziness and other adverse effects. Alan has a cynical attitude toward parenting and describes his own son as essentially uncontrollable, expressing little belief that the boy can or should be changed. He also frequently makes dismissive comments about women, revealing a particularly sexist attitude.
Rehearsal schedule: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8 PM. (With the exception of tech week)
Show dates: December 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th
Director: James Moore
Advertisement
Event venue
7425 West Clearwater Ave, Kennewick, WA, United States
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.