| Author: | Amy Oestreicher | EMail: | amyoes70@gmail.com | ICWP Member?: | Yes | Nearest Large City: | Westport | Country: | United States | Play Title: | Factory Treasure | Runtime: | 31-60 minutes | Synopsis: | Mark, Marilyn and Steve have arranged to meet Betsy at her grandfather’s abandoned factory to break the news: after collecting dust for decades, the defunct MYRA corporation will finally be sold to a developer and turned into condominiums. Betsy is devastated by the news, and struggles for a way to save it. What decision will be the most honorable way to keep her grandparents’ legacy alive? What is the most honorable decision for their future as a family and as a community?
The play begins and ends with the actual recordings of Irving Stochel, Betsy’s grandfather, as an (optional) Prologue and Eulogy to the play, which are pantomimed scenes from Betsy’s perspective. In the prologue, Betsy discovers her grandfather’s tape cassette tucked away in a coat he made, where she learns all about his factory. In the eulogy, Betsy plays Irving’s tapes once more, as she struggles to make a final decision, with the fate of the factory in one hand, and a handful of her grandfather’s fabrics in the other.
Four family members, one factory and an incalculable legacy. Factory Treasure is a collective confrontation of how we view our past and what we choose to do with it. Mark, Marilyn and Steve have arranged to meet Betsy at her grandfather’s abandoned factory to break the news: after collecting dust for decades, the defunct MYRA corporation will finally be sold to a developer and turned into condominiums. Betsy is devastated by the news, and struggles for a way to save it. What decision will be the most honorable way to keep her grandparents’ legacy alive? What is the most honorable decision for their future as a family and as a community?
The play begins and ends with the actual recordings of Irving Stochel, Betsy’s grandfather, as an (optional) Prologue and Eulogy to the play, which are pantomimed scenes from Betsy’s perspective. In the prologue, Betsy discovers her grandfather’s tape cassette tucked away in a coat he made, where she learns all about his factory. In the eulogy, Betsy plays Irving’s tapes once more, as she struggles to make a final decision, with the fate of the factory in one hand, and a handful of her grandfather’s fabrics in the other.
Four family members, one factory and an incalculable legacy. Factory Treasure is a collective confrontation of how we view our past and what we choose to do with it.
| Male: | 2 | Female: | 2 | Max. Cast: | 4 | Min. Cast: | 4 | Media: | Stage | Genre: | Drama | Theme: | Family, history, immigration, social issues, biography | Web Page: | www.amyoes.com/playwright | First Name: | Amy | Last Name: | Oestreicher | Notes: | Music Notes: If director chooses to include the Prologue (pages 4-10) and Eulogy, (Pages 44-49) they may choose to sample any of the actual recordings by Irving Stochel, found at https://amyoes.com/irving. Alternatively, they may create their own recordings and may condense IRVING’s monologues, as needed, to synchronize the corresponding pantomime on stage. The scene may also be underscored with Yiddish Klezmer music to create an authentic soundscape, composed by ethnomusicologist Hankus Netsky, available by request.
Playwright Notes
As the granddaughter of holocaust survivors, Judaism has always been a large part of my identity. After my own decade of trauma, (https://amyoes.com/tedx) it empowered me with the will to survive.
My grandparents' legacy is extremely important to me, and I am honored to share their story. The story of how they came to America after the war and started one of the most successful corporations on the Lower East Side is my definition of resilience, resourcefulness, and courage.
My Grandmother’s life & death: http://thewisdomdaily.com/grandmothers-death-love/ My Grandparents, as immigrants: http://www.glamour.com/story/immigrant-families-ellis-island
|
|
|