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SYNOPSIS

Single Wide is a simple, country pop/rock, romantic comedy about the struggles of a community of women living in a trailer park in Florida. The main character Katy, lives with her mother Amanda, and her son Sam. Katy’s trying to change the future for herself and Sam through hard work and education. Her friend and neighbor Flossie, is trying to change her future by finding a the right man. These characters along with two sisters, Jaz and Serena, live in relative harmony until Guy, a veteran from the war in Afghanistan, moves into the park. He is attempting to hide away long enough to regroup emotionally from the experiences of combat. Guy has chosen this park because he believes it’s the last place his family will look for him.

Guy’s hopes of hiding out are thwarted by 11-year-old Sam’s need for male companionship. The “normal life” in the park is turned upside down when Guy reluctantly accepts a dinner invitation from Sam. During that evening, Guy innocently meets Katy and Amanda, saves Flossie from an attack from her latest beau, and wins over Jaz and Serena, even though the events cause his PTSD to flare up. Flossie immediately expresses interest in Guy while Katy remains distant and cautious.

Behind Katy’s back, Amanda sets about helping Katy to develop a relationship with Guy. She unsuccessfully tries to bribe Flossie to keep away from him. When Flossie faces a third failed relationship she turns her entire focus on Guy. Guy’s lack of interest sends Flossie over the edge and she employs a nuclear strategy to destroy any chances Guy and Katy might have. Flossie’s ploy turns everyone against Guy until the truth is discovered, forgiveness is sought and granted, and Guy and Katy decide to give their fledgling relationship a try.

The 10 pages I’ve submitted comes toward the end of the play when Katy uncovers Flossie’s nuclear strategy to destroy any feelings Katy has for Guy. Katy sings Microwave life when she discovers a scantily clad Flossie in Guy’s trailer and thinks he’s in there with him.

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

The original draft of Single Wide was completed until September of 2013. From September to December of 2013 it was workshopped in Utah and received a staged reading on December 16, 2013. After the reading Single Wide received a workshop production in March of 2014. The production revealed many holes in the piece and after extensive rewrites it was entered into and selected to be a Next Link production in the 2015 New York Music Theatre Festival (NYMF).  It was nominated for best musical and was the most awarded piece in the festival. In 2015 it also won the Blanche and Irving Laurie National Musical Theatre Award. Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.  In August of 2018 the Florida Theatrical Association selected it to be presented in a staged reading in Orlando as part of their New Musical Discovery Series. It has since received a college production at Brigham Young University in 2019. There are two other productions pending but the details have not been finalized. Neither of those productions is in Florida. To date the only full production was the one at Brigham Young University in 2019. We are looking for our premiere professional production.

NOTES

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BREAKDOWN

8 Characters, 5W, 2 M, 1 eleven-year old boy
Note: The cast is intended to be multi-racial.

1. Katy: A 27-year-old, third generation single mom. She’s looking for a way out of her present life for herself and her son Sam. She works in an auto parts store and is taking night classes.
2. Amanda: Katy’s mother, a 43-year-old second generation single mom. Still beautiful but aging fast. She has long ago given up ever getting out of her station in life. She works at home as a customer service representative for an on-line pet supply company.
3. Sam: Katy’s 11-year-old son. Tired of living in a completely female world and desperately looking for a friend.
4. Guy: A 29-year-old Afghan War veteran. He rents a trailer in Katy’s park in order to hide out from his normal life and the expectations of his parents as he tries to make a positive reentry into life after his 3rd tour of duty.
5. Flossie: A friend of Katy’s in her late twenties. She works with Katy in an auto parts store. She is trying to find Mr. Right to rescue her from her life. Her search takes her through short lived and shallow relationships with many different men.
6. Serena: A 30 something temporary resident of the park. She works as a waitress in a greasy spoon restaurant. She lives and works with her sister Jaz. She is hiding out in Jaz’s trailer from her abusive husband.
7. Jaz: A 30 something resident of the park. She works as a waitress in the same greasy spoon as Serena. Her husband’s in jail for the foreseeable future.
8. Bodie: Is the embodiment of every man Flossie dates. In each iteration of Bodie, he simply changes clothes and hair style revealing to the audience that even though Flossie thinks she’s finding a better man each time, she is actually repeating the same mistake.

SETTING

Present day in a rundown trailer park in Florida. The unit set reveals 4 old trailers with a cluttered yard between them. It is especially cluttered around a trailer with a “For Rent” sign posted on it. All the action needs to take place inside and outside of Amanda’s, Flossie’s, and Guy’s trailers. Action only needs to happen outside of Serena’s trailer. Flossie’s trailer and grounds are beautifully manicured and covered with well cared for flowers in pots and planters. Guy’s trailer needs access to the roof and Serena’s needs access to an outside porch. At rise the women in the trailer park are getting ready to begin their day.