The insane dynamics and dysfunction of a western Montana logging family are laid bare over a Thanksgiving holiday. A volatile redneck patriarch, a doting matriarch, and five grown children are forced to confront their biases, and broken relationships with a series of crises that careen between tragic and hilarious.
Kalispell
Download "Kalispell" Excerpt (pdf)https://newplayexchange.org/plays/897397/kalispell
Dramedy for a cast of nine and any theatre, ages 15+.
Synopsis
Cast
| BUD HAMILTON | 70s, the family patriarch. Hard-working. Bigoted. Tough. Protective. |
| CORA HAMILTON | 70s, the family matriarch. Blindly loyal to Bud. Dotes on her children. |
| CLEVE HAMILTON | 40s-50s, oldest son. Alcoholic. Seeks approval of others but is a disappointment to everyone, especially Bud. |
| BRUCE HAMILTON | 40s-50s, 2nd son. Single, successful plastic surgeon living in Seattle. An articulate metro-sexual experiencing a mid-life crisis. |
| JEFFREY HAMILTON | 40s-50s, 3rd son. Successful fashion designer living in New York City. Like Bruce, a metro-sexual, but married with kids. |
| CLIFFORD HAMILTON | 40s-50s, 4th son. Former car salesman turned church pastor in Missoula and televangelist host of religious sportsmen’s show. |
| CLAIRE HAMILTON | 40s, daughter. Feminine but tough. Runs a construction company. Avid sportswoman. Occasional lounge singer. |
| DRAGOS IBANESCU | 30s, Romanian immigrant and proprietor of the Sit-a-Spell Cafe′. |
| TULLIA IBANESCU | 30s, wife and partner in café business with Dragos. |
| TIFFANY | 30s, attractive tart. Director of God, Geese, and Grizzlies. |
| DOUBLING | If desired, Tullia and Tiffany can be played by the same actor. |
Production History
| September 2021 | Staged Production, Chain Theatre, New York City, New York. |
| May 2019 | Staged Reading, Broom Street Theater, Madison, Wisconsin. |
| June-July 2018 | Staged Production, Surfside Playhouse, Cocoa Beach, Florida. |
Commentary from Theatregoers and Readers
| A wild, hilarious romp! | |
| A deeply moving family drama. | |
| Sometime hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking dysfunction. | |
| Oh, my God! It’s non-stop, so funny, so painful, and so moving! | |
| Complex but well-defined characters flesh out this thoughtful and very funny play. | |
| When watching a play, I always check my watch during the performance. Until now! I couldn’t take my eyes off these wonderful characters! | |
| I laughed my ass off and – I’ll admit it – I cried, too. |