Mourning Woods Merengue Poster

Mourning Woods Merengue

Mourning Woods Merengue


Licensing and scripts available from Inventive Talent: [email protected]

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Synopsis

After being forced out of his job, Loren, a resident of Mourning Woods Village, is deeply depressed. He’s lost his purpose. Shar, his next-door neighbor, is determined to reanimate and romance Loren. She invites him to partner in a dance contest with the support of Paloma, the earthy, vivacious activities coordinator who ludicrously supports the matchmaking. Adult children jump in and complicate things with their own problems and interference. Is it possible for Loren to find a sense of purpose in dancing? In romance?

Cast

LOREN HOLMES Male. 60s. Reserved, dispirited. Divorced. Forced into early retirement. Eternal pessimist.
SHAR SHIMMELS Female. 60s. Bubbly, energetic. Widowed. Retired. Eternal optimist.
JOE HOLMES Male. 40s. Loren’s troubled, disappointment of a son. Single. Mechanic.
HELEN SHIMMELS-COX Female. 40s. Shar’s interfering, uptight daughter. Divorced. Assistant district attorney.
PALOMA GUTTIEREZ Female. 20s. Activities coordinator and aspiring choreographer. Has the moves. A bundle of Latin energy.


Production History

July 2023 Staged Reading, Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
May 2023 Streamed Zoom Performance, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago, Illinois.


Commentary from Theatregoers and Readers

A perfect blend of drama and comedy. Rich characters. Dialogue that sings. Oh, and there’s actually singing, too! And dancing to boot! Mourning Woods Merengue has it all!
A riotously funny play about mature relationships – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, dance teachers, and pickleball partners. Wonderful!