alphabetical author index

New York

  • David Rimmer
  • Full Length Play, Drama, New Millennium/21st Century
  • 7M, 8F
  • ISBN: 9780573663895

Brilliantly written...a thought-provoking event avoiding the sentimental and capturing realistic portraits of how we're all dealing with it...a touching exploration of the effects of September 11 on the lives of average New Yorkers.

The New York Resident

  • Full Length Play
  • Drama
  • 90 minutes

  • Time Period: New Millennium/21st Century
  • Target Audience: Teen (Age 14 - 18), Adult
  • Set Requirements: Interior Set, Bare Stage/Simple Set

  • Performance Group:
  • Community Theatre, College Theatre / Student, High School/Secondary, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
David Rimmer, a Pulitzer Prize finalist author for Album, originally wrote New York to raise funds for volunteer psychiatrists dedicated to helping the overwhelming number of patients psychologically affected by 9/11.

Depicting the reactions of 15 individuals to the events of that day, the characters all speak to a central psychiatrist. The play has been performed at theaters, schools and colleges throughout New York and the Northeast to great acclaim, called 'brilliantly written... a thought-provoking event avoiding the sentimental and capturing realistic portraits of how we're all dealing with it... a touching exploration of the effects of September 11 on the lives of average New Yorkers' - The New York Resident.

REVIEWS:

Brilliantly written... a thought-provoking event avoiding the sentimental and capturing realistic portraits of how we're all dealing with it... a touching exploration of the effects of September 11 on the lives of average New Yorkers

The New York Resident
Premiere Production: New York premiered at Lotus in New York City in April 2002 under the direction of David Rimmer and Diane Paragas.
  • Casting: 7M, 8F
  • Casting Attributes: Reduced casting (Doubling Possible), Flexible casting, Multicultural casting
  • Casting Notes: There are 15 roles in the play, and age, race, and in the case of a few characters, even gender, are all very flexible. The PLANE GUY could become the Plane Girl. The NEWSGIRL could be a Newsguy.

  • DOCTOR (MOTHER) - A warm, welcoming woman who listens and reacts with great compassion and understanding, but also keeps a professional demeanor. Middle-aged seems right, but any age would do, as long as she seems comfortable with herself and comforting to others.
  • TEACHER - Young seems right, but older might work too. Loves her students and isn't afraid to show it -- wants to give them a positive lesson in the midst of tragedy.
  • FIREMAN - Could be anywhere from mid-20's to 40's. Should suggest the physical strength needed for the job. Hurting badly right now, but has an observant, skewed sense of humor.
  • PILOT (SUZANNE) - Probably best if middle-aged, but could be younger. A strong woman in a male-dominated profession, a pioneer in her field.
  • STEPDAUGHTER (SARAH) - 17 and by far the most mature and capable person in her dysfunctional family. Lower-class background, from a bad neighbourhood in Queens, NY.
  • OKLAHOME (JED) - Most likely young, mid-20's. Underneath the physicality of a working man capable of strenuous and dangerous labor is a real romantic -- deeply moral and self-condemning.
  • CAREGIVER - Probably a guy in his 40's, but this is one where gender and age aren't as important as someone who can do a blazing, speedy comic monologue.
  • DUFF - Young man, early 20's. Has a drinking problem, but hides it -- along with all his emotions, usually through a comic routine or riff that has a standup feel to it.
  • NEWSGIRL (DEVON) - A deeply conflicted youngish woman (but could be stretched to middle-age), who's also hilarious about herself and her predicament. Tremendously self-conscious, intelligent and quick.
  • JULIA - 80, but still lively and quick with hints of her girlish self often coming through; Hungarian accent. Suffering at the moment, hesitant and nervous, doddering a little, doesn't want to be where she is.
  • PLANE GUY - Probably young (late 20's), but really doesn't matter. Deeply disturbed and delusional but wears it lightly.
  • BABY SITTER - This really has to be a 12-year-old-girl. If the actress is 9 or 10, then she's too young to be the babysitter. If she's 14 or 15, then she's too old to have the unawareness of basic human psychology that makes the scene work. The girl's distressed, sullen, angry -- doesn't want to be in a psychiatrist's office, but is also able to show her relief and truly sweet nature when she learns that what she's been thinking isn't wrong, awful or selfish.
  • VIGIL (STEVEN) - Late 30's or early 40's, but could stretch either way, older or younger. No matter what, he should seem youthful, younger than his age. He's gay and occasionally indulges in campy humor, but for the most part plays life straight, because he works in a straight world.
  • DETECTIVE (TONY) - Age could be flexible, but late 40's/early 50's would probably better convey the life experience of an NYPD homicide detective. His method of solving murders is extreme empathy -- he gets into the head of the victim, and through that, the perpetrator.
  • MARY - 40's or 50's, but could go younger or older. A career woman, but warm and nurturing, with a dry sense of humor about herself.
  • Name Price
    New York Script Order Now

    David Rimmer, a Pulitzer Prize finalist author for Album, originally wrote New York to raise funds for volunteer psychiatrists dedicated to helping the overwhelming number of patients psychologically affected by 9/11.Depicting the reactions of 15 individuals to the events of that day, the characters all speak to a central psychiatrist. The play has been performed at theaters, schools and colleges throughout New York and the Northeast to great acclaim,called 'brilliantly written... a thought-provoking event avoiding the sentimental and capturing realistic portraits of how we're all dealing with it... a touching exploration of the effects of September 11 on the lives of average New Yorkers' - The New York Resident.

    $24.95