Origin Theatrical | Infinite Black Suitcase

Full Length Play
Drama
90 minutes

Time Period: Present Day
Target Audience: Appropriate for all audiences
Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings
Cautions: Strong Language

Performance Group:
Community Theatre, College Theatre / Student, Professional Theatre

From critically-acclaimed playwright EM Lewis, comes Infinite Black Suitcase, the story of one day in a small Oregon town and three families who are trying, in the most loving and human ways, to deal with death and dying.

REVIEWS:

"Touchingly funny."
Back Stage West

"A great balance of humanity and humor."
L.A. Splash

"A compellingly emotional journey!"
Toulcan Times

EM Lewis offers an endearing and insightful perusal into the lives of 16 rural Oregonians, dealing with the trauma of recent or impending death, during the course of a single day...Lewis gives evidence of being a significant talent to watch.
Variety

Premiere Production: Infinite Black Suitcase premiered at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood, CA in April 2007. The show was produced by The SpyAnts and was directed by Danny Parker-Lopes.

Casting: 8M, 8F
Casting Attributes: Reduced casting (Doubling Possible), Ensemble cast, Minority casting

STAN KALINSKI (37) - An electrician. Polish Catholic. The dependable brother, who everybody leans on and calls first, ever since their parents died.

"KAL" KALINSKI (34) - Stan's brother. A truck driver with a local route.

JANIE KALINSKI (34) - Stan's sister-in-law. A physical therapist and runner. Her husband has just died.

*DONNA KALINSKI (35) - Stan's wife. Works at home and takes care of their kids (*Voice only -- can be double-cast.)

DAN HANLON (28) - An English professor at the local community college. Quiet and bookish. He is dying.

STEPHEN MILLER (32) - A landscaper. Hard-working and smart-assed, most of the time. He's been with Dan for seven years.

LIZ MILLER (29) - An interior designer. Dressed with casual quirkiness. Stephen's sister.

JOE STRICKLIN (38) - Katie's ex-husband. They have three daughters -- 17, 14 and 12) -- who are with Katie and Tony during the week and Joe on the weekends. Joe works at Wilco Farmer's Co-Op (which sells everything from chicken feed to John Deere tractors). He likes to drink a couple beers in the evening and fiddle with car engines with old Stones albums playing in the background.

KATIE LIU (38) - Tony's wife, Joe's ex-wife. Not Asian-American, but took Tony's name when they married eight years ago. She is dying. She was a cheerleader when she and Joe were in high school together, high-energy and confident, not ditzy. She's paler and thinner, now, and has lost her hair (her head is covered in a bright scarf).

TONY LIU (52) - Katie's husband, Asian-American. He's a sales manager at the paper mill. Plays golf, and goes to competitions around the state regularly. Steady and even-tempered (except with Joe, who can light his fuse like nobody he's ever met). His marriage to Katie is his first marriage.

MARY OLIVER (42) - She was married to her husband, Roger, for thirteen years, but he died eighteen months ago. She hasn't been on a date since she dated him.

FRANK HARPER (45) - He's worked at the hardware store in town for twenty years. A guy's guy. but personable. Today, he's been drinking.

FATHER SEBASTIAN (70) - A Catholic priest. He takes his job seriously, but has a sense of humor. Fond of potlucks and college basketball.

JAKE HARRISON (65) - A retired electrician, who preferred working to retirement.

ANNE HARRISON (60) - Jake's second wife. Elegant, even in inelegant surroundings.

APRIL MERRIWEATHER (24) - Assistant Manager at Belle Passi Cemetary -- an old pioneer cemetary out in the country where being assistant manager means you only have to mow the lawn every other week. Young and sincere.

Origin

Infinite Black Suitcase

Description

Characters

Available Material

Song Of Extinction

Gun Show, The

How the Light Gets In

You Can See All the Stars

"Sneeze", The