Don Samson

Baby Steps on the Road to Nowhere Don Samson

Book promo for Amazon These 14 one-act plays call for small casts, minimalist sets and props. Eight of the plays call for 2 actors; none requires more than 4. Running times are 10-35 minutes. The plays capture the joys, sorrows, conflicts, absurdities and unanswerable questions in the lives of couples: Is it okay to buy a new couch when a younger neighbor falls over dead for no apparent reason? (What about the Couch?) Should we give more "rent" money to a hapless son-in-law who's probably putting it up his nose? (Fourteen Across) Do all those empty wine bottles mean we are drinking too much? Or recycling too infrequently? (Recycling) Is it okay for married partners to have "luncheon dates" with members of the opposite sex? (Leftovers) Now that the kids are out of the house should we quit our jobs, sell our home, buy a cheap place down in Mexico and live there "like kings" forever? Or should we stay here and settle for dinner at the Mexican restaurant in the mall? (Foreverville) Small cast sizes and set requirements make the plays ideal for festival productions and acting/directing classes. Several of the shorter plays were staged in 10-minute play festivals; others were grouped together (3 or 4) to create a 90-minute production. Adult language, always used normatively, appears in several of the plays.