Bob Puglisi

Unassisted Living Bob Puglisi

Set in 1975, UNASSISTED LIVING is a tragicomedy about Mildred Meyers, a feisty, seventy-year-old who leads a revolt against the City of New York and a wealthy real estate developer who wants to demolish her Lower East Side tenement to make way for condominiums. Mildred and her cohorts take on the police with rotten produce, eggs, shaving cream, and whipped cream. The police arrest Mildred and her elderly accomplices. Nancy, Mildred's daughter, a busy prima ballerina, goes to New York to bail out her mother. In order to save Mildred from a stiff jail sentence, Nancy must take her mother back to Los Angeles with her. Nancy finds a home for Mildred at the Star Bright Senior Residence in Hollywood. Stanley Cutler, a loveable, longhaired hippy-type in his early-thirties, owns and operates the semi-rundown establishment. Mildred adapts surprisingly quick to her new environment and bonds with Stanley and his quirky residents. She proves to be a real asset when the Los Angeles Licensing Commission and the IRS harasses Stanley. Mildred senses that someone or something is behind the harassment. Eventually, Mildred's over-bearing personality hits everyone like an unexpected tornado. After an incident in which Mildred betrays the trust of her fellow residents, she decides to move to Hawaii, a dream she has harbored for years. Her daughter agrees to fulfill her mother's wish-until something unexpected happens to Nancy that changes Mildred's plans. UNASSISTED LIVING is an optimistic view of aging with humor overshadowing moments of sadness.