POW! (Play Of The Week)

GRENADINE
by Neil Wechsler

Four men. Four philosophies. One woman.

Thus begins an epic quest for lost love and a good meal, a quest involving fruits, fiddles and a two-legged Dachshund. Winner of the Yale Drama Series competition, Neil Wechsler's Grenadine chronicles four companions: Prismatic, Grove, Sconce and Pyx, all of whom have been inmates on a prison work farm. As they set out to find the mythic Grenadine, the woman who stole both Prismatic's heart and the men's freedom, these four fellows must rediscover life and what it means to be free. Standing in their way are pangs of hunger, strains of friendship and a swarm of bees.

While imprisoned, Prismatic has read only love poetry, Grove has read only science, Sconce only mythology and Pyx only religion. These literary genres inform the characters' mindsets and speech while creating a linguistic jungle gym worth exploring. Wechsler’s strong command of language and theatrical convention help create a world full of memorable and endearing characters.

Will Sconce find his place in a modern world? Can Pyx's faith overcome the swallowing swells of the sea? Can Grove ditch logic and open his heart? And will Prismatic ever find his lost love, Grenadine?

Wechsler answers these questions and more in a journey filled with witty wordplay and impossible staging that challenges the reader and the bounds of theatre. After the final scene has closed the reader is sure to recall the words of lovelorn Prismatic: "All we need now is for a fish to jump out of the stream and lie still for us while we poke it to death with our twigs."

Cast: 6M, 2W

Scenes/Monologues: Lots of group scenes for guys.

Recommended by: Ben.