The Facts:
Title: The Boys Next Door
Author(s): Tom Griffin
Language/Translator(s): English/None
Year of Original Publication: 06/01/1995
Genre/Length/Structure: Full Length/ Comedy/ 2 Act
Agency Controlling License: Dramatists Play Service
Royalty Fee(s): $75 Per Performance
Cast Breakdown (M/F): 7 Men/ 2 Women
Time and Setting: Now/ New England City
Brief Bio of Author(s):
Tom Griffin’s highly acclaimed play THE BOYS NEXT DOOR was produced Off-Broadway in the Fall of 1987, after productions at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey and the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The motion picture rights to the play have been acquired by Warner Brothers. Mr. Griffith has had his work produced at numerous American regional theatres, including the premieres at the Mark Taper Forum, the Long Wharf Theatre, the Hartford Stage Company and the Alley Theatre in Houston. His play EINSTEIN AND THE POLAR BEAR was produced on Broadway at the Cort Theatre. He has been awarded a CBS/Dramatists’ Guild Award (for AMATEURS),an L.A. Drama Critics Circle nomination (for THE TAKING AWAY OF LITTLE WILLIE), an N.E.A. grant and an O’Neill playwriting fellowship. He has had fiction published in the United States and Europe and has been the recipient of a Playboy editorial award. His play PASTA was produced at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island, where Mr. Griffin has appeared in over 25 productions as a member of the Tony Award winning resident acting company. He has also written two screenplays, FIDELITY and an adaptation of EINSTEIN AND THE POLAR BEAR both of which have been optioned for production. His updated version of DINNER AT EIGHT aired on TNT in December, 1989. AMATEURS was produced at Trinity Rep in the spring of 1990. He is currently under contract at MGM-UA, for whom he has written two screenplays. His newest play, MRS. SEDGEWICK’S HEAD will open this fall at Trinity Repertory in Providence, RI. http://www.dramatists.com/text/authorbios.asp
Brief Plot Summary: THE STORY: The place is a communal residence in a New England city, where four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest, but increasingly "burned out" young social worker named Jack. Norman, who works in a doughnut shop and is unable to resist the lure of the sweet pastries, takes great pride in the huge bundle of keys that dangles from his waist; Lucien P. Smith has the mind of a five-year-old but imagines that he is able to read and comprehend the weighty books he lugs about; Arnold, the ringleader of the group, is a hyperactive, compulsive chatterer, who suffers from deep-seated insecurities and a persecution complex; while Barry, a brilliant schizophrenic who is devastated by the unfeeling rejection of his brutal father, fantasizes that he is a golf pro. Mingled with scenes from the daily lives of these four, where "little things" sometimes become momentous (and often very funny), are moments of great poignancy when, with touching effectiveness, we are reminded that the handicapped, like the rest of us, want only to love and laugh and find some meaning and purpose in the brief time that they, like their more fortunate brothers, are allotted on this earth.
http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=1022
1.Arnold Wiggins, Male, he is a middle aged Mildly retarded white male who works at a movie theatre. His mild retardation come in the forms of hyperactivity and relentless talking. He Is taken advantage of easily and suffers from severe OCD.
2.Norman Bulansky, Male, Middle aged and is also slightly retarded, works at a doughnut shop and has cause him to become overweight. He is white American and has a white, overweight girlfriend named Sheila.
3. Lucien P. Smith is a black, middle aged male who is severely retarded. He is an American but has to be played by a black man. He checks out books from the library despite the fact he can not read. He is in jeopardy of loosing his state funding to stay in the group home.
4. Barry Klemper, younger, 20’s Schizophrenic white American male who pretends to be a gold pro. He is the most “stable” of the men. He is triggered by a visit from his father that proves harmful to his mental condition.
5. Jack, is a middle to late age white American male and the guys social worker. He is in a failing marriage and is in turmoil weather to choose his work or his personal life.
6. Sheila, is a middle aged white American Female who is slightly overweight and has the same upbeat but still slightly retarded personality of Norman.
NON-Traditional Casting:
In terms of non-traditional casting this play is pretty open. the only character that is specific is that of Lucien. He has to be played by a black man because of references made in the script by himself and others. I would say that it is safe to say that all the other men in the play could be played by any man of any race. the idea of having an all black cast is something that could be explored. In terms of casting women in the roles of the four main men, I would say that it could be done but all would have to be women. I feel as though Sheila could be played by a women of any color but most be a little overweight due to references made in the script. Norman also falls under the same category and a lot of his jokes stem from the fact the he is overweight. casting a skinny actor in this role would not help out the production.
The Facts: Exegesis (5%)Identify and define 20 total “unknowns” in your script including at least one item from each of the following categories:
-- geographic settings, locations, buildings, streets
--cultural references: furniture, clothing, styles of architecture and music
--real people, names, and pronunciation
--archaic or foreign words and phrases
--idiomatic language (slang)\
1. Social security Administration: A division of the Department of Health and Human Services, created in 1946, that administers federal Social Security programs. Abbreviation: SSA
2. State Sneck: what Lucien refers to as the State Senate.
3.Xavier Cugart: Remembered for his highly commercial approach to pop music, Xavier Cugat (born Francisco de Asis Javier Cugat Mingall de Cru y Deulofeo) made an even greater mark as one of the pioneers of Latin American dance music.
4.Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes
5.African Violet: Any of various East African herbs of the genus Saint paulia, having a basal leaf rosette and a showy cluster of violet or sometimes pink or white flowers. African violets are grown as indoor ornamentals.
6.Geranium: any of numerous plants of the genus Geranium, which comprises the crane's-bills.
7.Ginger Rogers: 1911–1995, U.S. actress and dancer: longtime partner of Fred Astaire.
8. Fred Astaire: Born Fredrick Austerlitz: May 10th 1899. he was an american academy award winning film and broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor.
9.Tourniquet: is a constricting or compressing device to control Venous and arterial circulation to an extremity for a period of time.
10.Nyet: is a Russian word that arnold usues in the play to me "oh boy."
11.Getty Gas Station: is a seller of Getty Oil Products and was founded by J. Paul Getty. it was in its heights during the 1960's.
12.Vladivostok: is Russias largest city on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai.
13.Irkutsk: is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast.
14.Van Gogh: born Vincent Willem Van Gogh March 30th 1853, died july 29 1890. He was a dutch impressionist artist.
15.New England City: Town area or NECTA is a geographic and statistical entity defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
