
THE GOODCHEER HOME FOR BROKEN HEARTS
CHARACTERS
7 female, 4 male, 3 either
RUNNING TIME: 90-100 minutes
TIME AND PLACE
The village of Wetwater, a town in the present but trapped in the past.
QUOTED
"Please, just call me Charity. It’s more than a name. For me, it’s a way of life."
-- CHARITY GOODCHEER
SYNOPSIS: The audience will be encouraged to participate with boos, hisses, cheers and sighs as the show spoofs the classic American melodramas popular in the 19th century. Set in the humble village of Wetwater, the play tells the story of attempts by the evil Sir Severus C. Snackwell to con the town’s fair citizens out of money and real estate for his own gain. Assisted by his “master of disguise” sidekick, Severus sets his sights on swindling the residents of The Goodcheer Home For Broken Hearts, run by the sweet and matronly Charity Goodcheer, who happily tends to the needs of poor broken-hearted widows and orphans who have no where else to turn. Snackwell also has unkind intentions toward the play’s heroine, Shasta Bellflower, the smartest, most beautiful and best-smelling person in all of Wetwater.
The hero, the strong and ever-sincere Steele Manly, also intends to win the heart of Shasta as he fights to help Charity keep her home. The action heats up with battles of wits, swords, guns and boxing gloves throughout the play. The good town doctor -- Melody Harmony – and the village’s crazy, trigger-happy sheriff – Insanity Jane – both do what they can to give the handsome but soft-witted Steele the help he needs. Can Steele save Shasta and The Goodcheer Home from the clutches of Severus? The play keeps you guessing until the very end – and you better watch and listen closely along the way, because the play never passes on the opportunity for a silly joke or wild plot twist.
PRODUCTIONS
Davis County Children's Theatre, Bloomfield, Iowa, June 2012
Contact James Grob for production rights for THE GOODCHEER HOME FOR BROKEN HEARTS.