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Play Yourself by Harry Kondoleon — book cover
Arts & Entertainment - Drama, Family/Domestic Drama

Play Yourself

by Harry Kondoleon
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Overview

Jean, an ex-movie star who left Hollywood some time ago, lives with Yvonne, her daughter. Their main activities together involve reenacting moments from Jean's old movies, in which she always seemed to play the "other woman." After placing an ad seeking more information about Jean, Selma is invited into their lives. Selma is obsessed with Jean—not with the real one, but with the one on screen—to the point that she hopes to learn how to become Jean. When not submerged in Jean's past, Selma works with Brother Harmon, also a fan of Jean, running a shelter for "the hopeless." While Jean seeks hope and faith, and Selma seeks Jean, and Harmon seeks love, Yvonne simply wants to be left alone. By the end of the play, Selma takes over Yvonne's responsibilities as caregiver for Jean; and Harmon, with his sincerity, sweeps Yvonne off her feet.

Synopsis

Jean, an ex-movie star who left Hollywood some time ago, lives with Yvonne, her daughter. Their main activities together involve reenacting moments from Jean's old movies, in which she always seemed to play the "other woman." After placing an ad seeking more information about Jean, Selma is invited into their lives. Selma is obsessed with Jean-not with the real one, but with the one on screen-to the point that she hopes to learn how to become Jean. When not submerged in Jean's past, Selma works with Brother Harmon, also a fan of Jean, running a shelter for "the hopeless." While Jean seeks hope and faith, and Selma seeks Jean, and Harmon seeks love, Yvonne simply wants to be left alone. By the end of the play, Selma takes over Yvonne's responsibilities as caregiver for Jean; and Harmon, with his sincerity, sweeps Yvonne off her feet.

NY Post

...funny, wise and wry...

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Editorials

NY Newsday

What matters—a lot—is the inexplicable believability of the offbeat characters and the caustic dialogue, the cool breeziness that covers, though never obscures, the author's clear-eyed, generous sensibilities.

NY Post

...funny, wise and wry...

Variety

...piquant and elegantly phrased stretches of dialogue, and plenty of explosive laughs...[a] mixture of madcap comedy and stylized musings on faith and love and hope.

Book Details

Published
January 1, 2003
Publisher
Dramatists Play Service, Incorporated
Pages
40
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780822219330

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