Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: "Dearly Departed" miscarriage question....

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jayzehr
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Topic: "Dearly Departed" miscarriage question....
Posted: 5/14/08 at 12:56pm

I know a lot of people on here have done this show. We want something that has some good female roles and want it to be a relatively non-controversial comedy for this slot. (Like Odd Couple, Arsenic, You Can't Take it With You, etc.) I got the script and it seems to fit the bill. However, I have a major question about the apparent reference to a miscarried fetus in a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. I'm also getting feedback from other members that this is a no-go. Is this something that actually works onstage differently than on the page? Is it a dramatic and painfully touching moment, for example, rather than a something people laugh at? Has anyone had negative feedback about this bit?

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spikesgirl
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Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:10pm

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. We are doing this show next yeare (I'm SMing) and I was on the committee that voted the show in, but I don't even remember the KFC miscarriage. Hmm, I'm guessing that much of its acceptance (either as a tragic moment or a joke) will depend upon how the director wants to play it. i woud have a chat with him or her about your concerns. Because it is a dark comedy, it could go either way.

I can't wait to see what folks here have to say...

Charlie

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jayzehr
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Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:58pm

I don't think I'm reading it wrong, but I could be. It's Act I, scene 8 when Ray-Bud is telling Junior about the last miscarriage. Then at the end of scene 6 in Act II Lucille sees a bucket of KFC at the meal and runs from the room crying.

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Chris Polo
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Posted: 5/15/08 at 12:24am

I played Lucille in this show -- she's the one who runs off at the sight of the KFC bucket because of her previous miscarriage. It's actually a two-part bit -- her husband Ray-Bud has the set-up, when he explains how it happened, then Lucille has the punch line when the KFC bucket appears on the buffet table at the wake. We got laughs on Ray-Bud's story, especially when he mentions "that damned chicken bucket," then got a huge laugh on Lucille's reaction when she pulls the bucket out of a paper bag (one of my fellow cast members still says "WHO BROUGHT THIS?!?" is one of his all-time favorite lines).

We're in a small town, with fairly conservative older audiences, and we didn't hear any objections at all, just a lot of laughs.

All comedy is born of tragedy, which makes the whole question of whether it's a dramatic moment or "something people laugh at" difficult to answer, especially with a dark comedy like Dearly Departed. The characters always have to be sincere in their feelings and true to themselves, whether it's a comedy or a drama. So Ray-Bud really does feel bad about what happened, and Lucille really does go off the deep end at seeing the KFC bucket -- BUT, prior to those moments, the actors have made their characters just off-kilter enough that the audience finds them funny rather than tragic. It's a fine line, as always, and one of the reasons, IMHO, that it's harder to do comedy than drama.

Chris Polo
Visit Community Theater Green Room Originals at www.cafepress.com/ctgr
"The scenery in the play was beautiful, but the actors got in front of it." -- Alexander Woolcott

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MartyW
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Posted: 5/15/08 at 8:41am

We have done it in two different theaters and I have to agree with chris... It works... If it were done straight and with a LOT of drama, it might crash.. but as written, it works...

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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B-M-D
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Posted: 5/15/08 at 12:27pm

I've been in this show as well and I have to agree with Chris and Marty. Believe me it works and is not offensive. I had the pleasure of meeting Jessie Jones when we did one of her other plays, Dearly Beloved. All three playwrites of that piece were very approachable and personable. You might even want to write to Jessie and ask her specifically about the scene at playwrights@joneshopewooten.com.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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jayzehr
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Posted: 5/16/08 at 11:46am

Well, we've decided to go for it and apply for the rights to do the show.

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pdavis69
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Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:32pm

Although the movie isn't great, you can get a good idea of the show in the movie Kingdom Come. Whoopie Goldberg got an all star cast for the show. The play is better but the movie gives you a basic look.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

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Cavalier40
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Posted: 5/17/08 at 2:19pm

I was part of a production in which the bucket got one of the biggest laughs. We had a person in the cast however that did not like Junior pulling out his gun.

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jbenh
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Posted: 5/19/08 at 8:41pm

At the moment, we're finishing up our run of Dearly Departed (I'm the director).

http://users.techline.com/driftwood/current_play.htm

I would say that as long as both actors, Ray-Bud and Lucille, play it straight, it's painfully funny moment. If Ray-Bud gets emotional over it in the first scene, when Lucille opens the bag the audience reacts with dread. The actor we have playing Lucille plays it with a sweet nature, that you can't help feeling sorry for her when she pulls out the KFC bucket.

Ben Hohman

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Topic: "Dearly Departed" miscarriage question....( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Topic: "Dearly Departed" miscarriage question.... Posted: 5/14/08 at 12:56pm
	I know a lot of people on here have done this show. We want something that has some good female roles and want it to be a relatively non-controversial comedy for this slot. (Like Odd Couple, Arsenic, You Can't Take it With You, etc.) I got the script and it seems to fit the bill. However, I have a major question about the apparent reference to a miscarried fetus in a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. I'm also getting feedback from other members that this is a no-go. Is this something that actually works onstage differently than on the page? Is it a dramatic and painfully touching moment, for example, rather than a something people laugh at? Has anyone had negative feedback about this bit?

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spikesgirl Celebrity Joined: 3/30/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 129	Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:10pm
	I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. We are doing this show next yeare (I'm SMing) and I was on the committee that voted the show in, but I don't even remember the KFC miscarriage. Hmm, I'm guessing that much of its acceptance (either as a tragic moment or a joke) will depend upon how the director wants to play it. i woud have a chat with him or her about your concerns. Because it is a dark comedy, it could go either way. I can't wait to see what folks here have to say... Charlie
	IP Logged

jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:58pm
	I don't think I'm reading it wrong, but I could be. It's Act I, scene 8 when Ray-Bud is telling Junior about the last miscarriage. Then at the end of scene 6 in Act II Lucille sees a bucket of KFC at the meal and runs from the room crying.
	IP Logged

Chris Polo Admin Group Community Theater Green Room Joined: 10/01/03 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 166	Posted: 5/15/08 at 12:24am
	I played Lucille in this show -- she's the one who runs off at the sight of the KFC bucket because of her previous miscarriage. It's actually a two-part bit -- her husband Ray-Bud has the set-up, when he explains how it happened, then Lucille has the punch line when the KFC bucket appears on the buffet table at the wake. We got laughs on Ray-Bud's story, especially when he mentions "that damned chicken bucket," then got a huge laugh on Lucille's reaction when she pulls the bucket out of a paper bag (one of my fellow cast members still says "WHO BROUGHT THIS?!?" is one of his all-time favorite lines). We're in a small town, with fairly conservative older audiences, and we didn't hear any objections at all, just a lot of laughs. All comedy is born of tragedy, which makes the whole question of whether it's a dramatic moment or "something people laugh at" difficult to answer, especially with a dark comedy like Dearly Departed. The characters always have to be sincere in their feelings and true to themselves, whether it's a comedy or a drama. So Ray-Bud really does feel bad about what happened, and Lucille really does go off the deep end at seeing the KFC bucket -- BUT, prior to those moments, the actors have made their characters just off-kilter enough that the audience finds them funny rather than tragic. It's a fine line, as always, and one of the reasons, IMHO, that it's harder to do comedy than drama.
	Chris Polo Visit Community Theater Green Room Originals at www.cafepress.com/ctgr "The scenery in the play was beautiful, but the actors got in front of it." -- Alexander Woolcott
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MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 5/15/08 at 8:41am
	We have done it in two different theaters and I have to agree with chris... It works... If it were done straight and with a LOT of drama, it might crash.. but as written, it works...
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
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B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 5/15/08 at 12:27pm
	I've been in this show as well and I have to agree with Chris and Marty. Believe me it works and is not offensive. I had the pleasure of meeting Jessie Jones when we did one of her other plays, Dearly Beloved. All three playwrites of that piece were very approachable and personable. You might even want to write to Jessie and ask her specifically about the scene at playwrights@joneshopewooten.com.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
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jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 5/16/08 at 11:46am
	Well, we've decided to go for it and apply for the rights to do the show.
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pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:32pm
	Although the movie isn't great, you can get a good idea of the show in the movie Kingdom Come. Whoopie Goldberg got an all star cast for the show. The play is better but the movie gives you a basic look.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
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Cavalier40 Walk-On Joined: 8/27/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 5/17/08 at 2:19pm
	I was part of a production in which the bucket got one of the biggest laughs. We had a person in the cast however that did not like Junior pulling out his gun.
	IP Logged

jbenh Walk-On Joined: 5/19/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 5/19/08 at 8:41pm
	At the moment, we're finishing up our run of Dearly Departed (I'm the director). http://users.techline.com/driftwood/current_play.htm I would say that as long as both actors, Ray-Bud and Lucille, play it straight, it's painfully funny moment. If Ray-Bud gets emotional over it in the first scene, when Lucille opens the bag the audience reacts with dread. The actor we have playing Lucille plays it with a sweet nature, that you can't help feeling sorry for her when she pulls out the KFC bucket.
	Ben Hohman
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