Other People's Money

Winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off Broadway Play

"something that's still upbeat or at least hopeful at the end"

There's a list of 23 possible shows here.
A few of those are on the light side (probably Richard Coleman's shows should be classed as comedies), others may be gloomy - it depends what you find uplifting! - but in particular I would look at:-
- For the Good of the Family by George Douglas Lee
- The Loft by James Brosnahan
- Looking Back by David Wheatley

All the scripts can be read in full on-line.

Radium Girls looks great.  I'm definitely putting that on the list to read.  Thanks so much!

I go for the gentle comedy with dramatic moments and overall "feel good" ending.  Three of my favorites are:

Enchanted April - (cast of 8) England in the 1920's.  Two ladies fleeing from unhappy marriages rent a villa in Italy for the month of April.  Two other ladies come along to help share expenses.  All have their own problems.  When the two husbands and the handsome owner of the villa arrive out of the blue (due to plot complications), you know that the happy ending is not for behind.  Excellent show.  We sold out 12 of the 14 performances we gave (120 capacity auditorium).

Visiting Mr. Green - (cast of 2) Modern day.  A young man is assigned community service and compelled to visit an aging widower.  What starts as a fractious relationship (the old man doesn't want visitors, and the young man doesn't want to be there) turns into a caring relationship.  Good comic moments interspersed with moving dramatic ones.   Each man has his own secret unhappiness.  (The young man is gay and unaccepted by his family, the old man has been estranged from his only child for decades.)  They ultimately help each other to a "tear in your eye and smile on your face" happy hopeful ending.

A Majority of One - (12 or so, some doubling)  Late 1950's.  Middle aged Jewish widow who lost a son in World War II goes to Japan with her daughter and State Department son-in-law.  She meets and comes to know, respect, and love a widowed Japanese business man who lost a daughter at Hiroshima.  A gently comic, non-preachy, mature inter-cultural love story that has a few things to say about discrimination and understanding.  Superb teary-eyed smiling ending here too.  Was made into a movie in the early sixties with Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness.

I've directed Enchanted April twice, and Mr. Green once.  I'd do them both again if I could.  And I'm still looking for a group who will take a chance on A Majority of One.