GROUNDED FOR LIFE
Music by Lawrence Goldberg
Lyrics by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell
Book by Pat Hazell & Bill Habeeb
For all inquiries, please contact Sweetwood Productions, (512) 383-9498
All content ©2008-2014 by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell
Music by Lawrence Goldberg
Lyrics by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell
Book by Pat Hazell & Bill Habeeb
For all inquiries, please contact Sweetwood Productions, (512) 383-9498
All content ©2008-2014 by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell
List of characters (Singer on demo)
MITCH MULLIGAN: Early 30s. A young man with Tom Sawyer tendencies that are in constant conflict with a deep-rooted Peter Pan complex. He is serving a life sentence under house arrest for a juvenile infraction that caused a school bus to roll into a ditch. He appears to have grand aspirations that are at odds with his current lifestyle, and he's tricked out his room with hidden conveniences that allow him to smuggle friends into his room through a toy chest tunnel. (Garth Kravits)
MOM: Mid-50s. A widowed mother-hen who dotes over her only son Mitch while serving as the warden that keeps him captive. They exist in a stagnant codependent relationship that is headed dangerously down the path towards Grey Gardens. (Heather Jane Rolff)
ERNIE McKEEVER: Early 30s. Mitch's best friend since grade school, a career paperboy who has delivered St. Joseph daily newspaper on his bicycle for over twenty years. He wears an eye-patch due to a childhood injury from a spit-wad dart. He's quirky, gullible, earnest, and an easy target for Mitch's advice and sarcasm. He’s not only Mitch’s loyal Man Friday but also his Man Saturday through Thursday. (Michael Keyloun)
TINA TRUESDALE: Early 30s. Mitch's childhood sweetheart and the current librarian of the grade school that they once attended. She has a silver-capped front tooth as a result of a childhood drinking fountain accident. Tina keeps the dream of a long-term relationship with Mitch alive through blind optimism, choosing to ignore reality and buy into Mitch's pipe dreams. She stands by her manchild but the limits of her patience are being put to the test. (Maxine Linehan)
WENDY WHEELER: Early 30s. Mitch’s new neighbor who is discovered to be a former classmate to Mitch, Ernie and Tina. She was an extreme introvert when she was younger and to overcome her shyness served as the school mascot, Cheeky the Chipmunk. Her earnest and quirky qualities are a good match for Ernie. She is inexplicably eight months pregnant when she moves into the house across the street from the Mulligans, where she now lives on her own. (Jennifer Bowles / Kaitlyn Davidson)
MIKE HARDY: Early 30s. The slick-talking son of the richest man in town and former class bully who now owns St. Joe’s Daily Gazette. Hardy is accustomed to getting everything he wants. He has bought his way to the top of St. Joe’s society. Hardy is now running aggressively for mayor and slyly from his past. (Aaron Ramey)
DEATH: (Double-cast with Hardy) Ageless. Ironically, he saves Mitch’s life by administering the Heimlich Maneuver when Mitch is choking on a stringy piece of fatty bacon. The Specter appears in a hooded robe with a scythe, to take him on his first and final trip out of his room. Despite his daunting appearance he uses the guise of a has-been, Borscht-belt vaudevillian to appeal to Mitch in a whimsical way. (Aaron Ramey)
MITCH MULLIGAN: Early 30s. A young man with Tom Sawyer tendencies that are in constant conflict with a deep-rooted Peter Pan complex. He is serving a life sentence under house arrest for a juvenile infraction that caused a school bus to roll into a ditch. He appears to have grand aspirations that are at odds with his current lifestyle, and he's tricked out his room with hidden conveniences that allow him to smuggle friends into his room through a toy chest tunnel. (Garth Kravits)
MOM: Mid-50s. A widowed mother-hen who dotes over her only son Mitch while serving as the warden that keeps him captive. They exist in a stagnant codependent relationship that is headed dangerously down the path towards Grey Gardens. (Heather Jane Rolff)
ERNIE McKEEVER: Early 30s. Mitch's best friend since grade school, a career paperboy who has delivered St. Joseph daily newspaper on his bicycle for over twenty years. He wears an eye-patch due to a childhood injury from a spit-wad dart. He's quirky, gullible, earnest, and an easy target for Mitch's advice and sarcasm. He’s not only Mitch’s loyal Man Friday but also his Man Saturday through Thursday. (Michael Keyloun)
TINA TRUESDALE: Early 30s. Mitch's childhood sweetheart and the current librarian of the grade school that they once attended. She has a silver-capped front tooth as a result of a childhood drinking fountain accident. Tina keeps the dream of a long-term relationship with Mitch alive through blind optimism, choosing to ignore reality and buy into Mitch's pipe dreams. She stands by her manchild but the limits of her patience are being put to the test. (Maxine Linehan)
WENDY WHEELER: Early 30s. Mitch’s new neighbor who is discovered to be a former classmate to Mitch, Ernie and Tina. She was an extreme introvert when she was younger and to overcome her shyness served as the school mascot, Cheeky the Chipmunk. Her earnest and quirky qualities are a good match for Ernie. She is inexplicably eight months pregnant when she moves into the house across the street from the Mulligans, where she now lives on her own. (Jennifer Bowles / Kaitlyn Davidson)
MIKE HARDY: Early 30s. The slick-talking son of the richest man in town and former class bully who now owns St. Joe’s Daily Gazette. Hardy is accustomed to getting everything he wants. He has bought his way to the top of St. Joe’s society. Hardy is now running aggressively for mayor and slyly from his past. (Aaron Ramey)
DEATH: (Double-cast with Hardy) Ageless. Ironically, he saves Mitch’s life by administering the Heimlich Maneuver when Mitch is choking on a stringy piece of fatty bacon. The Specter appears in a hooded robe with a scythe, to take him on his first and final trip out of his room. Despite his daunting appearance he uses the guise of a has-been, Borscht-belt vaudevillian to appeal to Mitch in a whimsical way. (Aaron Ramey)
Songs and synopsis
GROUNDED FOR LIFE (Full company)
In our prologue we meet Mitch as he explains the circumstances that led to him being grounded "for life." We are introduced to Mom, Ernie, and Tina as well as hearing an eye-witness account of the snowball incident from an unidentified Mike Hardy. |
MITCH AND MOM (Mitch, Mom)
A typical codependence day in the Mulligan house as Mom delivers Mitch’s breakfast and proceeds to pick up after him. The music establishes "Mom's theme", which recurs throughout the show, conveniently serving as Mitch's early-warning system whenever Mom approaches. |
PIONEER DAYS (Ernie, Mitch)
Ernie drops by via the toy chest tunnel to inform Mitch that the annual Pioneer Days festival is setting up at the fairgrounds. He thinks it is the perfect opportunity to test the escape plan so that they can attend opening night. Mitch claims the plan is not ready and he is frustrated that Ernie is not more sensitive to the fact that he can't leave his room. |
HARDY'S FAULT (Mitch, Ernie, Tina)
Tina joins Mitch and Ernie in a discussion about Hardy’s run for mayor. Mitch does not trust Hardy, and reminds the others that Hardy was responsible for Ernie's eye injury, the loss of Tina's front tooth, and a litany of other despicable acts throughout the years. He is a corrupt, two-faced bully who must be stopped. |
GOING PLACES (Mitch)
When Mitch informs Ernie that a new neighbor has just moved in, Ernie dashes out to sign them up for a subscription to the newspaper. Meanwhile, Tina expresses frustration to Mitch that they can never go anywhere or do anything. Mitch tries to alleviate her fears by promising that one day they will have it all and be able to travel the world. To win her over, Mitch presents Tina with a makeshift promise ring. |
SO BEAUTIFUL (Ernie, Mitch, Tina)
Ernie returns to tell Mitch and Tina that the new neighbor, Wendy Wheeler, is an old classmate of theirs. It is obvious that he is smitten with her. Unable to remember her, Mitch and Tina search for a picture of Wendy in the school yearbook. Ernie reminds them that she served as the school mascot. |
SOMETHING CRAZY (Tina, Mitch)
With Mom approaching, Ernie exits on a mission to welcome Wendy to the neighborhood. Tina is forced to hide and overhears that his Mom is considering a weekend trip to Branson. Following Mom’s exit, Tina tries to convince Mitch that this is their chance to get out and have a real date. Mitch is reluctant and Tina becomes suspicious of his behavior. |
DON'TCHA DO TOO? (Ernie, Wendy)
When Ernie delivers Wendy’s first paper, we realize that she is in a late stage of pregnancy. They break the ice by discussing the quirky things they each enjoy and discover their offbeat compatibility. Ernie acknowledges her condition but asks no questions and shows no worry. Love is blind or in this case, at least in one eye. |
NAME YOUR PRICE (Hardy)
As a complete surprise Ernie brings Wendy up to Mitch's room, for an impromptu luau. Upon hearing Mom approach they scatter and hide. Mom ushers in Mike Hardy, who's campaigning for votes. Thinking he’s been left alone with Mitch he launches into a frank discussion to strike up a deal over "the snowball incident." Hardy sings about the family philosophy of how to make problems go away, and in the process he uncovers and demeans all the hidden guests. Ernie and Wendy depart insulted. |
OUT THE DOOR (Tina, Mitch)
Hardy leaves Mitch to consider his offer. A puzzled Tina asks Mitch why Hardy would need to pay him off. Mitch reluctantly confesses that it was in fact Hardy, not he, who threw the fated snowball at the school bus. Completely shocked, Tina realizes that Mitch has lied to her all this time and his grounding has been an elaborate charade. Feeling deceived and betrayed she breaks off the relationship and storms out the door. |
A BETTER OPTION (Death, ensemble)
Mitch is shaken by his break up with Tina and falls into a funk. Mom delivers his lunch and invites him to visit his father’s grave on the anniversary of his death. He declines and following Mom’s exit he angrily pounds down his food and ends up choking on a piece of bacon. Luckily, the specter of Death arrives to save Mitch by performing the Heimlich maneuver. After a “heart-to-no-heart” talk, Death tries to sell Mitch on the idea that rather than an empty meaningless life, he’s better off dead. The other actors appear as a cloaked chorus to heighten this musical sales pitch. |
NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK (Ernie, Wendy)
Ernie escorts Wendy to Pioneer Days. With some difficulty she reveals to him that Hardy is the father of her baby. She explains that Hardy seduced her at a recent class reunion while dressed in her chipmunk costume and she isn’t sure he even saw her face. Ernie reaffirms his devotion to Wendy in spite of the news, and serenades her on the ukulele and extends a proposal. |
STILL MY LITTLE BOY (Mom, Tina)
In a solitary moment, Mom sings of her hopes and feelings as a mother. Meanwhile, after parting ways with Mitch, Tina goes to Hardy's office to explore a job opportunity but Mitch lingers on her mind. Hardy's offer turns out to be not quite what she bargained for. |
THIS PRISON (Mitch)
After his encounter with Death, Mitch reaches a lifetime low. He is depressed and confused. Ernie drops by to share the news of his engagement to Wendy, but Mitch’s self-loathing causes him to lash out. Ernie is hurt by Mitch’s lack of support, and finally has the courage to stand up to him and tell him what he thinks -- he doesn't need Mitch holding him back anymore. Having alienated Tina and Ernie, Mitch feels as though he's lost everything. He is forced to confront his inner demons. After wrestling with his emotions, he has a realization that gives him enough courage to step out of the room. |
NEW RELEASE ON LIFE (Mitch and company)
Finally out of his room for the first time in twenty years, Mitch apologizes to Ernie, confronts Hardy, and approaches Tina for forgiveness, but more importantly, he admits to himself and everyone that he has a problem and will need help. Everyone celebrates the fact that Mitch has a new "release" on life. |