GROUNDED FOR LIFE
Music by Lawrence Goldberg
Lyrics by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell
Book by Pat Hazell & Bill Habeeb
Comedian Pat Hazell, an old friend of my wife's, decided he wanted to musicalize one of his plays (with some cajoling from me). The theme of this theatrical farce asks, “What would happen if someone was actually grounded for life?”
When twelve-year old Mitchell Mulligan threw a snowball at a school bus, he didn’t expect to be grounded “for life.” Twenty years later he remains confined to his bedroom in a literal case of arrested development. His childhood sweetheart Tina and his best friend Ernie support and enable him by making frequent visits through a toy chest tunnel that connects his room to the outside world. When the warden, his doting mother, decides to go away for the weekend, Mitch still resists leaving his room. It is then that the realization sinks in for Tina (and the audience) that there's something more serious going on with Mitch and his situation.
Grounded For Life explores the ways people hold themselves back and how far they'll go to delude themselves and those around them. It is an absurd but relatable metaphor for being held captive by your own fears and excuses.
Grounded For Life will have its first public staged reading in late-June, 2015, at the York Theatre Company in New York. Here are a few selections to pique your interest as we move the show to the next stage of development. Welcome to our big family dysfunction!
(All material © 2008-2014 by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell)
Music by Lawrence Goldberg
Lyrics by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell
Book by Pat Hazell & Bill Habeeb
Comedian Pat Hazell, an old friend of my wife's, decided he wanted to musicalize one of his plays (with some cajoling from me). The theme of this theatrical farce asks, “What would happen if someone was actually grounded for life?”
When twelve-year old Mitchell Mulligan threw a snowball at a school bus, he didn’t expect to be grounded “for life.” Twenty years later he remains confined to his bedroom in a literal case of arrested development. His childhood sweetheart Tina and his best friend Ernie support and enable him by making frequent visits through a toy chest tunnel that connects his room to the outside world. When the warden, his doting mother, decides to go away for the weekend, Mitch still resists leaving his room. It is then that the realization sinks in for Tina (and the audience) that there's something more serious going on with Mitch and his situation.
Grounded For Life explores the ways people hold themselves back and how far they'll go to delude themselves and those around them. It is an absurd but relatable metaphor for being held captive by your own fears and excuses.
Grounded For Life will have its first public staged reading in late-June, 2015, at the York Theatre Company in New York. Here are a few selections to pique your interest as we move the show to the next stage of development. Welcome to our big family dysfunction!
(All material © 2008-2014 by Lawrence Goldberg & Pat Hazell)
Grounded For Life Garth Kravits + company
The opening number recounts how Mitch got grounded, and we meet his mom (Heather Jane Rolff), his friend Ernie (Michael Keyloun), and his girlfriend Tina (Maxine Linehan). Aaron Ramey and Jennifer Bowles complete the ensemble cast. |
Going Places Garth Kravits
Mitch spouts his usual line to Tina, about how he has plans to escape and when he does, he's going to see the world and take her with him. |
Out the Door Maxine Linehan
The true nature of Mitch's situation has become clear to Tina, and she feels sorely betrayed. She's patiently waited all these years for him, but no more-- she rips into him and storms out. |