TURKEY DAY by E.K. Deutsch
An Arkansas farm family experiences revelation and tragedy on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving preparations at Gram Schumer's house in rural Arkansas are always a major undertaking, since this peppery Matriarch loves her "Hallmark moments", regardless of the fact that her grandson Junior likes to shoot skeet with her fine china and is barely controllable on his meds, her granddaughter Poo has broken the safety glass in the family Chevy during her many panic attacks, and her son Marcus married a fool. Granddaughter Greta arrives home from college for the holidays packing her usual smart mouth and intolerance for political correctness, and oldest granddaughter Lila hurries about like a worried mother hen hoping to keep the combat to minor skirmish level. Hovering over the action is the spectre of recently deceased Grandpa Henry, and a deep secret that is clamoring to be told now that he's passed on. It's troubled Poo who brings this murky, shattering secret to light in the wee hours after the china has been put back in the hutch, and the Dining Room is transformed to a killing floor.
Turkey Day has been developed at The Playwrights Platform at Times Square Arts Center, and has been likened by audience members to August Osage County. It is alternately funny, troubling, devastating and ultimately transformative.
A N E W P L A Y B Y E . K . D E U T S C H
A F I N A L I S T A T
T H E S T R A W B E R R Y
O N E - A C T F E S T I V A L
A N D W I N N E R F O R B E S T A C T R E S S
T A M A R P E L Z I G
