01. Our Lady of 121st Street_Info

Title

Playwright

Category

Mainstage, E.C. Mabie

1st Rehearsal

Aug. 30

Tech/Dress

Oct. 1-7

Performance Dates

Oct. 8-10 & Oct. 13-16

Roles to be Cast* 

VICTOR: White male, early 50s, Italian-American. Distraught at the passing of Sister Rose, outraged at the state of the world, wearing no pants.

BALTHAZAR:  Latino male, mid 30s. Former student of Sister Rose. Police detective whose young son was murdered. Carries a weight and weariness about him, takes nips from a half-pint bottle regularly.

ROOFTOP: African-American male, mid 40s. Former student of Sister Rose, now a successful morning radio DJ in LA. Inez’s ex-husband, cheated on her with Norca and many others. Hugely charismatic, restless, generally follows his appetites with abandon. Terrified to see Inez and face his demons.

FATHER LUX: White male, mid 70s. Priest at the church. Uses a wheelchair, lost his legs in the Korean War. Weary, but tough, with little patience for Rooftop’s antics.

FLIP: African-American male, 37. Former student of Sister Rose, who has moved to Wisconsin, become a lawyer and come out as gay—but the people he grew up with don’t know it, and he’s desperate to keep it that way. Is infuriated by Gail and adores him.

GAIL: White male, 37. Flip’s partner, has accompanied him from Wisconsin, where he is an amateur actor. A total queen who finds Flip’s return to his hetero high school persona horrifying.

INEZ: African-American female, late 30s. Former student of Sister Rose. Rooftop’s ex-wife of 15 years, harbors massive spite for him and Norca. Has since remarried and grown up, but still has the sass and bite of the neighborhood in her.

NORCA: Latina female, late 30s. Former student of Sister Rose. “Nasty Norca.” Fiery, foul-mouthed and volatile, with a wicked wit.

EDWIN: Latino male, late 30s. Former student of Sister Rose. Pinky’s brother and caretaker, bears an enormous sense of responsibility for him. Loves his brother dearly, but feels trapped and exasperated by this life.

PINKY: Latino male, late 30s. Edwin’s brother. Suffered a head injury as a kid and was left somewhat simple. Like a grown child, an innocent. Needs regular hugs.

MARCIA: White female, mid 30s. Sister Rose’s niece. High-strung, and a bit unhinged, swinging wildly from kindness to ranting indignation.

SONIA: White female, early 30s. Marcia’s friend, has accompanied her here from Connecticut. A bit odd and not from this world. A fish out of water.

*Character Breakdown from Signature Theatre. 

Synopsis*

After the death of the beloved Sister Rose, a group of her former students return to their Harlem neighborhood to pay respects. But at the Funeral Home, there's a problem—her dead body has been stolen. An irreverently brash and insightful dark comedy, Our Lady of 121st Street paints a vivid comic portrait of what happens when old friends meet old wounds and how old habits die hard.

*Synopsis from Signature Theatre. 

Notices

* Holidays marked with an asterisk (*) begin at sundown on the previous day.