Shopping
by Tina Howe

Highlights

Female

Male

10 minsPresent DayRole(s) for Asian Actor(s)Interior SetContemporary Costumes/Street ClothesComedy

Synopsis

At Ed Singh’s clothing stand on the Upper West Side in 2022 at the height of the COVID pandemic, seven women shop and fight over gloves, earmuffs and other winter wear.

Suddenly, a man crashes into the shop wearing a parachute, and everyone finds themselves in heaven.

Shopping is part of Tina Howe's trilogy Where Women Go , a series of three short one-acts for a diverse cast of women of various ages.

Howe's eccentric plays explore the humor and absurdity of women's daily lives as they visit the dermatologist, eat at Subway and go shopping.

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
To the Dermatologist (7f, 1m voice)	—	—	(7f, 1m voice)
YU YAN Receptionist (Chinese, 30s-40s)	—	30s	Receptionist (Chinese, 30s-40s)
HONEY GREEN Receptionist (Black, 30s-40s)	—	30s	Receptionist (Black, 30s-40s)
ACTING STUDENT Exiting patients: Mrs. Goodyear, Meredith and J.T. (Any age and race)	—	—	Exiting patients: Mrs. Goodyear, Meredith and J.T. (Any age and race)
ZILLA GOULD Patient with burning, spotted lower legs (White, 80s)	—	80s	Patient with burning, spotted lower legs (White, 80s)
MONIKA ISRAEL Nurse (Black, 30s)	—	30s	Nurse (Black, 30s)
DR. ANN PROCTER Dermatologist (Black, 20s)	male	20s	Dermatologist (Black, 20s)
MORRIS GOULD’S VOICE Zilla’s unseen husband (White, 80s)	male	80s	Zilla’s unseen husband (White, 80s)
To Subway	—	—	—
PUDDING Server (Latinx, 30’s)	—	30	Server (Latinx, 30’s)
SAL Server (African, 30’s)	—	30	Server (African, 30’s)
HANNAH Dedicated customer (American, 50s)	—	50s	Dedicated customer (American, 50s)
CLARA Her reluctant friend (American, 50s)	—	50s	Her reluctant friend (American, 50s)
ALIDA VALLI Actress from the movie The Third Man (Czech, 40s)	male	40s	Actress from the movie The Third Man (Czech, 40s)
Shopping	—	—	—
ED SINGH Owner of the stand (Egyptian, 50-60s)	—	50	Owner of the stand (Egyptian, 50-60s)
KITTY BUCKLE Playwright (White, 80s)	—	80s	Playwright (White, 80s)
SANDY WRENCH Cellist (American, 30s-40s)	—	30s	Cellist (American, 30s-40s)
BLOSSOM PICK Plays the recorder (American, 30s-40s)	—	30s	Plays the recorder (American, 30s-40s)
FREDDIE GONZALES Plays the guitar (South American woman, 30s-40s)	female	30s	Plays the guitar (South American woman, 30s-40s)
NAMELESS UNKEMPT MYSTERY WOMAN (Any age from anywhere)	—	—	(Any age from anywhere)
SOPRANO WOMAN WITH A BEAUTIFUL VOICE (Any age from anywhere)	—	—	(Any age from anywhere)
PENNY HO High school student (Teenager)	—	—	High school student (Teenager)
CALLIOPE SNOW High school student (American, Teenager)	—	—	High school student (American, Teenager)
SILENT MAN WEARING A PARACHUTE Keeps taking the cover-ups off their hangers, lowering his mask to smell them (Any age from anywhere)	male	—	Keeps taking the cover-ups off their hangers, lowering his mask to smell them (Any age from anywhere)