Hope and Gravity
by Michael Hollinger

Name: Hope and Gravity
Brand: Michael Hollinger
SKU: 9780822237280
Rating: 3.38 (8 reviews)

Hope and Gravity Book Cover — Hope and Gravity Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

105 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Expandable Casting Flexible Cast Size Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

When an elevator falls in a major city, nine lives intersect in surprising ways, both comic and tragic – through love and sex, poetry and dentistry; in offices, homes, and hotel rooms.

Jill longs for Steve, who’s engaged to Barb, who hooks up with Peter, who’s already having an affair with Nan, who’s married to Marty, who subscribes to Elevator World .

Meanwhile, nine stories off the ground, Douglas meets Tanya – who’s hoping to get pregnant with Hal – and a little miracle changes hands.

By turns hilarious and profound, Hope and Gravity traces the barely perceivable threads that connect us all.

Press Reviews

"A satisfying, crowd-pleasing puzzle play, with nine scenes in two acts, but not in chronological order.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny; others are tenderly poignant.” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review “There’s a thrill in chasing this plot – it’s always tantalizingly ahead of you – and finally nailing it. The thrill extends to witnessing five actors, some in dual roles, as they lay out this story that happens in the past, or sometimes in the future, yet also in the present.” – WHYY Philadelphia “Michael Hollinger at his best: witty banter, well-turned phrases, and genuine characters make us laugh; then something unexpectedly wonderful and mysterious lifts us to a new level. Gravity tugs us downward but hope allows us to soar, as Hope and Gravity shows."
— Broad Street Review

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Actor 2 Man, late 30s–early 40s, PETER, HAL	—	30s	Man, late 30s–early 40s, PETER, HAL
Actor 3 Woman, 40s, TANYA, NAN	female	40s	Woman, 40s, TANYA, NAN
Actor 4 Man, 20s, STEVE	—	20s	Man, 20s, STEVE
Actor 5 Woman, 20s, JILL, BARB The play’s nine roles may be performed either by nine actors or by five, with the doubling suggested. Please consider all racial/ethnic combinations in casting.	female	20s	Woman, 20s, JILL, BARB The play’s nine roles may be performed either by nine actors or by five, with the doubling suggested. Please consider all racial/ethnic combinations in casting.
Actor 1 Man, 40s–50s, MARTY, DOUGLAS	—	40s	Man, 40s–50s, MARTY, DOUGLAS