Shelter
by Gretchen Cryer, Nancy Ford

Broadway

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins1970sStrong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)Interior SetPeriod Costumes

Synopsis

Michael is a writer of TV commercials.

He lives in a studio designed for the filming of TV commercials with a computer named Arthur.

Arthur can sing, do party tricks and project images, allowing Michael to command his environment, from day to night, from country scene to moonlit stratosphere.

When Maud, a distressed commercial actress who just lost her husband, arrives seeking solace, Michael consoles her, and she stays the night.

But when morning comes, so does the beautiful young house cleaner, a flighty free spirit named Wednesday, who is madly in love with Michael.

Just as complications mount, a third woman enters Michael’s life: his wife, Gloria, the mother of his seven children.

Press Reviews

"Funny… ought to get a prize for predicting the near future."
— Anita Gates, The New York Times

"An electronic Fantasticks, intimate and spectacular."
— Village Voice

"Zany and disarming… there is a lot of sweet music in the kooky musical… very likable."
— Clive Barnes, The New York Times

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Maud 33, an actress who does housewife commercials. She is pretty and perky on the outside and passionate and vulnerable on the inside.	female	—	33, an actress who does housewife commercials. She is pretty and perky on the outside and passionate and vulnerable on the inside.
Wednesday November 22 or so. A beautiful, wide-eyed, whispery-voiced, naive child-woman. A free spirit.	female	—	22 or so. A beautiful, wide-eyed, whispery-voiced, naive child-woman. A free spirit.
Gloria 40, Michael’s wife. Attractive, efficient, commanding and desperate.	female	—	40, Michael’s wife. Attractive, efficient, commanding and desperate.
Arthur, The Computer Has the friendly, man-to-man sound of a commercial voice-over. His voice emanates from a speaker inside a box-like computer on stage connected to an offstage microphone. Some of his effects can be prerecorded. Arthur lights up when he speaks.	male	—	Has the friendly, man-to-man sound of a commercial voice-over. His voice emanates from a speaker inside a box-like computer on stage connected to an offstage microphone. Some of his effects can be prerecorded. Arthur lights up when he speaks.
Voice Of The Director From an offstage microphone.	—	—	From an offstage microphone.
Television Crew Two technicians	—	—	Two technicians
Michael 40, an advertising writer, a pipe-and-slippers family man (or so he thinks himself), a lover of martinis, good books, good music, good tobacco and soft leather.	male	—	40, an advertising writer, a pipe-and-slippers family man (or so he thinks himself), a lover of martinis, good books, good music, good tobacco and soft leather.