

Uncle Bob
Austin Pendleton
BOB chronicles the highly unusual life of Bob and his lifelong quest to become a "Great Man."
Born and abandoned in the bathroom of a fast food restaurant, Bob energetically embarks on an epic journey across America and encounters inspiring generosity, crushing hardships, blissful happiness, stunning coincidences, wrong turns, lucky breaks, true love and heartbreaking loss.
Along the way, Bob meets a myriad of fellow countrymen all struggling to find their own place in the hullaballoo of it all.
Will Bob's real life ever be able to live up to his dream?
BOB is a comedic exploration of American mythology and values, the treacherous pursuit of happiness, and discovering what it means to be truly "great."
"The play's shockingly optimistic tone is downright subversive when you consider its subject: what it means to be a success in America. How are the new legends made?"
— Louisville Courier-Journal
"There's exuberance and bounce in Nachtrieb's voice, and Bob evinces a loving, Ira Glass-y eye for off-kilter Americana."
— American Theatre Magazine
"An epic journey of self-invention, a picaresque comedy that sprawls across the American cultural and geographical landscape, taking in rest stops and mansions along the way."
— Louisville Eccentric Observer
| Character |
|---|
| Chorus Two women (Chorus One and Chorus Three) and two men (Chorus Two and Chorus Four). The chorus is, ideally, of unspecified but diverse cultural backgrounds. American. The Chorus will play themselves as well as every character in the play, aside from Bob. (See end of play for a possible breakdown of roles for each chorus member.) The Chorus is dispassionate but eloquent. The characters they assume are vivid, bright, sharp and distinct. Even if they only have one line, there is pathos, history and pain.Note: This play includes underscoring. Maybe a live musician. Maybe the Chorus plays instruments. |
| Bob From infant to old man. If handsome, unconventionally so. If not handsome, his personality adds something charismatic. Energy, optimism, open, active. American, of any or many cultural backgrounds. |
Bob is a American comedy play written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and published by Dramatists Play Service in New York, NY (2013).
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