Finks
by Joe Gilford

Name: Finks
Brand: Joe Gilford
SKU: 9780822229728
Rating: 3.6 (5 reviews)

Off-Broadway

Highlights

Female

Male

90 mins 1950s Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes

Synopsis

THE STORY: On the verge of TV stardom, comic Mickey Dobbs meets actress and activist Natalie Meltzer, and their romance blossoms – as does the risk that they'll be blacklisted for their political activities.

In the face of the House Un-American Activities Committee, tasked with exposing communist subversion in New York's entertainment world, Mickey and Natalie endure the absurd and tragic process that victimized entertainers and turned friends and colleagues against each other.

For some, the blacklist will mean a decade without work.

For others, it will spell the end of their careers.

And those who willingly testify – naming others to the committee – will be branded as “finks”.

In Finks , Joe Gilford documents the struggle his parents, entertainers Jack Gilford and Madeline Lee Gilford, endured when they were called to testify.

Press Reviews

"Forget blue jokes; the humor in Finks, Joe Gilford’s farsighted yet tender tribute to his blacklisted parents, is distinctly red. But it’s part of what makes this play… As Gilford tries to understand why some of the accused betrayed friends to keep their livelihoods, he demonstrates a pluck similar to that of his parents."
— Time Out New York

"Joe Gilford’s impassioned, autobiographical Finks… is a testament to the parents who managed to maintain their indomitable spirit throughout the ordeal."
— Huffington Post

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
MICKEY DOBBS 35 to 45, a comedian and actor	male	35	35 to 45, a comedian and actor
NATALIE MELTZER 28 to 35, an actress and activist	female	28	28 to 35, an actress and activist
BOBBY GERARD 30 to 35, a choreographer	—	30	30 to 35, a choreographer
FRED LANG 40 to 50, an actor and painter	male	40	40 to 50, an actor and painter
REPRESENTATIVE FRANCIS WALTER 45 to 55, Chairman, House Committee on Un-American Activities	—	45	45 to 55, Chairman, House Committee on Un-American Activities
VICTOR LYNCH 35 to 45, an attorney	—	35	35 to 45, an attorney
STANLEY 30 to 40, a director	—	30	30 to 40, a director
PHIL LARSEN 35 to 45, a talent agent	—	35	35 to 45, a talent agent
SOAP OPERA LEADING MAN An actor	male	—	An actor
MARTIN BERKELEY Screenwriter	—	—	Screenwriter
ELIA KAZAN Director	—	—	Director
BUDD SCHULBERG Screenwriter	—	—	Screenwriter
LEE J. COBB Actor	—	—	Actor
SERGEANT AT ARMS	—	—	—
ANNOUNCER	—	—	—
MAN WITH NOTEBOOK	—	—	—
EGGED MAN	—	—	—
BOOGIE-WOOGIE PIANISTS or LIVE PIANIST (optional)	—	—	(optional)