Grand Concourse
by Heidi Schreck

Name: Grand Concourse
Brand: Heidi Schreck
SKU: 9780573704161
Rating: 4.33 (3 reviews)

Grand Concourse Book Cover — Grand Concourse Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Role(s) for Black Actor(s) Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Awards & Recognition

Lucille Lortel Award

Finalist! 2015 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Nominee: 2015 Lucille Lortel Award The Kilroys List, 2014

Synopsis

Having dedicated her life to religious service, Shelley runs a Bronx soup kitchen with unsentimental efficiency, but lately her heart’s not quite in it.

Her brisk nature masks an unsettling fear that her efforts are meaningless.

When Emma – an idealistic but confused college dropout – arrives to volunteer, her reckless mix of generosity and self-involvement pushes Shelley to the breaking point.

With keen humor and startling compassion, Heidi Schreck’s play navigates the mystery of faith, the limits of forgiveness, and the pursuit of something resembling joy.

Press Reviews

"While most stories about nuns can’t resist being feel-good and sincere, the best thing about Schreck’s story is its dry-eyed lack of sweetness and sentiment. Amen to that."
— New York Daily News

"Heidi Schreck's Grand Concourse, [is] a brutal response to the notion of unconditional forgiveness and never-ending charity. With its pointed perspective and merciless plot, Grand Concourse is likely to rouse flashes of anger and sadness. A master provocateur of a playwright, it's nearly impossible to walk away unscathed by Schreck's harrowing tale."
— TheaterMania

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Emma 19. A college dropout who volunteers for Shelley.	—	19	19. A college dropout who volunteers for Shelley.
Oscar The handsome janitor of the soup kitchen.	—	—	The handsome janitor of the soup kitchen.
Frog	—	—	—
Shelley A nun, and the administrator of the soup kitchen.	—	—	A nun, and the administrator of the soup kitchen.