Red Herring
by Michael Hollinger


Synopsis
Three love stories, a murder mystery, and a nuclear espionage plot converge in this noir comedy about marriage and other explosive devices.
It’s 1952: America is on the verge of testing the H-bomb, Dwight Eisenhower’s on the campaign trail, and I Love Lucy is on television on Monday nights.
Meanwhile, Senator Joe McCarthy’s daughter just got engaged to a Soviet spy, and Boston detective Maggie Pelletier has to find out who dumped the dead guy in the harbor – or else lose out on a honeymoon in Havana.
A blunt-nosed, sharp-eyed look at love and tying (and untying, and retying) the knot.
Press Reviews
"Exceedingly funny. A genuinely human comedy about six people in search of love in a mixed-up world. A thoroughly engaging piece of theatre."
— Philadelphia Inquirer
"Hilarious. A valentine celebrating love and marriage. A fun, engaging, farcical romp with a cleverly complex plot and a loving heart."
— Main Line Times
"Red Herring is enjoyably silly, and Hollinger’s short scenes, crisp dialogue and sharp wisecracks keep things interesting."
— DC Theater Arts
Characters
| Character |
|---|
MAGGIE PELLETIER Mid-30s. |
FRANK KELLER Mid-30s. This actor also plays: |
PRIEST , |
MAJOR HARTWELL and recorded voices as necessary. |
LYNN McCARTHY Early 20s. This actor also plays: |
CLERK and recorded voices as necessary. |
JAMES APPEL Early 20s. This actor also plays: |
WOODY , |
HARRY , |
BARTENDER and recorded voices as necessary. |
MRS. KRAVITZ Late 40s, early 50s. This actor also plays: |
MRS. McCARTHY , |
MRS. VAN NOSTRAND and recorded voices as necessary. |
ANDREI BORCHEVSKY Late 40s, early 50s. This actor also plays: |
PETEY , |
DR. KASDEN , |
HERBERT and |
CORPSE as well as any recorded voices as necessary. |
Publication
Red Herring is a comedy play written by Michael Hollinger and published by Dramatists Play Service (2002).
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