When We Wake Up Dead
by Dennis A. Allen II

Name: When We Wake Up Dead
Brand: Dennis A. Allen II
SKU: 9780573709029
Rating: 3.75 (4 reviews)

When We Wake Up Dead Book Cover — When We Wake Up Dead Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

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

Synopsis

“It’s always death that brings about change in the world,” says the ailing patriarch Uncle Cecil, who will leave in his wake a suicidal child, a woman in deep mourning and a devastating family secret.

When the family comes together to say goodbye, his dying sets in motion events that will change their worlds forever.

When We Wake Up Dead is an exploration of grief, mental illness and the fragility of familial bonds.

In this play filled with moments of tenderness and vulnerability, we're reminded how the past can forever haunt the present.

Press Reviews

"Powerful... A cacophony of sounds, sights and emotions paradoxically assaults and charms the audience... This story is not about comfort and calm. It is about surviving or succumbing to the harshest distractions of life."
— Brooklyn Reporter

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
James Walker 19, Bryant’s fraternal twin, came out of the womb first, NY	—	—	19, Bryant’s fraternal twin, came out of the womb first, NY
Emory Hill 15, Bryant and James’ cousin, MS	—	—	15, Bryant and James’ cousin, MS
Uncle Cecil 60, Emory’s father, Cheryl’s husband of 20 years, MS	male	—	60, Emory’s father, Cheryl’s husband of 20 years, MS
Aunt Cheryl 41, Emory’s mother, Bryant & James’ maternal Aunt, MS way of MI	female	—	41, Emory’s mother, Bryant & James’ maternal Aunt, MS way of MI
Lynn 37, Cheryl’s younger sister, Bryant and James’ mother	female	—	37, Cheryl’s younger sister, Bryant and James’ mother
Bryant Walker 19, James’ fraternal twin, NY	—	—	19, James’ fraternal twin, NY