Business Ideas
by Milo Cramer

Name: Business Ideas
Brand: Milo Cramer
SKU: 9780573711978
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

Business Ideas Book Cover — Business Ideas Cover

Highlights

Female

75 mins Present Day All Women Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Expandable Casting Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

Winner of the 21st Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, Business Ideas is a comedy about getting rich.

In a too-cute café, a desperate mother and daughter brainstorm get-rich-quick schemes to pay for college (or maybe to make ends meet?).

Meanwhile, their hapless server tries to network with a revolving cast of customers, all hilariously played by one actor.

Inspired by playwright Milo Cramer’s own experiences with his enterprising mom, Business Ideas is an award-winning comedy about getting rich (or not?), and whether money really buys happiness – one cup of coffee at a time.

Press Reviews

"Sparklingly clever: a punchy 65 minutes packed with pithy, memorable one-liners… both screamingly funny and subtly discomfiting."
— Exeunt

"Sharp and witty… a fresh take on comedy, capitalism and the human condition… Set in a familiar yet fictional café, Business Ideas explores themes of ambition, financial insecurity and societal pressures with a comedic twist… What makes Business Ideas stand out is its uncanny ability to balance biting satire with genuine warmth… a must-see for entrepreneurs, dreamers, and everyone in between."
— Livin’ In Io

"Intergenerational comedy… At the core of the play is a deep exploration of what it means to work."
— Christian Lewis, 3views

"Cramer’s play certainly speaks to the ridiculousness of trying to work one’s way through (and suddenly up) in capitalism."
— Marissa Joyce Stamps, 3views

"What do you do?… In Milo Cramer’s Business Ideas, this question of vocation and action in the face of adversity repeats until it becomes an existential echo."
— Christine Mok, 3views

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Georgina 40s, her mom	female	40s	40s, her mom
Patty 20s, their server	—	20s	20s, their server
Customers 30s, all played by one actor Author’s note: There are multiple ways the casting of these four roles can break down racially, each with different connotations – I hope casting choices are made collaboratively wherever the play is performed. I am happy to adjust the script to affirm the identities of the artists working on it. Some of the customers are men, but none of the actors are. Lisa and/or Patty might be nonbinary; Georgina wouldn’t know what that means.	—	30s	30s, all played by one actor Author’s note: There are multiple ways the casting of these four roles can break down racially, each with different connotations – I hope casting choices are made collaboratively wherever the play is performed. I am happy to adjust the script to affirm the identities of the artists working on it. Some of the customers are men, but none of the actors are. Lisa and/or Patty might be nonbinary; Georgina wouldn’t know what that means.
Lisa A teenager	—	—	A teenager