Mended Fences

By Joshua W. Wells

Mended Fences tells the sobering story of a tortured family that is torn apart by their highly dysfunctional son. Through their smothering love for him, they have created a crippled young man who cannot feed himself or keep a job, and he survives in the streets the only way he knows how. His pregnant fianc helps him to find his self-confidence so he can become productive and self-supporting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 7, 2005
• ISBN: 9781465332080

Joshua W. Wells

Joshua Wesley Wells is an educator as well as a writer. He received his B.A. in Sociology and a Masters in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He earned an M.A. degree in Educational Administration in 1980 from Michigan State University. He has devoted his entire career to the education of young people. He left for China in 2001, and wrote two dramatic plays for young adults, Follow Your Dream and What About Me? both of which won first place awards in the prestigious English Oral Arts Competition in Beijing (2003, and 2004). Stage actor, director, and now playwright, Mended Fences is his first dramatic play for the American stage. Mr. Wells lives in Silver City, New Mexico.

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Copyright © 2006 by Joshua W. Wells.

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Contents

Act 1: Walpurgisnacht

Act 2: The Purging

Act 3: Metamorphosis

Characters:

Carl: A middle-age man, factory supervisor Marian: Middle-age woman, housewife

Gena: A pretty teenager, academically focused, college bound, about 17 years old

Paul: Middle-age man, factory worker

Lucy: Middle-age woman, factory worker

Eddie: Mid 20‘s man, restless, non-conforming, street tough

Joe: owner of a small restaurant

Pawn-shop owner

Claire: Eddie‘s fiance

Setting:

Two homes are close together in this working class, but tidy suburban area of any town. The pastel-painted houses are built with a look of ‘sameness’ to them in this tract neighborhood (a la Levittown, New York) and are separated with a chest high fence with a gate in the middle. Both yards have identical plastic yard furniture, potted plants, grills, trees, and clotheslines all in the same positions in both yards. The doors of the two homes are positioned so that they open outwards, and each positioned on the stage left side of the house. Each home has a window on the second floor, with curtains, and a light fixture which can turn on and off. The play takes place in their rear yards.

Music: A slow, classically oriented piano rendition of Amazing Grace.

Suggested costumes for each character: Carl: regular casual slacks, collared shirt Marian: plain housedress

Gena: regular teenager attire; top, jeans, sneakers Paul: casual slacks, collared shirt Lucy: plain housedress

Eddie: jeans, denim jacket, T-shirt, run-down sneakers Joe: casual slacks, collared shirt, white apron Pawn-shop owner: casual slacks, collared shirt Claire: slacks, maternity smock, sneakers, oversized purse

Act 1: Walpurgisnacht

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Scene 1: The rear yards of both houses.

{Lucy comes out of the house with a load of laundry in a basket. She is humming to the tune of ‘Amazing Grace.’ She begins to hang up the laundry. Marian come out a few moments later. Music subsides.}

Lucy: (to Marian) Laundry day for you, too? Seems this is my Saturday morning ritual.

Marian: A woman’s lot in life, I guess. You know, Carl is really good about helping me around the house, but I’d rather do the