Phil Ward, Kirsten Vangsness, Keston John, and Alina Phelan in “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” at Theatre of NOTE in Los Angeles. (Photo credit: Jacqui Zadik)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand is available to purchase HERE.
I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND
by Erik Patterson
Cast: 3 female, 3 male
Genre: comedic drama
Keywords: stroke, recovery, family
Character Breakdown:
JULIA, 30s, an actress.
PAUL, 30s, a good son.
MARY JEAN, 60s, their mother.
Recovering from a brain aneurysm.
JOSH, 30s, also an actor.
ADA, 30s, a book editor.
FRANK, 30s, engaged to Ada. Recovering from a brain aneurysm and a stroke, suffers from aphasia.
Synopsis:
Our lives can change in an instant. One moment you're getting engaged, and a few surreal moments later you're sitting among a group of strangers in a hospital waiting room, praying that your fiance will survive a brain aneurysm. At least, that's what happened to Ada. While waiting for Frank to wake up from a coma, she meets Julia, Paul, and Josh, who are waiting for their mom to recover as well. A tenuous friendship is born.
I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND takes a look at life, death, and recovery, and what all of that means when you step back out of the waiting room and try your hand at living again...
Awards:
NOMINEE, Stage Raw Awards, Best Playwriting
NOMINEE, Stage Raw Awards, Best Ensemble
Reviews
"The play chronicles the bittersweet connections that are often sparked between strangers at the time of unimaginable tragedy and the fragility of that condition that can also lead to frustrating missed connections. Patterson has created a TOUCHING and often humorous journey through the struggles that befall—and mostly strengthen—the lives of those afflicted, made all the better by a dynamic, gifted, and committed ensemble cast. Alina Phelan and Kirsten Vangsness are especially compelling to watch."
-- Arts In LA, Travis Michael Holder
"The writing displays Patterson’s knack for both POETIC and realistic dialogue."
-- Los Angeles Times, David C. Nichols
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand contains so much hope and love and new beginnings and is absolutely comforting. Well-thought out, rooted, artistic writing, capturing the laughable and sometimes dark COMPLEXITIES OF HUMAN NATURE.”
-- Gia On the Move, Tracey Paleo
"A TENDER fabric of connections and missed connections."
-- Stage Raw, Sarah Tuft
"It’s full of DYNAMIC characters going through interesting changes, and they say funny and moving things...[P]owerful enough to make me tear up. I was usually fascinated, gape-mouthed, my default position at an engaging entertainment."
-- Stage and Cinema, Jason Rohrer