Trevor Olsen, Jennifer Evans, Erik Patterson, and Sofie Calderon in “Red Light, Green Light” at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood.
RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT
by Erik Patterson
Cast: 6 female, 7 male
Genre: Drama
Keywords: LGBTQ, family, Bjork
Character Breakdown:
ELLIOT, thirty, a high school teacher.
LITTLE B, his sister, fifteen. Thinks she’s Bjork: the Icelandic pop singer.
BECKY, their older sister, thirty-one. A stripper.
MOM, in her fifties, the mother of Elliot, Little B, and Becky. Named Rose Silverstein.
ROSE, Becky’s daughter, fifteen. Pregnant. Goth.
KRISTEN, Becky’s girlfriend, in her thirties. A stripper.
AVI, twenty-five, Israeli. A student of Philosophy.
CALEB, thirties. A professional clown.
DAMIEN, Rose’s ex-boyfriend, sixteen. Also a Goth.
KENNY, a man in his forties.
RUTH, mother of Caleb, in her sixties. A housewife.
BARRY, a hustler, in his thirties.
FRANK, a man in his forties.
Synopsis:
A gay clown. Two lesbian strippers. A pregnant Goth teen. A deadbeat dad. A horny mother. And a girl who thinks she’s Bjork. In this stand-alone sequel to Yellow Flesh / Alabaster Rose, the Silverstein family journey towards healing is abruptly halted when Elliot becomes the victim of a brutal gay bashing.
(Note: The play can be performed in repertory with the rest of the American Family Trilogy, but it can also stand alone. It's not necessary to be familiar with Part One to be able to follow Part Two.)
Awards:
NOMINEE, World Premiere Playwriting, 2004 Ovation Awards
Reviews
PICK OF THE WEEK: "Patterson weaves a HEART-WRENCHING TALE that director Miguel Montalvo and his sterling ensemble portray with earnest emotion and comic aplomb."
-- LA Weekly, Martin Hernandez
"Erik Patterson is a mere 26, but may very well be the next great American playwright. His KEEN INSIGHT INTO THE HUMAN CONDITION comes alive in the second installment of his American Family Trilogy...You will come away uplifted and full of hope."
-- NoHo LA, Don Grigware
"Effectively juxtaposes the ugly realities of the subject matter against a REDEMPTIVE sense of humor."
-- Frontiers Magazine, Les Spindle
"Take an ordinary, screwed-up family--okay, maybe not so ordinary but definitely screwed up--and allow them to be honest with each other for the first time, and you have a powerful evening of love, American style. A mother researches every nuance of gay life (from sex toys to Matthew Shepard) in order to understand her son, a sister becomes Bjork to deal with abuse-trauma, a daughter/mother/lap-dancer finally finds herself, a brother falls in love despite his tortured past. Every member of this extended family steals your heart as they daringly begin to recognize their own. DARK, FUNNY, AND SEARINGLY INSIGHTFUL, playwright Erik Patterson is on the road to great renown."
-- Flavorpill.net, Lee Bradley
"With last year's 'Yellow Flesh/Alabaster Rose,' Erik Patterson emerged as a compelling new voice who could fashion strangely seductive drama and mine richly moving comedy from the deep domestic trauma of a broken family as it pieced itself back together...In his new sequel, 'Red Light Green Light,' Patterson's complicated empathy for his flawed characters, as well as his DISARMING WIT, are in full effect."
-- Los Angeles Times, Rob Kendt
"Patterson's play is a complex, non-linear affair...The work is an UPLIFTING piece, peppered with marvelous speeches, economical writing, and lightning fast exchanges. I can't wait for the final installment in the trilogy."
-- OUT Magazine, Matthew Breen