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The Hope and Heartache Diner

by Lindsay Price

Diners are a special place. You can get your coffee, fall in love, and find light when the world is dark.

Average Producer Rating:

About 70 minutes
Act 1: 40 minutes, Act 2: 30 minutes

Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks

16
6 M | 7 W | 3 Any Gender

Unit set

66 pages

Comedy

Reviews from Past Producers

Diners are a special place. You can get your coffee, fall in love, and find light when the world is dark. Duke’s is a family business - four generations strong.

Felix wants one last hurrah before leaving for college. She’s doing the full run - open to close - just like her grandpa did when he was a teenager. But why? Everyone knows Felix can barely wipe tables. Why is she trying so hard to connect? And what happens when Felix’s parents announce they’re selling the diner?

A wonderful character piece with parts for everyone.

Characters

16
6 Men, 7 Women, 3 Any Gender

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

FELIX BROWN [A] 190 lines: (17) A teen with a big imagination, a big heart, but also a little self-centred.
SAM BROWN [M] 57 lines: (53) Felix’ dad. Loves to feed people. He solves problems with food. Plays himself as a teen and an adult. Married to…
NELL BROWN [W] 58 lines: (45) (Nelka Rolek) Nell is practical, stern but filled with love. Plays herself as a teen and an adult.
LOO BROWN [A] 68 lines: (19) Lucja (Lubomir if male). Loo is confident and knows what she wants. Can be male or female.
WIKI BROWN [W] 8 lines: (15) Wikoria. Timid. Loud places scare her. She bakes and is home schooled.
RAT [A] 79 lines: (19) Rat is rough around the edges, to the point that violence is always just under the surface. But she’s working on it. She has plans for the future. Can be male or female.
MISSION [W] 84 lines: (17) Mission is a southern belle with an unstable past. In the present she is bright and bubbly. But don’t cross her.
Earl [M] 53 lines: Felix’s Great-grandfather. A jokester. A ghost that purposefully looks as he did as a teenager.
Betty [W] 64 lines: Felix’s Great-grandmother. A sweetheart with smarts. A ghost that purposefully looks as she did as a teenager.
Felix Sr. [M] 62 lines: Felix’ grandfather. A ladies’ man as a teen, married once and never again after his wife died young. He and Felix were together every day of Felix's life. He is the source for all of Felix's stories.

The Diners

BLT [M] 7 lines
CHOPPER [M] 7 lines
STEW [M] 4 lines
JELLY [W] 4 lines
LADYBUG [W] 4 lines lines
SUNNY [W] 4 lines

The DINERS also play CUSTOMERS

RAINE 6 lines
HAMIL 14 lines
MS. BRONSTEIN 6 lines
LOST 21 lines
SHRUG 16 lines
ASHLEY 16 lines
AMBER 3 lines
ERIC 11 lines
MAUDE 13 lines
MS GILLMAN 15 lines
MILO 14 lines
DONNIE 33 lines
REBECCA 19 lines
AVERY 22 lines
SHANNON 35 lines
JAENA 23 lines
DEAN 28 lines
LIAM 31 lines
COOPER 34 lines

The DINERS also play WORKERS

PAULA 27 lines
BRENDA 14 lines
CRYSTAL 8 lines
FALCON 7 lines
ANNABELL 17 lines

Subgenres: Character study
Settings: Present day
Dress: Contemporary costumes Period costumes
Audience: Pre-teen Teen
Features: Tableau Mime Character study

Set: Multiple sets
Themes: Adolescence Memory Parenting/Family Individuality Personal responsibility
Other uses: Audition material Class work Scene work

Prop List

bell, frying pan, duffle bag, cup, dollar, sweater, hat, dishtowel, knife, apron, jacket, pie plate, small piece of paper, pen and pad, carafe of coffee

Production Photos

Multimedia

Related Titles

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Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.