No Kidding!
Calvin Rogers is a young husband who has created a fictional daughter so that he can enter various contests through the mail. When a phone call informs him that his daughter has won the grand prize in the Giggle Gardens Theme Park contest, he is overjoyed--until he learns that the publicity department is coming to his house to photograph the lucky girl. So now, all he has to do is send his wife on a wild goose chase, enlist the aid of his macho brother-in-law, find someone to play his daughter, convince the suspicious contest promoters, and side-step a truancy officer – all before his wife returns. Children can change your life!
Winner of the Playwright Project Competition sponsored by the Orpheus Theatre, Oneonta, NY.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
PLAYWRIGHT SCOTT ICENHOWER
TALKS ABOUT “NO KIDDING!”
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
A: Before I mailed a request for some gardening information, I decided to use another name with my return address. I believed that this company would put my name on various mailing lists and by using the name Claire Isabel (“Clear as a bell”) I could track the amount of junk mail. Sure enough, Claire received junk mail. She actually was pre-approved for a line of credit. Of course going any further with this would be wrong but it got me thinking – on one level it’s easy to create a person. Why would someone do this and what would happen? The play was born.
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
A: In act II, Officer Gentry is trying to ask Calvin and his wife a question, but everyone is in a group watching Gentry. I still enjoy him verbally dispersing the crowd.
Q: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
A: My wife and I are childless by choice and many of our reasons are echoed by Calvin and Sandra. Of course they change their minds and we have nephews.
Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
A: I have observed people who have children, but not enough time to be with them. I hope this play will subtly and in an entertaining way remind parents and parents-to-be of the reasons to have children and “pay attention to them” more often.