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Residence Write Up

This document summarizes and reviews the play "Residence" by Laura Jacqmin. The play tells the story of Maggie, a recently rehabilitated traveling saleswoman staying at a hotel in Tempe, Arizona who must decide whether to return home to her newborn child or live her own life. At the hotel, Maggie befriends the front desk clerk Bobby and questions her transition into motherhood. The play explores how the characters approach responsibility in their lives and transitions. While praising the writer, the reviewer does not recommend this play for the Vineyard theater due to its predictable approach and lack of a unique perspective on its themes.

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99 views1 page

Residence Write Up

This document summarizes and reviews the play "Residence" by Laura Jacqmin. The play tells the story of Maggie, a recently rehabilitated traveling saleswoman staying at a hotel in Tempe, Arizona who must decide whether to return home to her newborn child or live her own life. At the hotel, Maggie befriends the front desk clerk Bobby and questions her transition into motherhood. The play explores how the characters approach responsibility in their lives and transitions. While praising the writer, the reviewer does not recommend this play for the Vineyard theater due to its predictable approach and lack of a unique perspective on its themes.

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br3gz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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RESIDENCE

By: Laura Jacqmin


Draft:
# of actors: (2) M (3) F
Date Read: January 23, 2015
Reader: Brian Reager

Submitted to: Miriam Weiner


Submitted by: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

SYNOPSIS
Residence tells the story of Maggie, a recently rehabilitated traveling saleswoman staying at a
hotel in Tempe, Arizona who must choose whether she will go back to her home and newborn
child or lead her own life. Maggie and her husband Ben have recently fallen on hard times and
Maggie must make a certain amount of sales with a new ultrasound machine in order to keep the
afloat. Maggie has recently come out of rehab after a mental breakdown presumably due to
postpartum depression. At the hotel she befriends Bobby a Cuban-American who works as the
front desk clerk at the hotel. Their friendship soon takes a dramatic turn when a seemingly
amicable encounter turns suggestive. Through the plays quick pacing and seamless transitions
the audience is swept up into the world of the hotel where everyone is going about their lives and
yet nobody wants to stay their forever. This allows Maggie the opportunity to contemplate her
transition into motherhood and ultimately question whether or not it would be beneficial or
detrimental to her and her newborn for her to return home. The hotel also features Theresa, a
perky recently promoted manager, who is implied to have feelings for Bobby and vice versa. We
come to learn that Bobby himself has recently had a major transition in his life; opting to leave
his own child and girlfriend. After Maggie has another attack after a fight with her husband
with which Bobby and Theresa help her off a ledgeshe finally makes a major sale with a
doctor allowing her to have enough money to comfortably return home. Bobby, who by the
plays end chooses to work at another hotel and legally, is separated from his daughter. The play
ends with Maggie and Bobby talking about their decision and yet nobody seems to break away
from each other when they say they will.
COMMENTS
Residence was definitely the most digestible piece Ive come across. Laura Jacqmin approaches
the characters through a lens of responsibility. How do each of the characters approach the
responsibility that they are all besotted with? Do they run away from it, or do they embrace it?
All the characters interact and work in a place of transition: a hotel. They all have very clear
relationships with each other as well as clear stakes. Another interesting aspect is the clear
directions as to what race each character should be. Is the play exploring responsibility through
people of different classes and races? What leads me to believe that this play would not be a
great fit for the Vineyard is its lack of an interesting back-door into these themes. The play
feels too cookie-cutter in its approach and the characters feel as if theyve already been
encountered in the theatre before; but this should not put any blush on the proficiency that went
into creating this piece. While the Vineyard aims to create bold and groundbreaking pieces, this
doesnt appear to make a case for either. I will say again that Laura Jacqmin is definitely a
writer to keep an eye on. I feel as if she may have something for us in the near future.
Recommendation: Keep eye on writer

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