Buying the Moose
Port Stanley Festival Theatre
Port Stanley, Ont., Canada
Comedy/ 4 Characters, 2 Men, 2 Women/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: Women ask, “Why do men do the crazy things they do?” Sometimes the answer is simpler than it first seems.
Betty thinks her relationship with boyfriend Rob is just about perfect until she arrives home early from a business trip to discover him in his underwear with an inflatable sex toy. Shocked and appalled, Betty stomps from their home to seek solace from girlfriend Cheryl, who by coincidence, also happens to be Rob’s brother’s wife.
Betty and Cheryl do what women do in such circumstances –– hug, cry, console, consume empty calories, and search for answers to the age old question, “Why do men do such bewildering things?” Back across town, Ron is also being comforted (by brother Greg) in the way men do such things –– genuine support and concern disguised by a few beers and cruel mockery –– as they try to figure out how a seemingly perfect relationship came to this unhappy state of affairs.
As the story continues, hidden secrets surface, embarrassing insecurities are exposed, and genre stereotypes are bent, stretched and dented, before the hilarious truth finally comes out.
“What’s refreshing about this play is that at no point does the playwright go out of his way to demean one or the other gender. The play is not so much about the battle of the sexes as much as it about pointing out how ridiculous and irrational human beings can be — especially when it comes to dealing with each other . . . . For anyone who has ever had a misunderstanding with their partner (and let’s face it, we all have), you are going to find something to laugh about in Buying the Moose.” — Sam Tweedle, KawarthaNow
“A comedic gem!” — St. Albert Gazette
Professional rights:
Diane Carter
SRO Central
diane@srocentral.com
1-800-869-7351
Amateur rights:
Playwrights Guild of Canada
About the Playwright: Michael spent a number of years as an on-air radio personality before his love of theatre was sparked after being dragged to an audition to act as moral support for a friend.
His writing has been mainly in the field of comedy, including writing free-lance for Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” monologue and for Kevin Nealon during his stint on Saturday Night Live‘s “Weekend Update” segment. For a time he also had regular columns in two U.S. comedy newsletters.
As a playwright, his scripts have been performed across the USA and Canada, in Australia and Russia. No Tell Motel has been translated into Russian (under the title Love Shack) and was performed in Astrakhan Russia in 2016. His short play Nancy is published by Playwrights Canada Press in their short play anthology Long Story Short.
He is a member of The Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Dramatists Guild of America.
Buying the Moose was first produced by the London Community Players, London, Ont., Canada in February, 2015 and received its professional premiere at Globus Theatre, Bobcaygeon, Ont. in July 2016.
“One of the sweetest and funniest scripts we’ve read in years!” – Rainbow Comedy Playhouse, PA
“Quick and witty!” – KawarthaNow, Peterborough, ON