NEIGHBORHOOD SAMPLING
by Jessica Chipman
When seventeen-year-old purse thief Jeremy climbs through his bedroom window with some loot, the last thing he expects is to be followed by the middle-aged, asthmatic husband of the woman whose purse he stole. Jeremy has a lot going on: his mother is a television addict and always on his case, he used all his money to buy his crush (Ellen) flowers, and his dad has just died. The man who follows Jeremy is Leon, who wants his wife, Mona’s, purse returned. Jeremy and Leon meet for the supposed first time in Jeremy’s bedroom, but as the play goes back in time, we find this isn’t the first convergence between Jeremy and Leon’s families. A comedy that explores how our worlds are smaller than we think, and how our similarities connect us more than our differences.
- Cast Size: 3M, 2W, 1 Teen B, 1 Teen G (with doubling)
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
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About the Playwright
Jessica Chipman (she, her) is a writer, theatre artist, and educator based out of Minnesota. Recognizing her work are Actors Theatre of Louisville (Heideman Award Finalist), Concord Theatricals (pilot production of Tuck Everlasting), Wells Fargo Spotlight on the Arts (Award of Excellence), Perpich Center for Arts Education (Regional Arts Teacher-Leader), Minnesota Educational Theatre Association (Theatre Educator of the Year 2021), and University of Idaho (MFA, Directing). Jessica is the 2023-2024 recipient of the National Federation of High Schools Region 5 Outstanding Theatre Educator Award. She lives with her husband and daughters in western Minnesota. More at newplayexchange.org and jessicachipman.info.
Review Neighborhood Sampling.