JUST AN OLD WOMAN IN A ROCKING CHAIR
by Jan Probst
We first encounter Edna at ninety-six, alone in her apartment in the small town where she has always lived. Like many others her age, she is awash in memories, appearing to await the end of her life. As we meet her best friend Margaret, and travel back in time through a handful of moments from Edna’s past, her very human journey unfolds. With good humor and the strength it takes to survive nine decades, Edna reminds us everyone’s story is full of dreams, some met and some lost, challenging our perception of the elders among us.
- Cast Size: 2W
- Running Time: Over an Hour
- Royalty Rate: $50 per performance
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About the Playwright
Jan Probst is a storyteller, who found her creative home in theatre and film. After stepping onto the stage as a young actor with indie political theater, she later found her footing as a playwright, from solo stage work to production and publication. Her work has been seen on stages around the San Francisco Bay Area, Alaska and across the country, and heard on the popular radio show Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour. In 2021, when theatres everywhere were closed, her one act Bird on a Tree Branch premiered online via virtual production by Phoenix Arts Association, receiving commendation from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Jan has been an Artist in Residence at Z Space Studios, Playwright of the Month at Off-Market Theater and guest artist for the ATHE Annual Conference. Her plays are published by Next Stage Press and have been included in the annual Smith & Kraus anthology of ten-minute plays. Jan is a proud member of the award-winning improv film company Barewitness Films, where she works both sides of the camera.
More up-to-date information on Jan’s plays can be found on her website: janprobst.com
Small towns can harbor big secrets, and small lives can be heroic in their own ways. To the idle passer-by, Edna might appear to be “just” another old woman. But as Jan Probst takes us back in time to reveal significant secrets, incidents, and conversations in her long lifetime–involving war, alcoholism, the lesbianism of a best friend–we discover a woman who lived with enviable integrity and fidelity. An truly excellent character study.
Review Just An Old Woman in a Rocking Chair.