Playwright, Composer, and Lyricist
Steven D. Miller
A Second Lease (or From Bad to Liverworse)
2m, 4w
2m 50s; 1w 50s, 1w 25-35, 2w 20-25
Vinnie is dying of kidney disease, and his sister Carmella wants her younger daughter Debbie to get tested for compatibility for kidney donation, since older daughter Francesca and cousin Ginger are incompatible. When Vinnie and his cohort Guido arrive in town for the kidney transplant, Debbie unwittingly finds herself selected to be the donor. When it comes out that Vinnie is a gangster intent on revenging the betrayal of Carmella's late husband, things get even worse. How far will the revenge extend?
This comedy pits two sarcastic sisters against their cliché-mangling mother and against two stereotypical gangsters, throwing in a long-unseen cousin for good measure. Act one concerns the lead-up to the unwitting kidney donation, and act two reveals its aftermath.
A Second Lease (or From Bad to Liverworse) requires a single set, the eat-in kitchen of Carmella's home. A number of household props are required, including a frosted cake (that is not eaten). Several costume changes are required for some of the characters, but production requirements are not complex.