Cheaper By The Dozen - April 05 - April 07, 2019
Palm Springs High School Theatre Company
Synopsis
ACT 1
Scene 1: The Gilbreth living room. A day in Autumn
Scene 2: The same. Two weeks later.
ACT 2
Scene 1: The same. A few weeks later.
ACT 3
Scene 1: The same. A day in Spring.
*There will be a 10 minute intermission after each act.
Show Synopsis
Adapted by Sherman Sergel
From the Book by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing
Based on a true story, Cheaper by the Dozen tells the story of the Gilbreth family. This play is told from the point of view of two of his children reflecting on the last few months before his death. Their inventor father, who is well-known for bringing better efficiency to factories, keeps his family of twelve children running just as efficiently. Suppose you're an attractive high-school girl and you're not only a member of a large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and—it must be admitted—extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at school—especially to the boys! Dad pushes ahead with better organization for his large and delightful family. He puts up a chart for the young people to initial after completing each household task, uses a rug as an imaginary bathtub to demonstrate how to take a really efficient bath and appoints a utilities officer to levy fines on wasters of electricity. While the situations are often uproarious, there's a serious reason. Dad has a heart condition that he's keeping secret. He was preparing the family for his imminent departure, but most of his children, like most of the young children in the audience, were unaware of the fact. Anne, the oldest, rebels. Both Dad and she are miserable at the lack of understanding between them. Then in a deft and moving scene, Dad becomes aware of how much Anne has grown up. It is an extremely funny, heart-warming, and family-friendly tale, and the tragic catharsis of the father’s death is beautiful to the adults in the audience, who can understand the euphemisms.
From the Book by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing
Based on a true story, Cheaper by the Dozen tells the story of the Gilbreth family. This play is told from the point of view of two of his children reflecting on the last few months before his death. Their inventor father, who is well-known for bringing better efficiency to factories, keeps his family of twelve children running just as efficiently. Suppose you're an attractive high-school girl and you're not only a member of a large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and—it must be admitted—extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at school—especially to the boys! Dad pushes ahead with better organization for his large and delightful family. He puts up a chart for the young people to initial after completing each household task, uses a rug as an imaginary bathtub to demonstrate how to take a really efficient bath and appoints a utilities officer to levy fines on wasters of electricity. While the situations are often uproarious, there's a serious reason. Dad has a heart condition that he's keeping secret. He was preparing the family for his imminent departure, but most of his children, like most of the young children in the audience, were unaware of the fact. Anne, the oldest, rebels. Both Dad and she are miserable at the lack of understanding between them. Then in a deft and moving scene, Dad becomes aware of how much Anne has grown up. It is an extremely funny, heart-warming, and family-friendly tale, and the tragic catharsis of the father’s death is beautiful to the adults in the audience, who can understand the euphemisms.
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