AMERICAN DEAL by Donna Hoke

Clive Jenkins. A husband. A father. A writer with an MFA. An addict. A man who, sixteen years ago, gunned down a stranger, and still can't say why. Clive’s most successful attempts to examine his life come when he puts pen to paper, pouring out his demons in stories. Now, he’s got a chance at parole, and a six-figure book deal that might help him get it—if he can prove he’s a changed man. This play asks:...
Clive Jenkins. A husband. A father. A writer with an MFA. An addict. A man who, sixteen years ago, gunned down a stranger, and still can't say why. Clive’s most successful attempts to examine his life come when he puts pen to paper, pouring out his demons in stories. Now, he’s got a chance at parole, and a six-figure book deal that might help him get it—if he can prove he’s a changed man. This play asks: what do we owe those we purport to rehabilitate and what do we owe their victims?
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AMERICAN DEAL

Recommended by

  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    23 Dec. 2022
    “ This play touches on so many things: The criminal justice system in America, our love of sensationalism and stories by and about murderers, addiction, forgiveness, and the meaning of redemption - but my favorite part was the throughline on pens and ink, which turned something I never think about into poetry and magic. I'm going to be looking at pens differently from here on out. ”
  • Alice Josephs:
    30 Jun. 2021
    “ A publishing deal, a deal for the people of America — and the parole board. A convicted murderer finds himself at the centre of competing claims once he pens a potential bestseller. Not least those of the victim’s family, his own family and his own conscience and soul. Constructed within a prison framework, a series of stories works back through his life and psyche. Working on several levels, this is a resonant play asking tough questions of current day America, fame at others’ expense and, by the end, literally, of the audience. ”
  • Dan Taube:
    6 Dec. 2020
    “ A thrilling story that manages to avoid all the usual cliches of a man in prison trying to do better. Fiercely theatrical in its intent to be a treatise on the importance of story telling. Clive and his fellow characters tell a story you will not soon forget. Very enjoyable read. ”
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Character Information

The guard is featured offstage only, and can be played by whichever male actor is not being used in the scene, or with sound cues. Same with INMATE in THE PRISON AND THE PEN story.

  • Clive Jenkins
    48,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Caucasian, quiet, intellectual, depressed, calm, covered in prison tattoos but only in places where we can't see them, and utterly, utterly charming with a smile that melts anyone and anything
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • EVA/other women
    20-43,
    any but black
    ,
    Female
    Plays EVA, Clive's wife, as well as Ghostly Mona, Martin's Mother, Clive's high school teacher (in V.O.), Clive's mother
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Warren Monroe/Byron Jackson/other men
    30s,
    Black
    ,
    Male
    Plays WARREN MONROE, Clive's publisher; and BYRON JACKSON, the partner of Clive's victim; as well as Man #2, Clive's roommate (V.O.), Clive's former employer (V.O.), Passing Stranger, Byron Man
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • ACTOR: Murph, Fivey, and others
    30s-50s,
    any but black
    ,
    Male
    Plays MURPH, the prison chaplain, as well as Fivey, Ghostly Derek, Man #1, Clive's Father, Literary Editor (in V.O.), Martin
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Commission
    ,
    Looking for development partner, contact me for latest draft

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
International Wolfe Prize
,
Playmakers Repertory Company
,
2019