Full-length version (90 minutes). Residents at a retirement community in Maine struggle with loneliness, boredom and purpose. To pass the time they wave at cars to see if they can get a wave back. This harmless activity takes an unexpected turn with the appearance of a police officer and a quirky stranger. Suddenly the residents are forced to face the past and its impact on the present. Secrets are revealed as they navigate a treacherous maze of guilt and missed opportunity. The play is a comic take on relationships that seniors have with family, friends and lovers. It examines the visceral need to be noticed and acknowledged..

Production coming in 2024: The ACT Theater Co., Topeka, KN. Performance dates August 9-18.
Production: The Overtime Theatre, San Antonio. 2022.
Reading: Bing Productions, Springfield, MA. 2024
Reading: Just Write Lakeland, Florida. 2022, 2023.
Reading: Play Incubation Collective, Massachusetts. 2021

Testimonials:

"This endearing script features a lovable and zany cast of characters you can’t help but root for. Each character has a distinct backstory and unique quirks with well-defined relationships to each other. The commentary on life at senior living facilities is rife with comedy, but the waving game they play also speaks to the invisibility of the elderly in our society. The play entertainingly twists and turns beyond the initial set-up, creating a heartwarming story of love lost and found again."
- Catherine Randazzo, Associate Artist/Literary Manager, Florida Studio Theater, Sarasota, FL

:Ben Scranton’s concept of senior citizens who wave at passing cars in hopes of getting a wave back speaks to the visceral human need to be noticed. The Overtime Theater is honored to have presented the world premiere of The Back-Porch Gang, a play that explores the themes of love, forgiveness, and renewal. Night after performance night, this superbly written comedy garnered nonstop laughs from the audience who seemed immediately drawn to each finely etched character. Scranton is a master storyteller and his funny, heartwarming play deserves to be seen."
~ Jade Esteban Estrada, Artistic Director, Overtime Theater, San Antonio, Texas

“Very dear and lovely. I am reminded of ‘Mornings at Seven.’”
~ Marsha Mason, Actor, Writer, and Director

“The Back-Porch Gang is full of life and love and lots of laughs. Scranton knows these characters well, and he gives them relationships and situations that make senior life more fun than high school.”
~ Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Tony & Drama Desk Award Nominated Director & Choreographer