Broken Arpeggio by Diane Davis

FULL LENGTH: Daughter 3 is jazz in her mother’s classical music family. After an assault by a music teacher, she goes down the rabbit hole and when she comes out the other side, her mother calls all the daughters home for a redo of a family portrait. Broken Arpeggio is a play about losing oneself within their family, grappling with choices made, and discovering home is not always what you think it is.
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FULL LENGTH: Daughter 3 is jazz in her mother’s classical music family. After an assault by a music teacher, she goes down the rabbit hole and when she comes out the other side, her mother calls all the daughters home for a redo of a family portrait. Broken Arpeggio is a play about losing oneself within their family, grappling with choices made, and discovering home is not always what you think it is.
NOTE: content for drug use and pedophilia represented in this work
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Broken Arpeggio

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Character Information

This play is an ensemble piece, where the actors remain onstage throughout the play. The majority of movement - changes - props - are accessible on the edges of the stage. The actor’s movement to enter and exit should be used only when absolutely needed to enhance the changes/places over time. The ensemble uses viewpoints, tableaus, and vignettes to tell the story. The visuals are representative, not literal.

The family of daughters and their mother can be any ethnicity or race, with the latitude to add cultural specifics without changing the plot, line intention, subtext, or meaning, and any additions or adjustments must and should maintain consistency with birth order characteristics.

  • Mother / Doctor / Mrs. Dombrowski:
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    A woman able to play over time; a Doctor, clinician, wearing thick black glasses; as Mrs D., an eastern European immigrant professional Piano Teacher
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Daughter 1 / Friend
    She is 28 years old in the present, the oldest “first” daughter syndrome (responsible, ambitious, and confident), a 4.0 student who resigned herself to be the daughter her mother expects; she is 5 years older than Daughter 3 / As the ‘Bestie’ friend of Daughter 3, she is an 8th grader.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Daughter 2 / Mr. G
    She is two years older than Daughter 3, 25 in the present, an independent, level-headed, athletic daughter who wants peace but sees herself differently seeks out a role that's opposite Daughter 1 and is not afraid to call it as it is or go on her own / as Mr. G, a late 20-something nerd musician assured but awkward at the same time, wearing thick black glasses.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Daughter 3
    She is 23 years old as the narrator (the present), her age respectfully sets the standard of the other daughter’s ages in each scene, a typical middle-child personality.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Daughter 4 / Waitress
    She is 21 in the present world, and 2 years younger than Daughter 3 in the other scenes - uncomplicated - the “baby” shouldering less responsibility but in the end is the glue keeping the family together / Waitress is brassy, chews gum, and has a pen that taps her pad while waiting for an order.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Columbia University
    ,
    2023
  • Residency
    ,
    Workshop Theater
    ,
    2023
  • Residency
    ,
    Theater East
    ,
    2023