Apple Season by E. M. Lewis

Lissie and her brother, Roger, fled their family farm when they were both still in high school. Today, they've come back for their father's funeral. When Billy -- who they both knew when they were kids -- offers to buy the farm, it sets all three of them tumbling down a rabbit hole of memory and grief, as they try to let go of a tangled past that refuses to let go of them.
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Apple Season

Recommended by

  • Aleks Merilo:
    17 Mar. 2020
    “ “I don’t know if there is an away from here.” In APPLE SEASON, Lewis has created a world that is both comforting and dangerous. Time passes and recedes before our eyes while the secrets of a violent and haunted past are slowly revealed. Lewis has an ear for dialogue that is both natural and poetic. The characters are heartfelt and vulnerable without being sentimental, and we are left with a sense of mystery that leaves us wanting more. The magical realism creates a rare theatricality, especially in moments where actors move through decades before our eyes. Another wonderful play.
    ”
  • Ross Tedford Kendall:
    5 Aug. 2019
    “ Poignant drama about familial bonds, rekindling love, and ghosts of the past. Playwright E.M. Lewis has a love for language and it comes through in this play. ”
  • National New Play Network:
    22 May. 2019
    “ APPLE SEASON by E.M. Lewis is receiving an NNPN Rolling World Premiere. Partnering theaters are New Jersey Repertory Company (Long Branch), Riverside Theatre (Iowa City, IA) and Moving Arts (Los Angeles, CA). ”
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Character Information

Mary Elizabeth Fogerty (Lissie) (39)
A fourth grade teacher. Wears blue jeans and tennis shoes and a tank top, and a button-down shirt.

Will Rizzell (Billy) (41)
A farmer. Wears blue jeans and boots and a faded t-shirt and a John Deere ball cap, and glasses that make him look vaguely scholarly, despite everything else.

Roger Eugene Fogerty (41)
A ranch hand, who lives and works in Wyoming. Wears blue jeans and worn boots and a flannel shirt and a ball cap that is falling apart with wear. Always has an old leather satchel with him.

NOTE: In the Los Angeles production, we cast Latino actors in the roles of Lissie and Roger, imagining them as having had a Latina mother and white father. Together, we chose several small, intimate moments when they speak in Spanish to each other. This is reflected in this draft of the script, and I love this casting choice for the play, though other casting possibilities are also possible. Talk to me!!

  • Mary Elizabeth Fogerty (Lissie)
    34,
    Female
    A fourth grade teacher. Wears blue jeans and tennis shoes and a tank top, and a button-down shirt.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Will Rizzell (Billy)
    36,
    Male
    A farmer. Wears blue jeans and boots and a faded t-shirt and a John Deere ball cap, and glasses that make him look vaguely scholarly, despite everything else.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Roger Eugene Fogerty
    36,
    Male
    A cowboy, who lives and works on a large ranch in Wyoming. Wears blue jeans and worn boots and a flannel shirt and a ball cap that is falling apart with wear. Always has an old leather satchel with him.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Women Playwrights Initiative at Ivoryton Playhouse
    ,
    2017
  • Workshop
    ,
    Theater 33 at Willamette University
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Playfest Santa Barbara
    ,
    2013

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    New Jersey Repertory Theater
    ,
    2019
  • Professional
    ,
    Riverside Theater
    ,
    2019
  • Professional
    ,
    Moving Arts
    ,
    2019

Awards

Selection
,
Rolling World Premiere
,
National New Play Network
,
2019