The Sister House

by Stephanie Alison Walker

A vampire comedy about grief.

When Ramona decides to rent out her deceased husband's office to a mysterious stranger, her daughter Ryan rebels. Three women and one imaginary vampire collide in a historic Victorian home with a past of its own, in this play about immortal love, mothers and daughters, and new beginnings.

*This play began as a Heideman Award finalist ten-minute play titled, "Edward Cullen Ruined...

A vampire comedy about grief.

When Ramona decides to rent out her deceased husband's office to a mysterious stranger, her daughter Ryan rebels. Three women and one imaginary vampire collide in a historic Victorian home with a past of its own, in this play about immortal love, mothers and daughters, and new beginnings.

*This play began as a Heideman Award finalist ten-minute play titled, "Edward Cullen Ruined My Mother's Love Life."

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The Sister House

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: The Sister House by Stephanie Alison Walker
    “

    A beautiful story about working through the grief and learning to make the effort to connect rather than drown in it, deny it or resort to distractions. Well done.

    A beautiful story about working through the grief and learning to make the effort to connect rather than drown in it, deny it or resort to distractions. Well done.

    ”
  • Claudia Haas: The Sister House by Stephanie Alison Walker
    “

    Grief. It takes as many forms as there are humans: a father’s shirt, wallpaper scrapings, vampire (yes, a vampire), compulsive shopping, a claw-foot tub. Walker finds these small remembrances and combines them to show us it is the small things in relationships that build to love. With a crackling mother-daughter relationship, a fantasy life, and a new friendship, we are treated to how we cope. New beginnings are as tough as endings. But there is beauty in the trying. Walker gives us the beauty.

    Grief. It takes as many forms as there are humans: a father’s shirt, wallpaper scrapings, vampire (yes, a vampire), compulsive shopping, a claw-foot tub. Walker finds these small remembrances and combines them to show us it is the small things in relationships that build to love. With a crackling mother-daughter relationship, a fantasy life, and a new friendship, we are treated to how we cope. New beginnings are as tough as endings. But there is beauty in the trying. Walker gives us the beauty.

    ”
  • Carrie Barrett: The Sister House by Stephanie Alison Walker
    “

    Authentic and effortless characters and dialogue drive this poignant yet funny portrayal of a mother and daughter coping with grief. It's a fun yet heartfelt exploration of a weighty story. I laughed and cried; hits all the notes. In particular, Walker's tender and complex rendering of a teenage girl in pain really resonates.

    Authentic and effortless characters and dialogue drive this poignant yet funny portrayal of a mother and daughter coping with grief. It's a fun yet heartfelt exploration of a weighty story. I laughed and cried; hits all the notes. In particular, Walker's tender and complex rendering of a teenage girl in pain really resonates.

    ”
View all 7 recommendations

Character Information

  • RAMONA
    A widow. Just trying to keep it all together. She works long retail hours. She may or may not have a shopping addiction. Depends who you ask. She's a little bit scattered most of the time. A good day is when she manages to apply makeup AND remember to pack her lunch without her teenage daughter's assistance.
    40s
    Any
    Cis Woman
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • RYAN
    Sassy and so smart she's actually confident about her intelligence. She is Ramona's daughter, but acts more like the mother hen of the house than her own mom does. She fixates on fixing her mother. She refuses to learn how to drive. She has a temper that scares everyone - mostly herself.
    16
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • MARIE
    Based on outward appearances, she is the foil to Ramona. Organized, disciplined. An English Lit professor whose accessories are always on point. She has never missed a credit card payment. She is someone who knows great heartache and loss. She is searching for home.
    40s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • GABRIEL GOODLOVE
    A fictional vampire from a fictional vampire romance series. He is a figment of Ramona's imagination. He is undeniably sexy and attractive to RAMONA. He is a very old soul.
    40s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • EMILIO
    The charming neighbor boy, now grown up to be a professional soccer player. Soccer is his life. He still lives at home with his parents and now is currently nursing a ruptured Achilles tendon, questioning his entire future while trapped at home.
    18
    Latinx
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • PAUL
    Played by same actor as GABRIEL GOODLOVE
    40s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, The Road Theatre Company - Summer Play Festival 9, 2018

Awards