The Sugar Ridge Rag by Philip Middleton Williams

Scripts and production rights are available through Next Stage Press.

Full-Length: (2020) Dave and Pete Granger, age 17, are twin brothers in rural Ohio in 1970. Dave enlists in the Army as a combat medic and is sent to Vietnam. Pete, a piano prodigy and gay, goes to Canada to pursue his education in music and avoids the draft. Their parents -- Hal, a veteran of the Korean War, and Deb, a nurse...
Scripts and production rights are available through Next Stage Press.

Full-Length: (2020) Dave and Pete Granger, age 17, are twin brothers in rural Ohio in 1970. Dave enlists in the Army as a combat medic and is sent to Vietnam. Pete, a piano prodigy and gay, goes to Canada to pursue his education in music and avoids the draft. Their parents -- Hal, a veteran of the Korean War, and Deb, a nurse -- are left to deal with the consequences of their sons’ actions and their future as a family. Over the next five years, their lives are changed forever by the war and the choices each of them has made.

Premiered at LAB Theater Project, Tampa, Florida, April 28, 2022.
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The Sugar Ridge Rag

Recommended by

  • D. Lee Miller:
    31 Jul. 2022
    “ I have been wanting to see The Sugar Ridge Rag by Philip Middleton Williams and finally got to read this beautiful and truthful play. Having lived through this period, I rarely read or see a play that gets it - That understands life in the 60's: the complex in the simplicity, and the simplicity in the complex. Middleton Williams has always written beautiful and sensitive relationship plays but this, written with the background of ragtime and 1960's America, sears your heart. Yes, I did cry. And I laughed at the goodheartedness of these characters. Should be seen nationwide. ”
  • Arianna Rose:
    21 May. 2022
    “ I had the good fortune to watch a livestream of the live production of The Sugar Ridge Rag produced by Lab Theatre Project in Tampa, FL. Playwright Philip Middleton Williams has crafted a nuanced, moving, searingly honest portrayal of a family torn apart due to the Vietnam War and the two very different choices made by twin brothers. Full of gorgeous dialogue, authentic family drama, all set to a backdrop of syncopated ragtime music. I hope this beautiful piece of theatre is produced again and again. ”
  • Doug DeVita:
    10 May. 2022
    “ As enjoyable as plays are to read, they are meant to be performed; interpretations by a director and their cast are bound to differ from the preconceived notions that come from reading a work, and seeing Williams' THE SUGAR RIDGE RAG in performance at the Lab Theater Project recently revealed so many more levels to this touching story than are apparent on the page. A powerful piece of writing, the production pointed the way to what the script could be when performed – a heartbreaking, engrossing, and thought-provoking piece of theater. ”
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Character Information

Pete and Dave Granger are identical twins. For purposes of casting, the actors do not have to be identical, but they should bear a strong resemblance in size and appearance.

  • Pete Granger
    17,
    Gay
    Well-built; headstrong.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Dave Granger
    17,
    Male
    Pete’s identical twin. Muscular, determined.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Deb Granger
    Late 30's,
    Female
    Their mother. Pragmatic and protective.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Hal Granger
    Late 30's,
    Male
    Their father. Stoic, but not invincible.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    LAB Theater Project, Tampa, FL
    ,
    2022

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Strong Male Lead
,
Southwest Theatre Productions, Austin, TX
,
2020