Normal, Michigan

by Willie Johnson

Normal, Michigan is a comedy about existential conflicts and crises triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The play focuses on JO and FRANCES, two characters who were frustrated by the demands of adult life long before the pandemic started. Jo is a recent college graduate stuck in a customer service job. Frances is an aspiring musician whose partner recently left her. As each of them rejects the social pressure to...

Normal, Michigan is a comedy about existential conflicts and crises triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The play focuses on JO and FRANCES, two characters who were frustrated by the demands of adult life long before the pandemic started. Jo is a recent college graduate stuck in a customer service job. Frances is an aspiring musician whose partner recently left her. As each of them rejects the social pressure to get “back to normal”, they discover that they no longer want to live the lives they’ve created. To escape from normal, however, they must take a leap into the unknown.

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Normal, Michigan

Recommended by

  • Kitchen Dog Theater: Normal, Michigan

    We are pleased to support this play! It was a Finalist for the 2017 New Works Festival at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, Texas.

    We are pleased to support this play! It was a Finalist for the 2017 New Works Festival at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, Texas.

Character Information

  • Jo
    A call center customer service representative in her mid to late 20s.
    Character Age
    20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis-Female or Trans Woman
  • Frances
    A trans or cis woman in her late 30s.
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis Female or Gender Queer or Trans
  • Courtney
    Jo’s supervisor at the call center, in his 30s or 40s.
    Character Age
    30s or 40s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis-Female or Trans Woman
  • Jamie
    Jo’s long-time boyfriend, mid to late 20s.
    Character Age
    20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    *cis man (he/they)
  • Reggie
    A bartender in her 30s or 40s.
    Character Age
    anywhere from her 30s to her 50s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis-Female or Trans Woman or Nonbinary
  • Pat
    Jamie’s grandfather, somewhere in his 70s.
    Character Age
    70s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis Man
  • Adrian
    A therapist in her late 20s or early 30s.
    Character Age
    late 20s or early 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
    Character Gender Identity
    Cis-Female or Trans Woman

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Play Date at Pete's, Year 2022
  • Type Reading, Organization Play Date at Pete's, Year 2015