Tail of the Bell

by Gabriel Neustadt

Eric is a recent college graduate working as an SAT tutor to pay the bills. Tonight he arrives at the Tarzana home of one of his wealthy students but finds that her mother, Michelle, is waiting for him instead. Her daughter Jessica isn't there yet, she explains, but she'll be arriving soon. However, as the conversation between them carries on, it becomes clear that Jessica is not coming at all, and that Michelle...

Eric is a recent college graduate working as an SAT tutor to pay the bills. Tonight he arrives at the Tarzana home of one of his wealthy students but finds that her mother, Michelle, is waiting for him instead. Her daughter Jessica isn't there yet, she explains, but she'll be arriving soon. However, as the conversation between them carries on, it becomes clear that Jessica is not coming at all, and that Michelle has brought Eric here for different reasons. His relationship with Jessica has become close, she explains, perhaps too close. And despite Eric's denials and explanations, Michelle trots out more and more evidence indicating that something abnormal has been going on between tutor and student.

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Tail of the Bell

Recommended by

  • Andrew Vega: Tail of the Bell

    Tense, awkward, and somewhat quirky and funny, TAIL OF THE BELL is a very entertaining play to read, watch, or listen to. Michelle seems to be very quick to jump to conclusions, and Eric tries his best to contain her frustrations while offering his own explanation of her accusations. This makes for a high-intensity, high-emotion conversation between the two that has a few good jabs and jokes sprinkled in for good measure.

    Highly recommend it!

    Tense, awkward, and somewhat quirky and funny, TAIL OF THE BELL is a very entertaining play to read, watch, or listen to. Michelle seems to be very quick to jump to conclusions, and Eric tries his best to contain her frustrations while offering his own explanation of her accusations. This makes for a high-intensity, high-emotion conversation between the two that has a few good jabs and jokes sprinkled in for good measure.

    Highly recommend it!

  • Nick Malakhow: Tail of the Bell

    A taut and tense interaction between a mother and her daughter's tutor whom she suspects of inappropriate conduct that unfolds in all the irregular and human rhythms of real time. While the mystery of what actually happened between Eric and Jessica drives the piece, Michelle's overall arc is perhaps the most compelling and intriguing throughline in the play--the way her concern for Jessica's wellbeing diverges from and intersects with her own anxieties about parenthood, not knowing her child, and self-actualization. The socio-economic snapshot is also crystal clear and well-rendered.

    A taut and tense interaction between a mother and her daughter's tutor whom she suspects of inappropriate conduct that unfolds in all the irregular and human rhythms of real time. While the mystery of what actually happened between Eric and Jessica drives the piece, Michelle's overall arc is perhaps the most compelling and intriguing throughline in the play--the way her concern for Jessica's wellbeing diverges from and intersects with her own anxieties about parenthood, not knowing her child, and self-actualization. The socio-economic snapshot is also crystal clear and well-rendered.

  • Cheryl Bear: Tail of the Bell

    A fascinating investigation into the truth by a mother who smells something suspicious. She's presented with the conundrum of where to draw the boundary between herself and her daughter's life. A powerful and suspenseful exchange that brings up so many questions wrapping us up in the answers. Captivating and incredibly well done!

    A fascinating investigation into the truth by a mother who smells something suspicious. She's presented with the conundrum of where to draw the boundary between herself and her daughter's life. A powerful and suspenseful exchange that brings up so many questions wrapping us up in the answers. Captivating and incredibly well done!

View all 6 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization The Blank Theatre, Year 2017

Awards

  • Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship
    New Dramatists
    Semi-Finalist
    2017
  • Ashland New Plays Festival
    Ashland New Plays Festival LLC
    Finalist
    2017
  • National Playwrights Conference
    Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
    Finalist
    2017