The Sign

by Carl Maronich

(Full-length) In the late fall of 1963, Austin, Texas diner owner Ernesto Rodriguez has been able to arrange a special visitor for his struggling business, President John F. Kennedy
To capitalize on the photo opportunity, and despite the objections of his wife, Ernesto goes into debt with a notorious loan shark to buy a big, beautiful neon sign, to light the way to the All-American Diner. It’s a debt he knows he...

(Full-length) In the late fall of 1963, Austin, Texas diner owner Ernesto Rodriguez has been able to arrange a special visitor for his struggling business, President John F. Kennedy
To capitalize on the photo opportunity, and despite the objections of his wife, Ernesto goes into debt with a notorious loan shark to buy a big, beautiful neon sign, to light the way to the All-American Diner. It’s a debt he knows he’ll be able to re-pay easily from all the business generated by the Presidential visit.
When Kennedy never makes it to Austin, Ernesto’s plan unravels. Like the ship’s captain in a poem from his youth, Ernesto does what he thinks best to protect his family, and his faith in the American Dream, but is it enough?

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The Sign

Recommended by

  • John Medlin: The Sign by Carl Maronich
    “

    Ernesto's family is the beating heart of The Sign. It's heartbreaking watching the family fall apart resulting from a series of bad decisions from Ernesto. It is made all the more tragic with Ernesto's good intentions and high hopes.

    Ernesto's family is the beating heart of The Sign. It's heartbreaking watching the family fall apart resulting from a series of bad decisions from Ernesto. It is made all the more tragic with Ernesto's good intentions and high hopes.

    ”
  • Scott Carter Cooper: The Sign by Carl Maronich
    “

    With echoes of A Death of A Salesman, and played out against a backdrop of American tragedy, Maronich creates a loving portrait of three generations of a family through the musicality of their language and illustrates how ambition can lead to the commoditization of culture and potential disaster. The journey comes full circle to a message of hope. Highly satisfying.

    With echoes of A Death of A Salesman, and played out against a backdrop of American tragedy, Maronich creates a loving portrait of three generations of a family through the musicality of their language and illustrates how ambition can lead to the commoditization of culture and potential disaster. The journey comes full circle to a message of hope. Highly satisfying.

    ”
  • Karen Saari: The Sign by Carl Maronich
    “

    This play is a powerful work of historical fiction. The stakes are high as Ernesto risks losing everything his family his family has worked so hard for. He is a character that you root for despite the heartbreaking choices he makes. He's a good man caught between what he feels are trappings of his heritage and a desperate hope for a prosperous future for his family. Every character is so finely nuanced--you will ache for each of them. Highly recommend!

    This play is a powerful work of historical fiction. The stakes are high as Ernesto risks losing everything his family his family has worked so hard for. He is a character that you root for despite the heartbreaking choices he makes. He's a good man caught between what he feels are trappings of his heritage and a desperate hope for a prosperous future for his family. Every character is so finely nuanced--you will ache for each of them. Highly recommend!

    ”

Development History

  • Reading, Chicago Dramatist, 2020