On Either Side of All the Late Unpleasantness

by Kaia L

Clay County, Missouri, 1860. Civil war is brewing in the United States, and the nation’s turmoil has spread to the Pearson household. Eddie, an abolitionist, is firmly on the side of the Union; his brother Charlie sympathizes with the position of the southern states. As pressures mount inside and outside the home, the brothers feel they have no choice but to join the fight—on opposite sides. Their decision to go...

Clay County, Missouri, 1860. Civil war is brewing in the United States, and the nation’s turmoil has spread to the Pearson household. Eddie, an abolitionist, is firmly on the side of the Union; his brother Charlie sympathizes with the position of the southern states. As pressures mount inside and outside the home, the brothers feel they have no choice but to join the fight—on opposite sides. Their decision to go to war permanently alters the fabric of the family, and everyone--including the family's two slaves--has to face the consequences.

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On Either Side of All the Late Unpleasantness

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  • Shaun Leisher: On Either Side of All the Late Unpleasantness by Kaia L
    “

    This is a play with no easy answers. Just like any great play is. It's a play filled with ideas and passions.

    This is a play with no easy answers. Just like any great play is. It's a play filled with ideas and passions.

    ”
6M, 3W (including 2 children):
- 1 white man, early fifties
- 2 white men, twenties
- 1 Black man, late twenties
- 1 white woman, late forties
- 1 Black woman, early-to-mid twenties
- 2 Black children, one boy and one girl, ranging in age from five to nine

Doubling:
- The actor who plays SYLVIA also plays WOMAN in the Post-Script
- The actor who plays DAVID also plays NEGRO SOLDIER, and plays MAN in the Post-Script
- The actor who plays PEARSON COUSIN will also play TELEGRAPH OPERATOR, CONFEDERATE SOLDIER, UNION SOLDIER, SGT. TRENT, and UNION NOTIFIER (unless casting is expanded)