Life Don’t Give You No Do Overs ~ 2 Acts ~ Cast: 11 (7F, 4M) or 12 (7F, 5M)
Synopsis
The death of a loved one is devastating. The death of Billy Hanover, a 17 year old, as a result of a football injury is traumatic.
Billy’s dad, Jim, waits for his ex-wife, Peg, to arrive at the hospital from her out-of-town business trip before their son is disconnected from life support.
A black family, the Davis’, is also in the waiting room anxiously waiting for their son to be brought into surgery for a heart transplant.
Peg’s mother and quirky, New Age sister, June, arrive in the waiting room. The mother suffered a stroke leaving her unable to speak. She communicates by ringing a bell and writing notes. While the sister looks and thinks like she stepped out of the 70’s: peace, love, cosmic energy… (And, pot infused brownies which she made for her nephew, Billy, in a humorous vignette.)
Peg and June’s arrogant, narcissistic brother, Craig, arrives and after some initial cordiality, he starts questioning how his 17 year old nephew could have his life end at such an early age. Emma, the Davis’ grandmother, attempts a religious explanation which Craig vehemently objects to. Worse than that, self-righteous Craig makes racial slurs which antagonizes Emma’s grandson The result being a fist fight which only ends when a “Code Blue” is called for the Davis’ son.
Finally Peg arrives at the hospital and joins Jim in Billy’s room after the machines have been disconnected. She goes to the waiting room as she cannot bear standing by Billy’s bedside as his heartbeat gets weaker and weaker. Jim remains with his son until Billy’s heart stops beating.
Returning to the waiting room, all are grieve stricken over Billy’s passing…even the Davis family.
The hospital’s organ transplant coordinator approaches Peg to sign a consent form to have Billy’s organs harvested for organ donation. (PEG: Harvested? Like some goddamned corn field in Kansas?) Although Jim consented before Peg arrived at the hospital and in spite of her family and Jim’s efforts, Peg refuses to give her consent. She also wants everyone to leave.
Peg is alone in the waiting room with Emma, the Davis’ grandmother. Peg thinks she must look like a hateful woman for not deciding to donate Billy’s organs. Emma consoles her and tells her we all have to make decisions: some good, some bad. But whatever decision we make one thing is for sure: life don’t give you no do overs.
Emma leaves. And, Peg gathers her things and starts to leave. As she gets to the door, she turns, sits back down and sobs as she signs the consent form.
As is common practice, the transplant coordinator gives her notes from the families who her son’s organs will be anonymously donated to.
As she reads them, an offstage voice recites what was written. Especially poignant was from a little girl: “My mommy said that after she gets out of the hospital with her new liver we are going to do stuff like we did before she was sick. We played in the park. We went to the beach with our dog Molly. She did poo on the beach one time. And my mom got really, really mad at her. Love, Nicole Izzo.”
Peg sobs, clutching these notes to her heart as though she was holding her son.
Theaters: Request a copy of this script.
