A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

All the King's Women

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  17w, 7any gender (adult)

A play that affects the senses – heart, mind, and soul. One doesn’t have
to be an Elvis fan going in, to walk away with a deep appreciation for
‘The King’ at the conclusion" - DC Metro Theater Arts
The story of Elvis Presley told through the eyes of 17 Women! Some Enthralled! Some Appalled! ALL OBSESSED! A fast paced series of 5 comedic plays and 3 monologues based on the Life of Elvis Presley.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    17w, 7any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography, Docudrama/History
  • Suggested Use
    • Cutting Approved for Competition
    • Monologues
    • Scene Work
    • Competition or Audition Material
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences, Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

The story of Elvis Presley told through the eyes of 17 Women! Some Enthralled! Some Appalled! ALL OBSESSED! A fast paced series of 5 comedic plays and 3 monologues based on the Life of Elvis Presley. From Tupelo Mississippi where 11 year old Elvis wanted a BB Gun instead of a guitar, to The Steve Allen Show, from President Richard Nixon's office, to Andy Warhol's studio, from Cadillac Salesmen, to Graceland guards, this is a touching, bring-the-family comedy with a heart that captures the effects that fame, generosity & just being a nice guy can bring to others!

Great for scene-work and competitions as well as full productions, the stories told in this sweeping work include:
- A salesperson's experience when Elvis and his Mother come in to buy Elvis' 11th birthday gift, his 1st guitar.
- The final check, demands, and argument at the Steve Allen show by a NBC censor, Steve Allen's secretary, and Elvis' messenger about hound dogs and pelvic movement.
- A women who runs into Elvis in a supermarket at 3 am and how it changes her life.
- 3 secretaries at the White House gushing out of their minds over a new visitor at the gate who comes to visit Pres Richard Nixon.
- Andy Warhol's assistants planning the angle of the invite to Andy's new Pop Art Elvis exhibition.
- 2 Saleswomen dueling over who will or will not sell Elvis the next Cadillac.
- A security guard inside Graceland divulging on the kindness and charity of Elvis Presley.
- A young woman, who has quit the Graceland souvenir shop, and her obsessed boyfriend contemplating souvenirs, Elvis, and life.

Transitions between scenes are anchored by recorded radio addresses that reinforce the appropriate historical flavor accompanying the life, times, and legacy of Elvis Presley beyond just his music.

History
All the King's Women was first produced by the Metropolitan Thatre Company as part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival at the Where Eagles Dare Theatre in New York City, on July 18, 2007. It was directed by Branan Whitehead.
RADIO ANNOUNCER(S) - can be distributed among 1-8 actors
SALESWOMAN - a saleswoman in a music store in 1946 Tupelo, Mississippi
ABBY - Steve Allen's secretary, of the Steve Allen Show on NBC, 1956
BARBARA - a TV censor for NBC, 1956
CYNTHIA - Elvis's messenger, 1956
EVE - a woman who runs into Elvis in a Memphis supermarket, 1967
ALICE - a White House secretary, 1970
BETH - a White House secretary, 1970
CATHY - a White House secretary, 1970
ALLIE - one of Warhol's assistants, 1963
BONNY - one of Warhol's assistants, 1963
CINDY - one of Warhol's assistants, 1963
LORA - a Cadillac saleswoman, 1976
MONA - a Cadillac saleswoman, 1976
PAULA/PAUL - manager of a Cadillac dealership, 1976, can be male or female
GUARD - a guard at Graceland, 1977, can be male or female
EDDIE - Leslie's boyfriend and Elvis superfan, the present
LESLIE - former employee of the Graceland gift shop, the present

Alternate casting of up to 17f, 7m; or an all Female cast.  Very flexable casting.

  • Time Period 1960s, 1950s, 1940s/WWII, Contemporary, Present Day, 1970s
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Local Celebrity Cameo, No Intermission, Play with Music
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

"Perfect Monologues!" - Outer Critics Circle

"Jannuzzi has a good ear for the periods and for his characters allowing his actors to show range. The point is perhaps not so much about Elvis per se, but instead these scenes reveal snapshots of an American culture, people, and place... In a nearly chronological order, the stand-alone scenes take place between the 1940s and the present day... These characters and situations are best understood within the context of their period." - NYTheatre.com

"[Jannuzi's] plays unfold in such an intimate and genuine way. He writes about Elvis Presley fans with educated and unconventional twists... Smooth transitions and captivating creativity" - RobertaontheArts.com

"Elvis Presley is the subject of interest, but the scenes are about the impact of the lives and the culture he affected, and how society deals with celebrity.... Arousing characters that are distinct and vividly brought to life by humor and emotional revelations... A play that affects the senses – heart, mind, and soul. One doesn’t have to be an Elvis fan going in, to walk away with a deep appreciation for ‘The King’ at the conclusion" - DC Metro Theater Arts

"Bravo. Much Applause." - Mario Fratti

Music

  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Luigi Jannuzzi

Luigi Jannuzzi is an award-winning playwright of one-act theater pieces, as well as full-length plays, who combines romantic/absurdist comedy with serious themes of love, truth and the need to rise above it all. His one-act plays, such as A Bench at the Edge and The Barbarian ...

View full profile

Now Playing