By acclaimed playwright Richard Warren
This is a profound play by one of Arizona’s most respected contemporary playwrights and author of Burning in the Night, A Hobo’s Song, a Theater Works 2013 hit production.
Shifting Gears is a story about a family struggling to embrace and express each member’s own identity as one persons desires clash with another’s expectations. It is filled with familiar places, tones, feelings, longing, laughter and a whole lot of love.
Written by: Richard Warren
From the Author:
A PERIOD DRAMATIC COMEDY – 1961
Shifting Gears relates the story of a functional family of the era filled with love and respect. Each family member is struggling to embrace and express his and her own identity within the confines of the times. The play’s many conflicts come from one’s desires clashing with another’s expectations.
Shifting Gears relates the story of a functional family of the era filled with love and respect. Each family member is struggling to embrace and express his and her own identity within the confines of the times. The play’s many conflicts come from one’s desires clashing with another’s expectations.
FAMILY CONTEXT – 1961
Families typically led a very traditional, patriarchal driven, decades-old lifestyle. This family is one of those. Henry is the breadwinner and responsible for providing for his family’s welfare and direction – and takes this seriously. Annie is the homemaker and responsible for maintaining the home, food and clothing, and her children’s upbringing – and takes this seriously. This family dynamic was so expected that immediately after World War II training films were shown in theatres teaching people how to behave. Fathers and mothers were reminded of their roles, and children were taught “to be seen but not heard,” “to not speak unless spoken to” and “to respect their elders.” Many children found this restrictive and yearned for independence.
Families typically led a very traditional, patriarchal driven, decades-old lifestyle. This family is one of those. Henry is the breadwinner and responsible for providing for his family’s welfare and direction – and takes this seriously. Annie is the homemaker and responsible for maintaining the home, food and clothing, and her children’s upbringing – and takes this seriously. This family dynamic was so expected that immediately after World War II training films were shown in theatres teaching people how to behave. Fathers and mothers were reminded of their roles, and children were taught “to be seen but not heard,” “to not speak unless spoken to” and “to respect their elders.” Many children found this restrictive and yearned for independence.
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT – 1961.
Eisenhower was credited by many as saving the world from Hitler through his D-Day success. It’s perhaps the reason he was elected President in 1952 and 1956. Richard Nixon was Eisenhower’s Vice-President for eight years. He was yet to be discredited, and was elected President in his own right in 1968 and 1972. When a 43-year-old John Kennedy was elected President in 1960, he ushered in the promise of a fresh era of “youth and vigor” and much hope for the future. The country of Vietnam was virtually unknown. None of the 1960′s assassinations had occurred (John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X). Nothing that came to pass was anticipated.
Eisenhower was credited by many as saving the world from Hitler through his D-Day success. It’s perhaps the reason he was elected President in 1952 and 1956. Richard Nixon was Eisenhower’s Vice-President for eight years. He was yet to be discredited, and was elected President in his own right in 1968 and 1972. When a 43-year-old John Kennedy was elected President in 1960, he ushered in the promise of a fresh era of “youth and vigor” and much hope for the future. The country of Vietnam was virtually unknown. None of the 1960′s assassinations had occurred (John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X). Nothing that came to pass was anticipated.
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