Casting Swine Before Pearls
The leaders of a small rural church are ecstatic when told the church may receive $6 million. Longtime church member Chance McDermott has passed away and left his fortune (unknown to anyone who knew him) to the congregation. But, there is one interesting caveat: they must care for his three prized hogs…immediately! So they arrange to bring the hogs to the church property and temporarily care for them in the fenced playground. That doesn’t seem like a lot to ask for $6 million, except that the church’s most influential -- and pretentious -- member, Pearl June Carbuckle, has arranged to meet a state senator at the church property to discuss an award for being the most civic-minded church in the region. Church secretary Robyn Chandler can do a great impression of Pearl June, which comes in quite handy as they attempt to keep the senator distracted from the swine. Add relatively new pastor Vince Valentine; a church janitor (Jingles Bradshaw) who has a "creative" grasp of the English language; and Pearl June’s husband Quentin, who is having trouble seeing, and it makes for a hilarious sequence of events. What happens to the $6 million? Well, that is all part of the fun 24-hour journey of Casting Swine Before Pearls.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
What inspired you to write this play?
The concept of the play popped into my head while traveling to a church to serve as a guest director for an Easter production. It took months before I got around to writing it, however. Pearl June Carbuckle’s character name is mentioned in “Clotheslined at Gumption Gulch” and I just concocted the scenario with the three prized swine in order to have both pearls and swine. This script was so much fun to weave together.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
I definitely had fun with Jingles Bradshaw’s character. The lines he shouts when bursting into a room with a “warning” are my favorites.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
Life has allowed me to meet many “interesting” people. So, let’s say that some characters are loosely based on actual folks.
What did you try to achieve with this play?
Laughs...with no worries with inappropriate content.