Head That Wouldn't Die
A madman is on the loose and college student Penny, somewhat flighty, has gotten a gun for protection over the objections of her brainy roommate Janice. The objections prove all too true when Penny accidentally shoots her boyfriend, Glen. Granted, his sense of humor often makes people want to shoot him, but this was truly an accident. Fortunately, Janice is a pre-med genius and she is able to use a very unorthodox method to save Glen’s life...kind of. His head at least, but only temporarily. While Glen protests to being stored in the TV cabinet, Penny is concerned that not all of Glen’s body could be saved. After all, what’s a boyfriend without all his body parts? Janice is frantic as to what to do next as the unusual events have attracted the attention of a nosy neighbor and a curious police officer. Janice and Penny try their best to conceal the horrible secret but events soon start to spiral out of control. Janice calls upon her nerdy scientist friend, Luke. Perhaps his newest creation, the B7 robot, can save the situation. But then, what about the werewolf?
(For a school version of this play see #8224 - "It's Alive! The Head That Wouldn't Die")
Productions
Behind The Scenes
PLAYWRIGHT RAND HIGBEE TALKS ABOUT
“THE HEAD THAT WOULDN’T DIE”
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
A: "The Head That Wouldn't Die" is a tribute to all those bad old science fiction movies I grew up watching as a kid.
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
A: I really like the secret that Janice reveals at the end of Act One. That pretty much makes the whole play.
Q: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
A: The characters are stereotypes you often find in bad (and even good) science fiction and horror movies: The brainy girl, the pretty girl, the jock, the nerd, the overly serious policeman, the nosy neighbor....
Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
A: I hope it's actually a nostalgic piece. I enjoy it when people walk out of the theater saying "That reminded me of all those movies I used to watch as a kid."
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
A: I've included in the play several subtle and not so subtle references to old science fiction movies and TV shows. Hopefully serious sci-fi fans will have fun seeing how many they can pick out.