Here We Sit

Book By: L. Don Swartz
Play #: 8336
Pages: 65 pgs
Cast: 5 m, 9 w

Here is an outrageous comedy for community theatres that puts the audience on the hot seat! A series of sixteen, quick-paced scenes illuminate the joys and tribulations of the modern theatre-going experience. In "An Audience of One," a single theatre patron delivers an impassioned monologue to convince the actors to perform the show just for her. The scene, "What the Crowd Is Thinking," allows us to hear the real thoughts of an audience sitting through an uninspired performance. In "Uber Ushers," a band of ushers, driven to the brink of madness by the boorish behavior of an audience, stages a ferocious uprising to reclaim their theatre. The scenes are propelled by two feisty old ladies, Lottie and Bernice, who keep popping up to express their contempt for the theatre, all the while snacking from enormous purses stuffed with groceries and candy, wrapped in crinkling paper, of course!

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Productions

STARRY NIGHT THEATRE, INC 8 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 5/7/2023
WESTERN CANADA THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
KAMLOOPS, BC 7/26/2019
SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY THEATER 5 Performance(s)
SIOUX CITY, IA 4/4/2019
SAINT BASIL ACADEMY 2 Performance(s)
GLENSIDE, PA 11/11/2016
GARDNER-SOUTH WILMINGTON H.S. 2 Performance(s)
GARDNER, IL 3/18/2016
DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES HIGH SCHO 2 Performance(s)
GRIMES, IA 3/15/2016
LENOIR CITY HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
LENOIR CITY , TN 5/1/2015
LENOIR CITY HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
LENOIR CITY , TN 4/30/2015
SUMMER GLEN PLAYERS 1 Performance(s)
OCALA, FL 1/24/2015
SUMMER GLEN PLAYERS 1 Performance(s)
OCALA, FL 1/22/2015
CHIMACUM HIGH SCHOOL 6 Performance(s)
CHIMACUM, WA 11/14/2014
NORTH MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN 10/25/2014
HILAND HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
BERLIN, OH 10/24/2014
NORTH MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN 10/23/2014
SUMMER GLEN PLAYERS 1 Performance(s)
OCALA, FL 5/21/2014
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE INC 8 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 5/8/2014
BROWNSTOWN JR-SR HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
BROWNSTOWN, IL 4/12/2014
CIVIC PLAYERS OF LOGANSPORT 3 Performance(s)
LOGANSPORT, IN 10/4/2013
UW - MANITOWOC 2 Performance(s)
MANITOWOC, WI 9/12/2013
CROSSROADS DRAMA 1 Performance(s)
HOPKINTON, MA 11/18/2012
MACHICKANEE PLAYERS 6 Performance(s)
OCONTO, WI 10/12/2012
ENTER STAGE LEFT THEATER 2 Performance(s)
HOPKINTON, MA 7/13/2012
WILLIAMSBURG LOCAL SCHOOLS 1 Performance(s)
WILLIAMSBURG, OH 4/28/2012
CEDAR CREEK DRAMA 1 Performance(s)
RUSTON, LA 4/19/2012
MIDDLETOWN AREA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
MT HOLLY SPRINGS, PA 11/11/2011
PCS PLAYERS 2 Performance(s)
PLAINVILLE, CT 10/14/2011
DUNCAN LITTLE THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
DUNCAN, OK 9/10/2011
MOEZART PRODUCTIONS, INC. 8 Performance(s)
PHOENIX, AZ 1/27/2011
WOLF CREEK PLAYERS 2 Performance(s)
BARBERTON, OH 11/19/2010
HIAWATHA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
KIRKLAND, IL 11/15/2010
LAKE BRADDOCK THEATRE 2 Performance(s)
BURKE, VA 10/27/2010
THEATRE GROUP 1 Performance(s)
DOWNERS GROVE, IL 7/10/2010
TRUMBULL NEW THEATER 4 Performance(s)
NILES, OH 7/9/2010
TREEHOUSE SUMMER THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
DOWNERS GROVE, IL 5/16/2010
LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
MANITOWOC, WI 4/28/2010
JOHN H PITTMAN HS 4 Performance(s)
TURLOCK, CA 3/19/2010
DORCHESTER CENTER FOR THE ARTS 3 Performance(s)
CAMBRIDGE, MD 11/21/2009
OCONTO FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 5 Performance(s)
OCONTO FALLS, WI 10/15/2009
OKEECHOBEE HIGH SCHOOL 4 Performance(s)
OKEECHOBEE, FL 10/15/2009
JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
JACKSON, MI 4/23/2009
CRIVITZ HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CRIVITZ, WI 12/15/2008
PENDLETON HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOO 2 Performance(s)
PENDLETON, IN 11/7/2008
MERRYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA 1 Performance(s)
MERRYVILLE, LA 6/14/2008
MINACAPELLIS DINNER PLAYHOUSE 5 Performance(s)
SLIDELL, LA 6/13/2008
NORTH PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
NORTH PROVIDENCE, RI 6/1/2008
STRONG VINCENT HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ERIE, PA 4/12/2008
STRONG VINCENT HS 1 Performance(s)
ERIE, PA 4/11/2008
MONROE CLARK MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
SAN DIEGO, CA 12/12/2007
GPGC 1 Performance(s)
LAKE CHARLES, LA 7/20/2007
TONAWANDA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
TONAWANDA , NY 5/23/2007
NORTHFIELD JR-SR HIGH SCH 2 Performance(s)
WABASH, IN 4/27/2007
SALISBURY HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
SALISBURY, NC 4/26/2007
WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 2 Performance(s)
MACOMB, IL 4/20/2007
SHEFFIELD AREA HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
SHEFFIELD, PA 4/20/2007
ENTER STAGE LEFT THEATER WORKS 2 Performance(s)
HOPKINTON, MA 3/24/2007
HAMPSHIRE HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ROMNEY, WV 3/23/2007

Behind The Scenes

PLAYWRIGHT L. DON SWARTZ

TALKS ABOUT "HERE WE SIT"

 

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?

A: I wanted the audience to see themselves from the actors' point of view.

 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?

A: I like the Lottie and Bernice sections. I like their no-nonsense approach to life. People with absolutely no sense of humor or whimsy are extremely funny to me.

 

Q: WHERE DO THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?

A: The characters come from over 25 years of in-the-trenches theatre experience. Yes, some are people I've known and some are composites of people I have known.

 

Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?

A: I wanted the audience's story told. There is a lot going on out there during any given performance. Sadly, it is often more entertaining than what's on the stage.

 

Q: ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR PLAY?

A: I like to experiment with how action unfolds on the stage. Like early Russian montage films, I like to throw a variety of images and sounds at the audience and let them assemble the meaning. It's a format that gives the audience more responsibility where the narrative is concerned, but I have discovered that the audience is more than up to the task and often appreciative of the challenge. I think the worst thing a playwright can do is underestimate the audience.