Just Like the Ones I Used to Know
Ted and Jane are hosting Ted’s mother and sister for Christmas. As they share memories of their childhood home (acted out live) it becomes clear that their perspectives about the past are very different. An on-going “falling off the ladder” gag adds to the laughs. Finally, Mom presents them each with a DVD featuring their old home movies. As they watch it together, the realization that perhaps they each had things better than they remember brings a lump to the throat and an appreciation for the value of family. Performing groups can be as creative as desired in videotaping their own “home movies" weeks ahead of their actual stage performance. The play runs about 30 minutes and also works well as a dinner theatre by splitting the scenes throughout the evening.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
PLAYWRIGHT TERRIE TODD TALKS ABOUT HER PLAY
“JUST LIKE THE ONES I USED TO KNOW”
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
A: A short comedy sketch I saw used the method of reenacting scenes from the husband’s perspective, then the wife’s. I thought it was a great technique to demonstrate how adult siblings might remember their childhood, and decided to place it in the back of Christmas.
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
A: My favorite part was the end, when the family is watching their old home movies and realizing that perhaps all their perspectives, even Mom’s, may have been a bit skewed. Having lost my own dad in 1986, Patsy’s simple statement, “I miss Dad” brought tears to my eyes no matter how often I saw it.
Q: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
Coming from a family of five kids, I suppose I may have reflected on myself and my own siblings. My older brothers still think I was pretty spoiled!
Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
A: We wanted a story that would do more than simply entertain, but bring nostalgia, lots of laughter, a tear or two, and an appreciation for the perspectives of others.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
A: The beauty of this play is twofold: it’s a great way to use young actors alongside your adults. Secondly, it incorporates a short amateur video production that will utilize people with those talents and make your production truly unique. We were fortunate enough to be able to shoot ours at two different farms, using live sheep and a donkey! One neat bit of trivia is that our young Patsy and our adult Patsy were both left-handed.