The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council’s Readers’ Theater series continues Jan. 26 with a reading of “Tomatoes,” by Diane Nichols.
The plot centers on a high school prank played in the life of one of the major characters and the yearning for a traditional family of another character. Most viewers will recognize some of the people and events, which might parallel their own lives, in this script with its interesting and likable characters. Nichols’ script asks how the events in our past shape our future.
“Tomatoes” centers around a family filled with interesting characters, all of whom have personal foibles, and all of whom the audience will care about. Through eight year old Sean, who loves his granddad Henry, but wants a dad so much that he goes out to find a love prospect for his Mom, the playwright gives us insight into what makes her characters tick. Sean wants a new daddy, and Henry spends his life growing tomatoes and thinking he would be better off dead.
Henry’s preoccupation with dying has its origin in the mishandling of an incident in high school which has followed him all his life, as has the girl who caused the incident, because she had a crush on him. Add a daughter who is looking for herself, her quietly strange friend Karma, and the older lady who was the root of the high school incident and you have the mix of characters who are the characters in the comedy “Tomatoes.”
Nichols is a writer and freelance book editor who lives in Edmonds. She has written several one-act plays that have been performed in Portland, Ore., but this is her first full length script. She has worked as a puppeteer, creator of magical tea parties, arts teacher, pirate wench, and stand-up comedienne. She comments that children and animals love her. The playwright and the play combine to offer a delightful experience for the audience.
A coffee, cookie and discussion time is scheduled after the presentation when audience, playwright, and cast will have the opportunity to exchange ideas about the script.
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