the story
In the middle of the night, Jerry’s fiery Irish grandmother Maggie walks out of the house and nearly steps in front of a train.
And now his estranged mother and his overworked boyfriend, Pete, are desperate to get Maggie out of Jerry’s care and into a home with the professional help she needs.
But Jerry will have none of that. Because he knows what’s best. Also because Maggie once rescued him from a troubled childhood, raised him as her own, and ignited his spirit with the power of her storytelling. Now, as Maggie’s memories slip away, Jerry spirals into risky behaviors, fading further and further from himself.
He must reconnect, and he thinks he’s found the answer.
He fills their living room with the model trains Maggie gave him growing up. Convinced they will trigger her memories, he draws her into their beloved childhood storytelling game. With the click of a switch, their miniature trains become a world of stories all around them. Amidst the whirl of trains, they dive into the colorful, musical, and sometimes terrifying landscape of Maggie’s mind.
It works.
Until it doesn’t.
And Jerry is left with an impossible decision.
In the end, Maggie is the one who somehow forges a reconnection and a new path forward for Jerry through the simple act of storytelling.
setting
the main action
1978, the family room of a nice brownstone home in Chicago’s Lincoln Park
maggie’s stories
“Boxcar Maggie” – 1920, various locations in Ireland and the U.S.
“Train Wreck” – 1937, the bar car of a train heading to Chicago
“The Last Time” – 1946, train depot in Terre Haute, IN
characters
(most play multiple roles)
JERRY (40 / Male)
Maggie’s 40-year-old grandson. A spoiled man-boy, seeking answers in all the wrong places. In the end, one truly unselfish act helps him begin to grow up.
MAGGIE (75 / Female)
Jerry’s Irish grandmother; living with dementia, but still retains a major touch of the blarney. She is 75, but jumps into the stories of her own life at ages 16, 34 and 42.
PETE (25 / Male)
Jerry’s live-in boyfriend. Patient, but growing weary, as Maggie’s care falls more to him.
CHRISTINE (57 / Female)
Maggie’s daughter, Jerry’s estranged mother. A survivor whose sardonic humor masks a secret that is a deep burden.
CALLIE (40 / Female)
Maggie’s employer and eventually her lover. Has overcome many obstacles to become a successful businesswoman.
YOUNG JERRY (9 / Male)
A figure mostly in Maggie’s mind. Nine years old; filled with promise, mixed with fear and confusion.
YOUNG CHRISTINE (20s / Female)
Jerry’s mother at a younger age. Self-centered and defiant, but eventually makes the ultimate sacrifice for her child.
JACKSON (20s / Male)
Christine’s husband & Jerry’s father. Moves from gentle soul to wounded and abusive war veteran.
EARL (40s / Male)
Jackson’s father. Stern, bigoted, blames the world for his failure.
