About the Playwright:
Michael Hotchkiss has been a member of the Tidewater Dramatists Guild for over 15 years. During that time, he has had several staged readings of his works for special audiences. His radio play, The Island, was a winner in the Writer’s Digest contest for radio plays and he has published short plays in church magazines.
Fall Back, Spring Ahead
a comedy in one act
by Michael J. Hotchkiss
About the Play:
It is the Sunday morning when Daylight Saving Time starts or ends... This family does not know which. Turn the clocks forward or back? Or, who is to change them? And when exactly? “Fall Back, Spring Ahead” tackles with Great hilarity, this “timely” event. (30 minutes)
Characters:
Father, about 37 years old
Mother, also about 37
Jill, age 16 or 17
Benjamin, about eight
The Place: A living room
The Time: The Present
The Scene: It is Sunday morning. The scene is the living room of modern American home. Among the usual living room furniture--table, lamps, chairs, sofa, telephone--are many, many clocks on the walls, shelves, tables, and floor. Each clock has a different time. As the curtain opens there are the sounds of many clocks ringing, buzzing, clanging together. The sounds end.
From the Play:
Jill: It was mentioned in the paper last night. The paper had the usual picture...(Posing) a girl holds a clock next to her head, points to it smiles and the caption reads, “It’s time to fix your clock!”
Father: Well, I took care of everything. I set all the clocks ahead one hour last night before going to bed.
Mother: You set the clocks ahead an hour? I set the clocks back an hour.
Father: If I set the clocks ahead one hour why did you set them back an hour? Are we supposed to set them up or back?
Mother: I’m not sure. I get confused every time this happens. Where is the newspaper? We can find the newspaper and straighten things out. (She starts to look around.)
