Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure

One-Acts
By: John Donald O'Shea
Cast: 2 M, 3 F
Performance Time: Approximately 45 minutes, 30 pgs.

Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure is a delightful melodrama replete with broad comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of booing and hissing for the stovepipe-hat-wearing villain!

Nell Pureheart and her wise old Auntie Nora are about to lose the family homestead to unscrupulous banker Wiley Whiplash. Whiplash will forgive the mortgage under one condition: Nell must marry him!

Nell and Nora call on heroic Casey Cleandeed to save the day. Unfortunately, despite his recent law degree, he's not very bright. The play follows a side-splitting trail of intrigue and deception until the truth about the homestead is finally revealed!

To read excerpts click here

From Theatrefolk

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Reviews

a. "I adore Foreclosure (we call it that because we're combining it with a parody on melodrama called Little Nell). It's clever and easy to mount so stuff doesn't get in the way of the posturing and plot, and has the twist of prenups and sexual harassment to bring it into the 21st century.

I love melodrama, it's how I got my kidlets hooked on live theatre and now one of them's an actor in Hollywood. Our actor playing Gideon is also our piano player, and that's worked a treat to teach audiences how to react. Such a clever ploy.

Thanks for the wonderful material in Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure (in San Francisco, it couldn't have  been a more timely
title!) We did two melodramas, and put yours first to "train" the audience, which went over really well with them  (they were also encouraged to toss popcorn at Wiley.)  The language flows ..." Toni Owens, Director, Benecia Old Town Theatre, Benecia, CA

b. "the production was a hit. All the families and friends that came to see it raved about it and the students. The audience was laughing through the whole performance." Director, Christian Academy production.

c.  "Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure Turned Out Swell!" "The first play, "Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure"
was definitely superior to the second. ... It was like watching a classic episode of "Happy Days" and then following it with "Joanie Loves Chachi."
Benicia Daily Republic, October 23, 2007