Diplomatic Relations

To lure tourists to her city, the mayor of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has built an embassy for the fictional country of Portikrania. But when the State Department and mafia get involved, her scheme explodes into a comedy of Pennsylvanian proportions.

Read a selection from the script.

Characters

  • VEENA GERALDINE HINCKLE, mayor of Wilkes-Barre, mid-50s
  • TONY MALONE, a "contractor," late 20s
  • JENNIFER HINCKLE, Veena's daughter, early 20s
  • DESMOND WESTWOOD, inspector for the State Department, 40s

Productions

  • Riant Strawberry One-Act Festival (New York, August 2010)

Backstory

My childhood babysitter grew up in Wilkes-Barre and moved back fifty years later to find the city well past its prime. I started thinking about what a politician would have to do to save Wilkes-Barre; Diplomatic Relations was my best guess.


"To assess your proximity to sickness, death, or those who wish you to become sick or dead, visit our Actuary Department on the fourth floor next to Visas & Deportation." ~ Open Enrollment