THE TALK
Manu, a recently widowed, immigrant woman, awakens her estranged daughter, Claire, in the middle of the night to ask a wildly inappropriate question. But what begins as a confrontation between mother and daughter transcends into an honest and open dialogue about intimacy and identity between two women—one who never had the freedom to explore her own sexuality, and the other who, after many long years of ambiguity, has finally embraced her own.
THE TALK
Characters:
MANU: 54, Haitian; Claire’s mother. She carries herself much older than she actually is; like she’s given up on a part of herself. However, underneath her matronly demeanor, there is curiosity and vibrancy. She is extremely neurotic and needy, which often reveals itself as passive-aggressive and narcissistic.
CLAIRE: 34, Black American woman of Haitian descent. Manu’s daughter. A yoga instructor/trainer. She appears edgy, liberal, and easy-going, but is actually rigid and quite anxious. She works hard to maintain a sense of equilibrium that her mother easily disrupts.
Setting: Claire’s bedroom in Manu’s home in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Time: The middle of the night.
Author
France-Luce Benson’s plays have been produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre, City Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, and Billie Holiday Theatre, among others. Awards and honors include NEA Grant recipient, Dramatists Guild Fellow, Winner of the 41st annual Samuel French OOB Festival, Winner of the National New Play Network Award for Short Playwriting, Alfred P. Sloan New Play Commission (THE DEVIL’S SALE), Alfred P. Sloan Screenplay Award (Healing Roots)”.... [FULL BIO]