7 Characters: 3 W, 4 M (and 11 Puppet Characters)
Tragicomedy 128 pages, runs 120 mins
Synopsis
In the hot summer months, a travelling carnival company does the well-worn circuit with its fading tents and crumbling equipment. Willa, a long-time carnival employee and operator of the duck pond, struggles to attract players and keep them satisfied. Her son Barnie assists her but secretly desires to be Bozo at the dunk tank. Bozo takes Barnie on as apprentice despite Barnie’s lack of skill and judgment. Daryl, the grill-cook at the concession stand, operates his own scheme by romancing key individuals. Ruza and Sanjay, the Pakistani-born carnival owners, hope to bring in enough to help fund their son’s schooling, but the carnival has been fighting competition. Ruza attempts to solve the mystery and undermine the perpetrator who gives away their location as Willa works to save her spot at the carnival. Schemes collapse and plots are uncovered. Life changes, and the carnival moves on. What if it moves on without you?