Marvin’s Room

Types: Full-Length Play

Genre: Dramatic Comedy

*** All Ages are Relative ***

• The same actor will play Dr. Charlotte and Retirement Home Director.
• The same actor will play Bob and Marvin.

Bessie – (early 40s) Bessie is from Ohio, but she moved to Florida to take care of her father, Marvin, after he had a stroke. She also looks after her aunt, Ruth, who is crippled after sustaining a back injury. She has dedicated most of her adult life to looking after them and does not get any support from her sister, Lee. Bessie and Lee are not close, but Bessie is forced to contact her sister when she is diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow donation.

Lee – (early 40s) Lee is Bessie’s sister. She has not kept in touch with her family and lives miles away from them in Ohio. Lee has two sons, Hank and Charlie. She does not know how to deal with Hank when he rebels against her, and the pair have a fragile relationship. Although Lee and Bessie have not always gotten along, Lee agrees to come to Florida and be tested to see if she can donate bone marrow to her sister, who has leukemia.

Ruth – (plays 70) Ruth lives with her brother, Marvin, and his daughter, Bessie. She has three collapsed vertebrae and has electrodes wired up to her brain to help ease the pain. She is cared for by Bessie and, frequently forgetful, is of little help to Bessie when she needs it. Ruth is obsessed with her favorite soap opera.

Hank – (plays 17) is Lee’s son and Charlie’s brother. After burning down the family house, he ended up in a mental institution in Ohio. Lee rarely visits him, and he has a frail, odd relationship with her. He is allowed out of the institution to come and visit his Aunt Bessie, who has leukemia. He enjoys testing other people’s patience and it is not clear when he is lying or when he is telling the truth. Hank is good with tools and enjoys fixing things.

Dr. Wally – One of the doctors at the medical center Bessie comes to, and to which she brings her father, Marvin, and her aunt, Ruth, for treatment. He has a particularly bad memory and frequently can’t remember words or names. He is awkward around Bessie and his communication skills are poor.

Charlie – (plays early teens) is Lee’s youngest son and Hank’s brother. He loves reading and takes books everywhere he goes. However, he is doing poorly at school and does not concentrate. Charlie does not have a loving relationship with his mother and does not see much of Hank as he is in a mental institution.

Doctor Charlotte – Hank’s psychiatrist at the mental institution in Ohio. She is a stereotypical therapist, encouraging Lee to analyze her relationship with Hank, despite Lee’s lack of concern.

Retirement Home Director – Appears briefly in the play when Lee tries to convince her sister, Bessie, that their father and aunt would be better off in a retirement home.

Bob – Doctor Wally’s brother. Doctor Wally takes him on as an interim receptionist after his current one resigns. Bob does not understand the requirements of the job.

Marvin – Marvin features heavily in the play but is never fully seen. He is a shadowy presence in the back room. He has suffered several strokes, has cancer, and is bed-bound. He has lost the power of speech but communicates through noises. He enjoys watching the light from Ruth’s compact mirror bouncing off the walls of his bedroom.