Birthday Candles

Twelve roles, six actors, one goldfish.

ERNESTINE ASHWORTH – Travels from age seven to 107. In that time she will be a daughter, a girlfriend, a wife, a mother, a friend, an aunt, a mother-in-law, a widow, a second wife, a grandmother, a great grandmother, and a great great grandmother.
ALICE – Selfless. Strong. Ernestine’s mother.
KENNETH – Ernestine’s awkward and annoying next door neighbor.
MATT – Chiseled jawline. A middle linebacker on the high school football team. Ernestine’s boyfriend then husband.
BILLY – Sensitive. An ear for music. Ernestine and Matt’s son.
MADELINE – Troubled. Bemused. Beautiful. Erudite. Ernestine and Matt’s daughter. Played by actor playing Alice.
JOAN – Anxious. Very anxious. Billy’s wife.
ALEX – Takes no bullshit. Billy and Joan’s daughter. Played by actor playing Joan.
ERNIE – Ethereal. Vivacious. She doesn’t walk, she glides. Alex’s daughter. Played by actor playing Alice and Madeline.
WILLIAM – Thirteen. Grand. Played by actor playing Matt.
JOHN – A man woken up in the middle of the night. Played by actor playing Billy.
BETH – John’s domestic partner, she quit smoking ten years ago and hasn’t been in a good mood since. Played by actor playing Joan and Alex.

Twelve roles, six actors, one goldfish.

Roles are doubled as below:

ERNESTINE ASHWORTH
ALICE / MADELINE / ERNIE
KENNETH
MATT / WILLIAM
BILLY / JOHN
JOAN / ALEX / BETH