Moral Support
Moral Support is a naturalistic, family drama, autobiographical in detail, that mixes elements of poetry and surrealism with a very real and devastating portrait of a troubled family and the demands of love.
Mary is divorced, estranged from her family, and suffering with cancer. Her son Mike visits her during spring break. She asks him for concrete actions of moral support. Mike’s father and aunt caution him not to get involved. Old wounds re-open, and the bonds of love are rigorously tested.
This is a full-length play with a cast of four. It was performed in its premiere production for 90-minutes without intermission.
Performance photos by Fernando Natalici.
Production history
Moral Support first had a staged reading at Medicine Show Theatre, NYC, on April 30 and May 1, 2018, directed by Félix Gardón, with Richard Keyser, Cynthia Shaw, Nora McCarthy and David A. P. Brown.
During re-writes, Moral Support had a staged reading at Polaris North theater cooperative, directed by Rose-Marie Brandwein, with Tyler Kent, Diane Tyler, Carla Torgrimson and John L. Payne, on October 16, 2018.
A scene was showcased at Sidewalk Café, in the Prose/Pros reading series, hosted by Elinor Nauen and Martha King, on December 6, 2018.
Moral Support opened an eight-performance premiere production run at Medicine Show Theatre on February 21, 2019, directed by Félix Gardón, with Richard Keyser, Cynthia Shaw, Nora McCarthy and David A. P. Brown, stage manager Brie Mann-Hernandez, costumer Janet Mervin and lighting designer Patrick John Ashcroft.
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“Moral Support is a gentle memory play; nostalgic and autobiographical. William Considine has written a bittersweet tale about an estranged mother’s cry for help and her son’s lifelong struggle to believe her. It’s a slice of life, well written and acted with skill; a personal cri de coeur that resonates long after the final curtain. … [The concluding scene] is moving and hopeful.”
– Jan Ewing, Hi! Drama
“William Considine tears the bandage off the unhealed wound of his family’s disintegration in the unsparing memory play Moral Support, having its Off-Off-Broadway premiere at the Medicine Show Theatre in Manhattan. [T]he drama takes us deep into the broken heart of a dysfunctional family torn apart by alcoholism and emotional abuse. … Playwright Considine, who has said that Moral Support is frankly autobiographical, takes his audience on a sometimes harrowing tour of a very private place.
– Robert Viagas, Arts Independent
“Alcoholism. Abuse. Divorce. Dysfunctional families. All of these are familiar themes in American drama. Rightly so, given how well they’ve proven to continuously resonate with audiences. … However, it’s not every day you come across a script that seamlessly weaves each of them together as well as Moral Support, which recently enjoyed a successful two-week run at the well-renowned Medicine Show Theatre. … [E]qual parts poetic and personal, …[what] stands out about this production [is] the dialogue. … [A]s innovative as the script itself sounds… I’d certainly be fascinated to see this play find a new lease on life someday.”
– Anthony J. Piccione, OnStageBlog
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