Problems
My father was a pioneer in the fluorocarbon and silicon industry.
| Series | |
|---|---|
| In The Dark | |
| Original Broadcast Date | |
| 1993 | |
| Cast | |
| Joe Frank, Grace Zabriskie, Ryan Cutrona, Phil Proctor, Alan Arbus | |
| Format | |
| Absurd Monologue, Improv Actors, Sound Effects, 28 minutes | |
| Preceded by: | God |
| Followed by: | Pilgrim |
Problems is a program Joe Frank produced as part of the series In The Dark. It was originally broadcast in 1993.
Synopsis
Joe's father works in a condom company, condom testing on animals and people. A testing lab made up like a hotel. His father escapes from an unhappy life in a dirigible, catches seagulls and fish. He meets the pope; we're given a list of topics they discuss. His father returns, works in prosthetics, then disappears to avoid patient lawsuits. A man talks about his gun, uses it to shoot a barking dog. His wife is furious. Sound of thunder in the background. The man and wife fight over the weather, over a squash dish, her housework. Monologue: Joe delivers monologue praising an idealized mother in a poor, rural household. Excusing her drunken outbursts, attempts to run away, repeated hospitalization, setting the house on fire, affairs with a doctor. The fighting couple - he refuses to tell her where he's been in order to prevent her from being captured and tortured for information. Monologue: remembering an idyllic past free from crime. A man on the phone describes seeing elephants from the window of his shack, his fear of a wet suit, says good bye. Bird and elephant sounds.
Music
- "Long Gray Line" - Thomas Newman (from Scent Of A Woman, 1993) | YouTube
- "Atom Dream" - William Orbit (from Strange Cargo 2, 1990) | YouTube
Additional credits
The original broadcast credits state: "[C]reated in collaboration with David Rapkin. Recorded and mixed by Theo Mondle. Additional recording by Bob Carlson. The performers were Joe Frank, Grace Zabriskie, Ryan Cutrona, Phil Proctor, and Douglas Johnson."
Commentary
Please see guidelines on commentary and share your personal thoughts in this section.
