Sunshine in Every Window
The Unofficial Story of First Houses
one-act play
one-act play
New York, 1934. Crusading city planner Mary Simkhovitch makes a difficult ally for Fiorello La Guardia and Eleanor Roosevelt. The mayor and First Lady just want to build the first public housing in America; Mary demands it live up to America's ideals.
CAST
3 female, 2-3 male
CHARACTERS
FIORELLO H. LA GUARDIA, Mayor of New York City, 52, short
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, First Lady of the United States, 51, tall
MARY KINGSBURY SIMKHOVITCH, President of the National Public Housing Conference and vice-chairman of the New York City Housing Authority, 68
VINCENT ASTOR, millionaire, 44
BIANCA, factory worker, 20
ANDREW MULLER, landlord (may be played by the actress playing Eleanor in a fat suit and beard)
SETTING
Mainly East 3rd Street, New York, NY
(Bare stage. No set required.)
TIME
From March 1934 to December 1935
CAST
3 female, 2-3 male
CHARACTERS
FIORELLO H. LA GUARDIA, Mayor of New York City, 52, short
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, First Lady of the United States, 51, tall
MARY KINGSBURY SIMKHOVITCH, President of the National Public Housing Conference and vice-chairman of the New York City Housing Authority, 68
VINCENT ASTOR, millionaire, 44
BIANCA, factory worker, 20
ANDREW MULLER, landlord (may be played by the actress playing Eleanor in a fat suit and beard)
SETTING
Mainly East 3rd Street, New York, NY
(Bare stage. No set required.)
TIME
From March 1934 to December 1935
(audio recording)
Atlanta Fringe Audio
Atlanta, GA
June 1-13, 2021
Cast:
Mark Gordon in New York, New York (FIORELLO H. LA GUARDIA)
Nancy Winokoor in Providence, Rhode Island (ELEANOR ROOSEVELT)
Lori Bruun in Columbia, Maryland (MARY KINGSBURY SIMKHOVITCH)
Chris Erath in Framingham, Massachusetts (VINCENT ASTOR)
Kira Hoag in Los Angeles, California (BIANCA)
Fred Harlow in San Diego, California (ANDREW MULLER)
Virtual stage manager: Tyler Miller in London, Ontario
Directed and edited by Rex McGregor
Atlanta Fringe Audio
Atlanta, GA
June 1-13, 2021
Cast:
Mark Gordon in New York, New York (FIORELLO H. LA GUARDIA)
Nancy Winokoor in Providence, Rhode Island (ELEANOR ROOSEVELT)
Lori Bruun in Columbia, Maryland (MARY KINGSBURY SIMKHOVITCH)
Chris Erath in Framingham, Massachusetts (VINCENT ASTOR)
Kira Hoag in Los Angeles, California (BIANCA)
Fred Harlow in San Diego, California (ANDREW MULLER)
Virtual stage manager: Tyler Miller in London, Ontario
Directed and edited by Rex McGregor
* Joint winner, Virtual Play Festival, Theatre Woodstock, Woodstock, Ontario, 2021
East Side Stories
Metropolitan Playhouse
New York, NY
April 6, 8, 12, 15, 21, 23, 2017
Cast: Lianne Kressin (Mary), Ben Gougeon (Fiorello), Regina Gibson (Bianca), Kelly Cooper (Vincent), Deborah Green (Eleanor), Peter Tedeschi (Andrew)
Directed by Michael Hardart
Metropolitan Playhouse
New York, NY
April 6, 8, 12, 15, 21, 23, 2017
Cast: Lianne Kressin (Mary), Ben Gougeon (Fiorello), Regina Gibson (Bianca), Kelly Cooper (Vincent), Deborah Green (Eleanor), Peter Tedeschi (Andrew)
Directed by Michael Hardart