The Catering Queen

By Alison Lawrence

Welcome to Henderson Tessier McGuire & Smythe's annual Christmas cocktail party, held at the gracious home of managing partner George Smythe and his lovely wife Buffy. It's The Catering Gig From Hell.

Behind the scenes is Melanie, McKinley Catering's supervisor, plating up hors d'oeuvres and juggling her career as a writer, her ex-boyfriend's appearance on the arm of a gorgeous young lawyer and her friends' expectations. Oh, and Cynthia's there too, an actress not so happy to be wearing the catering bowtie, sniping at their old roommate Timothy, who's making his first catering appearance in years. Eric's there too, but he's never a problem--Eric is the unflappable uber-caterer. Or is he? There's Christmas cheer, sex, romance, death, laughter, a vast array of appetizers and a whole lot of vodka and wine. But not for nothing is Mel known as--The Catering Queen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scirocco Drama
• Release date: Oct 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781990737749

Alison Lawrence

Alison Lawrence is an actor and writer. Alison's previous writing credits include And All For Love, which premiered at the National Arts Centre and bittergirl (Scirocco Drama, 2009), co-authored with Annabel Griffiths and Mary Francis Moore. The bittergirls also co-wrote the self-help guide Bittergirl: Getting Over Getting Dumped, and are now developing bittergirl: the musical. Alison has also written Biff, in which she gave birth onstage; Going For Groceries, a play for a mother and a ten-year-old girl, and is currently writing two new plays: Shannon and Piece by Piece. She lives in Toronto with her two favourite people, Brian and Emma.

Book preview

Cover: The Catering Queen, written by Alison Lawrence, published under Scirocco Drama, by J. Gordon Shillingford, shows a chef, carrying a serving plate in one hand, with the other hand behind her. A crown is drawn above her head, albeit hovering.

The

Catering Queen

Alison Lawrence

The Catering Queen

first published 2011 by

Scirocco Drama

An imprint of J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing Inc.

© 2011 Alison Lawrence

Scirocco Drama Editor: Glenda MacFarlane

Cover design by Terry Gallagher/Doowah Design Inc.

Author photo by John Rait

Production photos by Emma Healey

Printed and bound in Canada on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Manitoba Arts Council and The Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, for any reason, by any means, without the permission of the publisher. This play is fully protected under the copyright laws of Canada and all other countries of the Copyright Union and is subject to royalty. Changes to the text are expressly forbidden without written consent of the author. Rights to produce, film, record in whole or in part, in any medium or in any language, by any group amateur or professional, are retained by the author.

Production inquiries should be addressed to:

[e-mail]

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Lawrence, Alison, 1959-

The catering queen/Alison Lawrence.

A play.

ISBN 978-1-897289-67-9

I. Title.

PS8623.A924C38 2011 C812’.6 C2011-904642-3

J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing

P.O. Box 86, RPO Corydon Avenue, Winnipeg, MB Canada R3M 3S3

For Bradley Garrick, my friend and Catering Queen

Contents

Acknowledgments

About Author

Production Note

Production History

Act I

Act II

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgments

About Author

Production Notes

Production History

Act I

Act II

Guide

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgements

About Author

Production Notes

Production History

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to both original cast and crew who really did do the show for love. Particularly to the wonderful Ed Sahely for his dramaturgy and unrelenting heart whch shows all over this script.

A black and white portrait of the author Alison Lawrence.

Alison Lawrence

Alison is an actor and writer. She wrote and starred in The Catering Queen, which was a sold-out hit at the Toronto Fringe, winning Pick of the Fringe and NOW Magazine’s Outstanding New Play of the Fringe, and then had a critically acclaimed independent production at the Tarragon Theatre’s Extra Space. Alison’s other work includes And All For Love, which premiered at the National Arts Centre, and bittergirl, co-authored with Annabel Fitzsimmons and Mary Francis Moore, (also published by Scirocco Drama) which has had sold-out runs in Toronto, in theatres across Canada and in London, England. The bittergirls also co-wrote the self-helf guide Bittergirl: Getting Over Getting Dumped, published by Penguin Canada, Plume U.S. and in Brazil, and are now developing bittergirl: the musical with the Banff Centre. Alison has also written Biff, in which she gave birth onstage and Going For Groceries, a play for a mother and 10-year-old girl. She has two new plays in development: Shannon and Piece by Piece. She lives in Toronto with her two favourite people, Brian and Emma.

Production Notes

It is important that there is a sense of the party going on outside of the swinging kitchen doors. Mel works almost non-stop throughout the first act, plating hors d’oeurves, wiping down counters and cleaning up plates that are brought to her. If one of the waiters enters the action, they have to have an empty plate and a stack of napkins. Eric is usually clearing or bringing in wine cases. When a character leaves the stage, they take something to serve. It’s a working party.

At the top of Act II the food is mostly gone. Mel is cleaning up and the rest of the crew are working slowly, if at all, until it is time to go. Then things move fast and the stage should be completely clear by the time Mel leaves the kitchen at the end.

Production History

The Catering Queen was