Synopsis
What happens when the people we create to hide our true selves get to live lives of their own? Tiffany is about to find out… but she’s gotta get through a very enthusiastic Orientation Coordinator first.
Reviews and Recommendations
“John Bavoso's The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends is one of the funniest plays we've produced. Not only did our reading committee and actors love the concept, our audiences roared with delight during the whole show.” — The Q Collective
"'The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends' by John Bavoso... is probably one of my favorites of the evening. Bavoso creates an imaginary world where imaginary girlfriends go when they are no longer needed. It’s relatable, current, and relevant with a solid script and concept." — Backstage Baltimore
"The ninth number of the evening titled 'The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends' by John Bavoso was, by far, the most clever work on the playbill... This play is a true gem." – MD Theatre Guide
“A lighthearted comedy of a possibility that feels totally unexplored: What happens to all those Canadian Girlfriends? Very funny, a great addition to any festival.” — Maggie Goscinski
“There’s a whole new level of ‘beards’ in this cleverly conceived comedy. Long after the laughs, long after you’re done rooting for both Tiffany and Rupert, you will be lost in thought. Bavoso will have you in the palm of his hands. As it turns out, it is the perfect place to be.” — Claudia Haas
Cast Breakdown
1M, 1F
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• Evening of One Acts 2024, The Ridgefield Theater Barn, Ridgefield, CT, January 2024 (Production)
• 2023 10-Minute Play Festival, University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance, Columbia, SC, November 2023 (Production)
• 2022 10-Minute Play Festival, Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop, South Fallsburg, NY, June 2022 (Production)
• Spectrum Showcase, Digital Dramatists, June 2021 (Zoom Production)
• Queer Voices Digital One Act Festival, Rainy Day Artistic Collective, Seattle, WA, June 2021 (Zoom Production)
• One Act Play Festival, The Magnetic Theatre, Asheville, NC, June 2021 (Production)
• Cranford Creations One-Act Play Festival, CDC Theatre, Cranford, NJ, December 2020 (Production)
• The Laughing Dog Comedy Short Play Festival, Aux Dog Theatre Nob Hill, Albuquerque, NM, February 2020 (Production)
• Ernest J. King High School, Sasebo, Japan, January 2020 (Production)
• The Coming Out Play Festival, The Q Collective, St. Louis, MO, October 2019 (Production)
• 10x10x10 2019, Fells Point Corner Theatre, Baltimore, MD, May/June 2019 (Production)
• Belfast Pride Play Festival, Cold Comfort Theater, Belfast, ME, June 2019 (Production)
• ArlingTEN Short Play Festival, AFD Theatre, Arlington, MA, June 2019 (Production)
• Second Festival of Shorts, B3 Theater, Phoenix, AZ, June 2019 (Production)
Development History
• Midwest Dramatists Conference, Olathe, KS, September 2019 (Reading)
Publications
• The Best New Ten-Minute Plays, 2021, Applause
Listen to a reading of the play on the Short Play Podcast.
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Photo Credit: Grace O'Keefe and Tom Piccin in the Fells Point Corner Theatre production, courtesy ofTrent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography