Chasing the Money

Illustration of two hands holding a playing card with a man on it.


This is a play about a high school student named Kip, who likes to add spice to everyday life. It’s amazing how the most mundane events can become interesting if you wager a little money on it. Who’s going to be the next person to walk through that door—a male or female? Bet you ten bucks. Suddenly that door becomes fascinating. That’s where Kip starts, but it’s a slippery slope.

With gambling becoming a major source of income for governments, and more and more kids getting involved, I was glad to accept a commission from Leslee Silverman, the extraordinary director of Manitoba Theatre for Young People. I spent many hours talking to young gamblers—and to their families, who were still trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. The play is pretty funny, and uses a lot of stage magic, because most gamblers use a lot of magical thinking. It’s no wonder so many great magicians work in Las Vegas.

First produced by Manitoba Theatre for Young People. February 1999

Green Thumb Theatre toured Chasing the Money in Canada and internationally in 2006-2007


Reviews

“There’s plenty of magic in Dennis Foon’s Chasing the Money…theatre-goers have once again hit the jackpot.”—Winnipeg Sun

“If he wrote for and about adults, Foon’s work would be playing at the Royal Court.”—London Times


Visit Playwrights Canada Press to get a copy

 

Contact Michael Petrasek at Kensington Literary Representation for performance rights information.