A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Permanent Image

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 2m

Fusing realism with the theatre of the absurd, A Permanent Image explores the labyrinth of family life, asking what it takes to bring distant loved ones back together.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Siblings Bo and Ally are back in their childhood home in Idaho for the funeral of their father. Their mother Carol has painted the whole house white and is suspected to have been drinking since their father’s death. What Ally and Bo come to find out is that their mother has a method to her madness as she pulls out some home videos of their father just before he died. Called a fusion between realism and the absurd, A Permanent Image is a tense exploration of the distance families put between themselves and what it takes to bring them back together.

History
A Permanent Image premiered at Boise Contemporary Theatre in Boise, ID in November 2011 under the direction of Kip Fagan.

CAROL – early to mid-sixties, female.
BO – Carol's son, mid to late thirties, male.
ALLY – Carol's daughter, early to mid-thirties, female.
MARTIN (on video only) – Carol's husband, Bo and Ally's father, early to mid-sixties, male.

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting

    The interior of a small, ranch-style house in Viola, Idaho.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Multimedia
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Media

“Hunter is adept at coming up with...striking visual images.” – Chicago Tribune

“A thought-provoking, raw examination of human nature that will leave you pondering it for days.” – Boise Weekly

“A Permanent Image is great theatre!” – Broadway World 

“Hunter uses a wacky, bizarre circumstance to tickle your theatrical muscle, and then good old-fashioned empathy to make you think about how you would react in the same circumstance. Truly, the appeal of this play is all in that tension.” – Chicago Tribune

Videos

  • Rogue Machine Trailer - A Permanent Image youtube thumbnail

    Rogue Machine Trailer - A Permanent Image

  • Samuel D. Hunter – Advice on Producing his Plays youtube thumbnail

    Samuel D. Hunter – Advice on Producing his Plays

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Samuel D. Hunter

Samuel D. Hunter is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and producer whose deeply human stories explore faith, family and the American experience. In 2025, Hunter made his Broadway debut with the critically acclaimed play Little Bear Ridge Road, starring Laurie Metcalf ...

View full profile

Now Playing

Related