Like Jerome McDonough's other Young Adult Awareness Plays, this one should be seen by parents as well as the young adults.

The characters in Splits are COD-fish—"Children of Divorce." Everybody knows that the real losers in divorce are the children of the divorcing couple. This poignant play bares the souls of a typical group of codfish. Hopefully, it will help some of the codfish in the audience cope. Will it have any effect on parents? Will it prevent some about-to-happen divorces? Probably not. Will it lead some young adults to think carefully before rushing into marriage? Possibly. Hopefully.

In our selfish society, where "My happiness is the only happiness that matters," there seems to be little that can be done to prevent divorce. But—who knows?—this play may help. At the very least it should help some codfish to heal. It deserves a showing on your stage.

Playing time varies from about 30 minutes to 35 minutes, depending on whether the "optional section" is included. About the optional section, Jerome McDonough stated: "As a playwright I wish to have all sections of the play included. On the other hand, I would rather see the rest of the play produced than to have much that is positive denied an audience because of one or two objectionable scenes." The optional section is noted in the text.

Using his familiar (and much imitated) ensemble technique, in which all the actors form a "living cyclorama" background, the author shows us young people crushed by the split-up of their parents, and he shows us one or two who rather enjoy the situation. The Living Cyclorama employs the actors and actresses in the play as a "backdrop curtain" before which the show takes place. The performers form a large arc upstage of the performance space itself. Any actor not involved in the current scene will stand on this arc, facing away from the audience. This "Cyc" will be constantly changing as a ctors move out and in. Props and costume elements are placed at the Cyc location where they will be needed. No other scenery or set props are needed.

One act. The flexible cast may be fairly small or very large with many roles playable by males or females. Unit set of platforms and step units.

Other McDonough Young Adult plays: Addict, Alky, Blues, Carriers, Dolls, 'Hoods, Juvie, Turners, Users

See also: Awareness Plays for Young Adults