Reefer Madness is an outrageous tongue-in-cheek musical comedy inspired by the classic 1936 anti-marijuana propaganda film. Madness arises when clean-cut kids fall prey to marijuana, leading them on a hysterical downward spiral.

LANGUAGE The following words are said within the production; whore (4), damn (2), bitch (2)

DRUGS/ALCOHOL Both substances are consumed throughout the performance.

VIOLENCE Jacks carries a gun, used to threaten anyone who challenges him.Jack subjects Mae to repeated abuse – physical, sexual, verbal.Sally slaps her baby to stop him from crying.In the midst of a Reefer delusion Jimmy beats a stuffed dog and cat as though they were real.Sally and Jimmy are involved in a hit and run resulting in the death of an elderly pedestrian.A struggle between Jack and Jimmy, over the gun, results in Jimmy being beaten and Mary being killed. Ralph turns into a Reefer Zombie who kills and eats SallyJack shoots RalphMae kills Jack with a garden hoe

SEXUAL REFERENCES

There’s an orgy in the Reefer Den.Jimmy and Sally engage in sexual foreplayKids at the Five- and- Dime suggestively dance togetherUnder the influence of Reefer Mary becomes a dominatrix; dominating Ralph

CONTENT GUIDE

CHARACTERS Jimmy Harper: A wholesome, innocent, high school teenager who runs into trouble after he is lured into the dangerous world of reefer.

Lecturer: A severe authority figure who warns the audience of the perils of Reefer Madness. (Doubles as Goat-Man, Mr. Poppy, Irish Priest, Old Man, Radio Announcer, Ticket-Taker, Policeman, FDR)

Mary Lane: Jimmy’s sweetheart, a naive, virginal teenage girl.

Jack Stone: The handsome and ruthless proprietor of the Reefer Den, a 30’s gangster movie-type, (doubles as Jesus, George Washington)

Mae: An attractive, yet slightly haggard dame in her mid-30s, hostess of the Reefer Den.

Ralph Wiley: A denizen of the Reefer Den, formally a fraternity man, his college days ended long ago due to his reefer habit. (Doubles as Sally’s baby, Switch puller, Uncle Sam)

Sally: A sexy and seductive resident of the Reefer Den, she possesses the libidinous soul of Mae West combined with the rat-a-tat moxie of vintage Barbara Stanwyck. (Doubles as Lady Liberty)

Placard Girl: Throughout the play she reinforces the warnings of the Lecturer by holding large signs that clearly state the moral of what we’ve just seen. (Double as Five –and-Dime kid, Police officer)

Ensemble: Reefer Zombies, Kids at the Five-and-Dime, Jungle orgy dancers, Angels, and patriotic background chorus in the Star-Spangled finale

Resources:www.tutsunderground.com • www.reefermadness.org

Dan Studney grew up in the suburbs of northeastern New Jersey. A is a self-taught pianist, who by the age of 14 was writing his first scores. While at Drew University he met and began collaborating with lyricist Kevin Murphy. Studney has worked in television as a writer/ producer, in film in production and as director. He has won various Ovation, Garland and Los Angeles Dramatic Critic Circle Awards for writing, composing and producing Reefer Madness.

Kevin Murphy is a graduate of Drew University where he met and began collaborations with Dan Studney. He has worked in television as writer/producer. His work Off-Broadway has earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Lyrics. Kevin has won various Ovation, Garland and Los Angeles Dramatic Critic Circle Awards for writing and composing Reefer Madness.

CREATIVE TEAM

Kevin Murphy Lyricist, Co-Book writer

Dan Studney Composer, Co-Book writer