Khrushchev and Me

By Burton Bumgarner
8 m, 6 w, 2 flexible, extras
Eldridge Plays and Musicals

The year is 1960 and the fear of nuclear war is foremost in the minds of Americans. This is the year that the O'Brien family leaves New York City for a better life in the suburbs. Children Angie and Ted are worried about fitting in at their new school. Amy, the youngest child, worries about the world situation. Unfortunately, the O'Briens move across the street from the Meyersons, who prove to be the worst neighbors in the world. Amy imagines that Khrushchev, who seems to be the cause of so much tension and fear, would probably be a nicer person if she could visit with him and he could taste her mother's home cooking. Her new friends think she's crazy, especially when she adopts Mr. Khrushchev as her pen pal. She invites the Soviet leader to her home, but she understands that he's very busy running the Soviet Union. Still, she wishes she could meet him. Then, on Christmas Eve, she gets her wish. Performance time: 70 minutes with no intermission.