Thomas Alexander

The Family: a Play Thomas Alexander

Today, for the first time in longer than anyone can remember, the family are gathering. All of them. They are gathering to celebrate the engagement of the maternal niece, they are gathering to celebrate the last birthday of the patriarch, they are gathering to welcome home the prodigal son and his beautiful girlfriend. They are going to celebrate all this with a slideshow. But this is a family with secrets. A family that believes in sweeping things under the carpet. Of keeping things in the family. Of staying together no matter what the cost. This is a family that believes in taking photographs. Candid photographs. Photographs of things no one thought anyone else knew about. Photographs of each and every dark and secret moment they have kept hidden. Photographs of people when no one else was there. Photos that deal with the remnants of child abuse, infidelity, loss, destruction, and missed birthday parties. It?s all coming out today. In black and white. On slides for everyone to see. It?s all coming out tonight and everyone?s going to know everything. No one?s sleeping, and when it?s over, there may not even be a family left.