Closer to Home
Inspired by the 1945 film Christmas in Connecticut
By Laura Williams–French
SYNOPSIS:
Set in 1947, Alice Hansen is the Martha Stewart before there was a Martha Stewart. She cooks, she throws dinner parties, she is a loving wife and mother. In her magazine, she entertains the masses with all her recipes and tips and tricks but the real trick is Alice is none of these things; she’s a single woman living in Brooklyn, pretending to be the perfect house wife. But when her agent arranges for a World War II vet to stay at her Vermont manor for two weeks for publicity’s sake, Alice panics knowing she may just be exposed as a fraud if her sister and brother-in-law don’t play along.
Further chaos ensues when her brother-in-law’s parents show up, along with a reporter and photographer. But nothing prepares Alice for Henry, the war vet, who is everything she has been looking for in a man.
A delightful comedy filled with mistaken identities and shenanigans and the underlying message that telling the truth is usually the best policy.
Rights available upon request.
laura@markpluslaura.com
Rights include 20 bound copies of the Closer to Home script.
Original Production February 20, 2026
The original production of Closer to Home was produced in a small blackbox theatre with seating on three sides. It used minimal sets to allow for the continued use of the shared space.
Director: Faith DenBleyker
Original Cast:
Alice - Sarah Brossow
Henry - Micah Arneson
Helen - Laura French
Matthew - Kioki Frescas
Mike - David Schrengohst
Mabel - Dana Ruhl
Clark - Eric Lewis
Lucy - Sarah May
Ivy - Heather Flockoi
Fran - Jan Schlack
Miriam - Kate Krieg
Amanda - Megan Bradshaw
