Bev Clark

Jessie's Tree Bev Clark

Jessie's Tree is a play for a large youth ensemble (although characters can double) It is a journey through the 20th century seen through the eyes of the children of each generation. Split into four separate scenes - stories in themselves but linked by a thread of family history. Written originally for the WW1 Centenary in 2014 this story has many themes; war, grief, remembrance, growing up and relationships. Scene 1 is set in Winter 1918, when young Jessie Hannigan, who lost her brother in the war, meets Cecil by the old tree struck by lightning in 1916 they form a friendship. Cecil has lost his father and they both learn how to grieve in a troubled and changing world. Scene 2 is the summer of 1940, where Jessie's children meet two evacuees and learn something of each others lives against the backdrop of yet another war. Scene 3 moves to the summer of 1967, Jessie's grandson Stevie and his friends are growing up in a very different world. Music, freedom, a war in Vietnam and Stevie has to deal with his own grief. Scene 4 Halloween 1999. Stevie's daughter Jess is celebrating her 16th and her friends are having a party by the old tree, when a stranger appears - a Polish boy with a wonderful story that links their past, their families and their hope for the future as they face the dawn of the Millennium. This journey of hope and discovery offers a wonderful array of characters for young actors to make their ownSimple set - all that s needed is A TREE!Please note: there are some mild references to sex and drug taking in one scene.