Elvis People

No performer before or since has had the impact of Elvis Presley, from the first groundbreaking appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" to Las Vegas to Graceland; the magazine American Demographics reports that 84 percent of all Americans say their lives have been touched by Elvis in some way. With the iconic mythology of Elvis as a backdrop, Elvis People is a funny and touching journey through the decades that examines the King's impact on American culture through the eyes of the disparate people he affected throughout and beyond his life. In a series of vignettes and monologues, you'll meet a variety of Elvis fans, worshipers and detractors, such as: an Elvis impersonator who rises from near obscurity to almost-fame, a family torn apart by the daughter's love of Elvis, a daughter who shoulders her elderly mother through one last trip to Graceland, a couple who almost get an amazing present from Elvis until they comically ruin their own good fortune, and a Vietnam vet who makes it through a traumatic episode with the help of Elvis. You'll see how a button torn from Elvis' shirt comes between a young couple in hilarious and complicated ways, how a snapshot of Elvis brings on a marital crisis, and how a recovered filling from Elvis' teeth leads to memorabilia collectors debating the meaning of faith … sort of. The play explores a wide range of characters and uses a variety of approaches—from comic to tragic, from realistic to presentational to farce, from scenes to monologues. Elvis, as a character, does not appear in the play, but his spirit infuses the play as it explores the profound impact that Elvis has had on millions of people and on the culture of America. And ultimately, the play explores not just the phenomenon of Elvis Presley but also broader aspects of modern culture, such as celebrity worship and fan obsession.