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A Dramatic Play By Christine Toy Johnson
2 F, 5 M
One week in early December 2018. And in Abby's imagination.
New York City (various parks around the city, a Coffee Shop, Jonathan's townhouse, outside a black box theatre in the west village, Abby and Danny's home)
Abby Green tries to prepare her family and herself for her journey into Alzheimer’s by planting trees at the locations of her biggest memories. When her daughter dies and her grandchildren turn against her, Abby struggles with knowing that even her most painful memories are becoming difficult to hold onto. With her husband of 46 years by her side, she is filled with questions in her own personal race against time. Though she’s survived her daughter, can she survive her grandsons? Is blood thicker than spite? What’s worse — losing your family or losing the memories of what has become of them? And can love live beyond memory the way trees never forget to regenerate their leaves?
If you like This Is Us, Driving Miss Daisy or Tuesdays with Morrie then you’ll love The Secret Wisdom of Trees.
“The Jewish Plays Project recommends The Secret Wisdom of Trees as a Semi-Finalist for the 11th annual Jewish Playwriting Contest. Our community of readers highly enjoyed this love letter and deeply moving tribute to a family coming to terms with multiple kinds of losses. This play explores the emotional journey of parents trying to keep promises to their deceased child that may cause more family turmoil. A beautiful play of enduring love through hardships. The Secret Wisdom of Trees rose to the top 20 out of 250 plays and we hope this play swiftly finds opportunities to reach new audiences.”
ABBY - 67, an old soul from a nice Jewish family, native New Yorker. In love with Danny since before she was born.
DANNY - also 67, also an old soul from a nice Jewish family, also a native New Yorker. In love with Abby since he first set eyes on her, freshman year at NYU.
JENNY - 44. Their daughter. A people pleaser and fighter till the end. A whip smart retail executive determined to make a good life for her 3 boys even after her husband runs off with the nanny and all their savings. She appears to her mother as a 21-year-old, but to her sons as 44. Also plays MIRIAM, Abby's mother at 65.
JONATHAN - 46. Jenny's ex-husband. An immigration lawyer who thrives on making waves under the radar and money under the table. Set on keeping Abby and Danny away from his sons after Jenny's death.
NOAH - 23, Jenny and Jonathan's oldest son. An up-and-coming television executive. The first to cut off ties with Abby and Danny in an effort to make peace with his father.
LEN - 22, Jenny and Jonathan's second oldest son. An actor. Struggling the most to forgive his father.
JACOB - 18, Jenny and Jonathan's youngest son. Sensitive, his mother's son. A recent high school graduate. Determined not to let go of his grandparents. Caught in the middle.
The original cast for the first public reading of THE SECRET WISDOM OF TREES at the Barrow Group Theatre Company, directed by Lee Brock, was as follows:
Abby – LYNN COHEN
Jenny – SARAH COREY
Danny – RON COHEN
Noah – JACOB HEIMER
Len – BENJAMIN RUSSELL
Jacob – NICK ANDERSON
Jonathan – BOB KIRSH
History of the play:
Sunday reading series, The Barrow Group (NYC) – 2016, Actors Center online reading series (NYC) – 2021, Workshop, Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota) – 2023.
Christine Toy Johnson is a multifaceted artist and advocate who has earned widespread recognition in the theatre community, including Tony and Obie honors, as well as prestigious awards from the Rosetta LeNoire Foundation, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Actors' Equity Foundation, and Asian American Arts Alliance. Her career spans multiple creative disciplines, establishing her as a distinguished writer, actor, director, and champion for inclusion in the performing arts.
As a writer, Johnson's work has found homes in many of America's most respected theatrical institutions. Her pieces have been produced or developed by notable organizations including the Roundabout Theatre Company, Village Theatre, O'Neill Center, Greater Boston Stage Company, and Goodspeed Opera House, among others. Her significant contributions to Asian American theatre literature have earned her work a place in the Library of Congress's Asian Pacific American Playwrights Collection.
Johnson continues to shape the theatre community through her leadership roles, serving as Treasurer of the Dramatists Guild and hosting their podcast "Talkback" on the Broadway Podcast Network. Her commitment to advancing opportunities for Asian American artists is evidenced by her co-founding of AAPAC (Asian American Performers Action Coalition) and founding the Asian American Theatre Artists Collective.
Johnson's performing career is equally distinguished, with extensive credits spanning Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, television, and film. Her educational background includes alumni status from BMI, Writers Lab, and Sarah Lawrence College. She has broken new ground as the recipient of the inaugural Catalyst for Change fellowship through the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Her work has been published by respected industry publishers including NoPassport Press, Smith & Kraus, Rowman & Littlefield, and Applause Books, further cementing her influence in the theatrical world. Learn more at christinetoyjohnson.com
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