The Suitcase

A dear friend once said that each of us carries a suitcase full of scraps. We collect these scraps as we travel through life. We treasure some and hide others. And, most importantly, some scraps we leave scattered behind—shared with those we love. In the summer of 2020, I wrote “Draft One” on the first page of a new notebook. What follows is a plethora of scribbles—scraps, if you will: character traits, internal monologues, historical dates, and questions which finally culminate in a sketch of an old suitcase. That old suitcase marks the start of a journey and of a story most adequately named. The Suitcase underwent a series of readings and a two-week workshop in 2021-22. It was presented as a two-act musical in a 2024 staged reading with live orchestra. In 2027, The Suitcase is scheduled to premiere in full. It is a story of scraps collected, treasured, hidden, and left behind—and I hope some can be left with you. —Luscinda

Desperate to finally prove her worth in the face of ridicule and the horrors of the Second World War, a young English noble woman sets out to pen a play inspired by one unusual suitcase—a task that transforms her story and the stories of those to whom the suitcase is eternally tied.

Synopsis: April Ellis nurtures a single goal: to finally prove her worth by writing and producing a legendary play. Yet nothing stands particularly in April’s favor—the Second World War is at its height, the Ellis estate faces ruin, and her narcissistic father never gives her a chance. Not to mention, April has lost all inspiration since her apparent “magnum opus” flopped—horribly. It is when she discovers an enthralling old suitcase that April decides to take one last try. Aspiring to imagine “what stories a suitcase can tell” leads her to befriend a captivating—yet haunted—world traveler and a brilliant actor seeking to rediscover his identity in the wake of battle. But as these fragile relationships grow while April grapples for her voice, she finds that stories—and suitcases—are not just chances for freedom: they both carry hidden truths and disturbing memories that can either unite or unravel.

Quick Facts:
• The Suitcase includes approximately 18 original songs (not counting reprises and scoring).
• The music is scored for a chamber orchestra of woodwinds, brass, strings, piano, celesta & percussion.
• The musical is two acts with one intermission—goal run time: approximately two hours, 15 minutes.
• There are 20 characters meant to be played by a cast of 12 actors: six women, four men & two children (one boy & one girl).
• The actors playing double/triple roles should be able to speak in and swap between several accents. Accents spoken in the musical include RP British, Cockney, Southern American, and “Hollywood” German. Several actor must also be comfortable with learning lines in the German language.
• Dancing requirements are light. Only a knowledge of, or willingness to learn, partner dances—swing dancing & waltzing—is needed!
• The musical is a period piece set during 1944 and 1945 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England. In addition, there are sequences in Germany during the late 1920s and the year 1918.

THE SUITCASE
Book by Luscinda L. Dickey
Music, Lyrics, & Orchestrations by Luscinda L. Dickey
Additional Lyrics by Kira Byler