The Musical
ACT I
In the autumn of 1945, DADDY returned from war. It was going to be the perfect homecoming, but while 12-year-old IRENE is waiting for Daddy’s train she crashes headlong into CASSIE. Her-used-to-be best friend. The last thing Irene wants on this special day is a reminder of Cassie and the accident that came between them two years ago.
Life is supposed to return to normal, but things are changing, especially between boys and girls. When a school mate, RAYMOND, says Irene shouldn’t be playing ball she slugs him. For the first time, her best friend GLEN does not support her. When Irene tells Daddy he acts as if he’s half a world away.
Irene asks MOMMA about Daddy’s strange distance. Momma says to give him time. He’s readjusting. Irene disagrees. As the weeks go on there are deep shadows under Daddy’s eyes. And then there are the nightmares. Irene knows something is wrong, but her troubles at school are piling up. She shares a desk with Raymond and is assigned a group project with Cassie. On the day of their presentation, an argument erupts between the girls and they are assigned a week’s worth of detentions. When Glen hears of it he takes Cassie’s side. Irene says he’s not a true friend.
At the VE Day celebration, in the solemn moment when the guns fire, Daddy shouts and cowers on the ground in fear. Words like ‘coward’ and ‘shameful’ reach Irene’s ears. Irene flees and sees Glen kiss Cassie. She runs home and finds no solace there. Momma and Daddy are arguing. When Momma storms out Irene steps forward to comfort Daddy. He recoils thinking she is someone else. Irene runs from the room. She doesn’t know her own father anymore.
Desperate for answers, Irene searches through Momma and Daddy’s closet to find the war letters and pictures he sent. Instead, she finds a handgun. She hears footsteps on the stairs and tries to put it back, but she is not fast enough. Daddy grabs her by the shoulders, scaring Irene. In mere moments it’s clear Daddy is the one who is terrified. Anger surges in Irene and she shoves him saying, “I want my real daddy back. The one before the war!”
ACT II
Irene and Momma visit Daddy in the sanatorium. Irene is plagued with guilt. Daddy tells her it’s not her fault and that she is the reason he called for help. Daddy tells Irene he wants to try an experimental therapy, but it comes at a price. He could lose some of his memories. Daddy asks for Irene’s permission. She weighs the cost. If he continues without it she may never get her father back. If she says yes, he may forget good things as well as the bad. She agrees.
Seeing Daddy gives Irene the courage to tackle her own ghosts. Irene visits Cassie and apologizes for her part in the accident and most importantly for ignoring Cassie after when Cassie needed her most. Cassie surprises Irene and tells her she never blamed her.
Daddy’s treatment does not work. As the Spring Daddy daughter Dance draws near it looks like Daddy will miss it and Irene's final baseball game of the season. Tensions between Irene and Momma increase. Momma surprises Irene and arrives at the game with a borrowed camera so she can take pictures for Daddy. She cheers loudest, even though she doesn’t know the right things to say.
Daddy is given a spot at Mason General Hospital, a hospital specifically for returning soldiers. It’s far away, but it’s the only program that seems to help. In mid-summer, Irene and Momma make the trip to visit Daddy. When she sees her father again Irene decides that she's going to enjoy the moment. No one knows what tomorrow may bring, but right now she has this time with the people she loves. She aims to be present and not miss a thing.