The Upper Downward Cemetery Board Meeting: Will There Be Cake? by Leonard Belsher

A small-town cemetery board shouldn't be funny — but somehow it is. The Upper Downward Cemetery Board Meeting: Will There Be Cake? is a warm, wickedly observant comedy about three retired volunteers trying to keep a rural cemetery from falling apart, one rambling, agenda-less meeting at a time. Told across 15 scenes spanning five years, the play unfolds entirely around a dining room table — and gradually reveals that this little board's bumbling dedication is, in fact, a love story: to community, to history, and to the people we lose along the way. Think Waiting for Godot meets a church potluck. The cake is always on the table. The meeting never quite starts. And yet, somehow, things get done.

Keywords: Volunteers, Aging, Dementia, Comedy, Single Set

Genre: Comedy
Acts: 2
Run time: 115 minutes
Suitable for students 16+
Content Notes: One character's dementia progresses throughout the script, and his eventual death is discussed briefly. The pivotal character (Chairman) also passes away, so death is clearly close to the surface in this play, which in light of the fact is a volunteer-run cemetery board, is not out of line at all. Despite the subject matter, it is a funny script with a lot of laughs and poignant moments too.

Cast size: 6 actors
Male roles: 3
Female roles: 2
Casting Notes: Since two characters have minor roles: Lawn Cutter, and The Facilitator, a single actor it could be utilized, however one character would be performed in drag. This could be a female or male actor in the double role.