Other Side of Tomorrow

Jonathon Gilmour is a writer of “literary” novels and collections of poetry. He is in his earlier sixties, and although has been published for years, has never achieved mainstream success. As the play begins, we learn he has recently fallen off a horse and broken his pelvis. He uses a wheelchair and endures physical therapy during recovery. He is also mourning the loss of his wife, who passed six months ago.

Jonathon confides with his agent that he did not have health insurance when he had his accident and the medical bills have destroyed him financially. Without his wife’s salary, who was a successful literary agent, and the poor sales of his recent book he may have to face the possibility of giving up his house.

The agent encourages him to try and write a book that may be more marketable to a mainstream audience. He suggests an action, thriller type of book, which the agent insists he could sell for big money. Jonathon initially resists the idea but then successfully writes a book in the thriller genre. Although Jonathon thinks the book is mindless crap, he is excited about the prospect of earning enough money to keep his house.

The agent is able to sell the book and Jonathon has a party to celebrate. However, at the party the agent tells Jonathon that another writer is claiming the book as his own. The agent is suspicious that someone may have stolen the manuscript off Jonathon’s computer. He hires a private investigator and they filter through several suspects: Jonathon’s niece, her friend, the physical therapist and a Cuban man who works with Jonathon’s horses. 

The investigation takes many twists and turns as each suspect is examined until a final twist reveals the surprising truth.