Prodigal Son

By John Patrick Shanley

Jim Quinn is 17, brilliant, and already expelled from more than one school when a scholarship lands him at an elite Catholic prep school in New Hampshire. The Bronx kid drinks, steals, and breaks the rules, but he also loves poetry, and the headmaster and his English teacher won't give up on him. John Patrick Shanley based the play on his own teenage years.

Second Chance Players performed Prodigal Son at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, Texas, from May 7–10, 2026.

Synopsis

Prodigal Son follows Jim Quinn, a troubled teenager from the Bronx, as he navigates life at a prestigious Catholic preparatory school in New Hampshire, struggling with feelings of alienation and a fierce desire for acceptance. After being expelled from multiple schools, he receives a scholarship to Thomas More Preparatory School, where he faces the challenges of fitting into a new environment while grappling with his own identity and insecurities.

As Jim interacts with faculty members, particularly the headmaster and his English teacher, the play explores themes of mentorship, the complexities of adolescence, and the tension between potential and self-destruction. Jim's behavior oscillates between brilliance and rebellion, as he engages in drinking, stealing, and breaking school rules, all while expressing a deep passion for poetry and literature.

Second Chance Players performed Prodigal Son at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, Texas, May 7–10, 2026.