The Woolgatherer

The Woolgatherer is a play by William Mastrosimone. It was printed in 1981. The play has been produced a number of times and has won awards.

It is a two act play, set entirely in a small apartment in South Philadelphia. It centers around Rose and Cliff, two half-crazy people searching for love. Rose is a nervous and flighty woman who is haunted by the past and obsessed with destruction. She works at a five-and-dime behind the candy counter. She dreams of true love and how she'll meet a man one day who is perfect for her.

Cliff is a foul-mouthed, wise-cracking transcontinental truck driver who gets stuck in when his truck breaks down. While he is waiting for his rig to be repaired, he wanders into Rose's store looking for a one-night stand. Rose then invites him over to her apartment and they start to argue about issues like her neighbor and her boarded up window. He soon finds out about her weird collection of men's sweaters.

Despite their differences, the two characters end up falling in love at the end of the play.