Comedy. Jon Klein.
3 men. Open Stage.
Hoping to bring themselves up to at least the poverty level, two
young ex-convicts, T Bone (who is black) and Weasel (who is white)
have stolen a rather decrepit Buick and have set off across South
Carolina with minor mayhem in mind. Moving swiftly from one adventure
to another (with all the people whom they encounter played by the
same actor) they botch an attempted robbery (because the drawer of
the cash register is stuck); are swindled out of the Buick by a fast-talking
used car dealer; run foul of a sexually voracious lady farmer (who
is
"ugly enough to turn a train down a dirt road"); fall into the clutches
of a larcenous country preacher; and try to make off with the automobile
of a politically ambitious small town doctor who wants to exhibit
them as examples of what poverty can do to people. Eventually Weasel
is hired on by a construction company (and actually buys a car),
but when they refuse to take on T Bone as well, because of his color,
it is back on the road again, pausing only to make out their last
wills and testaments disposing of all their
"worldly goods" which, for T Bone is nothing at all, and, for Weasel,
consists primarily of his used Chevette - with thirty-two payments
still to go.
ISBN: 0-8222-1112-2
(in German Plays) - Anna Langhoff. Trans D. Spencer
5m 6f Drama. Single interior set.
Set in a temporary shelter for asylum seekers, The Table Laid offers
a view of the lives of a group of refugees who have come to Germany
in the hope of a better life. An examination of the distrust and
aggression engendered by a simple lack of communication. Premiered
at Royal Court: reading 1995; workshop 1997.
ISBN 1 85459 338 2
Comedy. Jules Tasca.
5 men, 2 women. Interior
Jimmy (The Arm) Younkers, after many successfirl prior years of
big-league pitching stardom, and extravagant living, has decided
to "hold-out" on signing the reduced contract resulting from his
failing record of recent seasons. But while Jimmy's athletic powers
are waning, his destructive life style has yet to run its course.
Having walked out on his wife and children he continues to pursue
romantic assignations with ladies near and far; he borrows money
he knows he will never repay; he indulges every impulse and has no
hesitation in dragging others down with him; and in general, he refuses
to admit that the days of glory are over. But, throughout, he remains
cocky, irreverent and unfailingly funny as he moves through a series
of events in which humour, human frailty and ultimate poignancy are
blended with rare theatrical skill.
ISBN: 0-8222-1107-6
Play. Jimmie Chinn
M3 (40s, elderly) F4 (30s, 40). A drawing-room.
Intriguing glimpses into a cupboard full of family skeletons, together
with detective work, combine in this unusual suspense play, to keep
everyone guessing until the very last page. Matthew, still protesting
his innocence, returns home from prison, after serving fifteen years
for allegedly protBering his mother. Who did kill Mother. It takes
an apparent suicide and a good deal of amateur sleuthing before the
truth is revealed and the lady can be taken away.
ISBN 0 573 11453 6
Play. Thomas Babe.
5 women. Interior
The action of the play takes place in the basement of a New. Hampshire
church, which has been set up for a small reception, on the day of
a wedding rehearsal which never takes place. The bride, her sister,
her mother and her aunt, a patrician group who have come up from
New York, wait in vain for the groom and his family to appear - but
they are apparently off at a local hostelry busily getting drunk.
They are, however, joined by Dixie, a down-on-her-luck entertainer
who has been engaged by one of the absent men to sing at the wedding.
The unlikely and sometimes abrasive interaction between the bored,
sophisticated women and the earthy, outspoken Dixie leads on to some
disturbing revelations, as the ladies let down their defenses and,
in turn, expose their secret, private feelings - and the bitter frustrations
which lie beneath their well-bred veneers.
ISBN: 0-8222-1108-4
Play. Ronald Harwood :
M4 (24, 35-50s, 60) F2 (20s, 32). An office.
Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954) was one of the great conductors
of this century. It was his misfortune to have been at the height
of his career when the National Socialists came to power. While many
of his fellow artists were either forced to leave Germany or emigrated
as an act of protest, Furtwängler remained. After the war he
was accused of having served the Nazi regime. Period 1946
Taking Sides takes place in the American Zone of occupied Berlin,
in 1946. It is here the American portion of the de-Nazification Tribunal
has convened to take over the questioning of Wilhelm Furtwangler,
one of the outstanding conductors of his time. Furtwangler was at
the height of his career in 1933, eclipsing all other conductors,
just as Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. As the terrors of Nazism
spread, many of Furtwangler's colleagues fled the country, whether
out of protest or persecution, but Furtwangler mysteriously chose
to stay. Did he stay to do as much good as possible in the face of
evil, as so many believe, or, did he stay to serve Hitler, of which
he was later accused? The Tribunal's evidence has been prepared firstly
by the British, and then taken over by two groups of Americans: one
in Wiesbaden which assisted in Furtwangler's defence, the other in
Berlin which helped build the case against him. Little is known of
the motives and methods of this group which is the focus of TAKING
SIDES. What is known is that Furtwangler was humiliated, pursued
and, that even after his acquittal, disinformation followed him. This
may or may not have been justified it depends on the side you take.
ISBN; 0-8222-1566-7
Farce. Alan Ayckbourn
M4 (25-40s) F2 (20s, 30s). A lounge, bedroom, attic, hall and stairs.
Roland is considering buying an old Victorian House. In the house
are his solicitor and the vendor; Roland's wife, who is considering
leaving him; her brother; and later the brother's fiancee. In the
course of one hectic night and morning, with continual running up
and down stairs, these characters try to sort themselves out. All
this takes place in a highly ingenious and original setting, in which
all the rooms, passages and stairs are on a single level.
ISBN 0 573 11425 0
A theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel by Mark Fitzgibbons
M16 F10. The courtyard of an English inn.
When Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities English inns were experiencing hard times. To improve things, inexpensively produced entertainments were presented in the innyards. In this brilliant adaptation the audience are watching the inn's production of Dickens' masterpiece, therefore the problem of different locations is simply solved and the full life and scope of the characters can be absorbed, stunningly presented in this tour de force for theatrical organizations everywhere. Period 1860s
Play. Matthew Francis, adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens
Large mixed cast. Various simple interior and exterior settings.
This moving and exciting adaptation of the story of Sydney Carton
and Charles Damay, the English lawyer and French aristocrat caught
up inextricably in the violence and bloodshed of the French Revolution,
is played on a simple set, with numerous lighting changes and sound
effects, minimal props and vivid stage images, making this an atmospheric,
fast-moving and satisfyingly theatrical experience which is always
true to the original. Period 1780s
ISBN 0 573 01942 8
Play. Phyllis Nagy, adapted from the novel by Patricia Highsmith
M5 (teenager, 25, middle-age) F2 (young, middle-age). Various simple
settings.
When. Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to track down Richard Greenleaf, the errant son of a weal American couple, his mission takes on a sinister twist as their lives become inextricably entwined Phyllis Nagy's stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel explores the mind of one of crime fiction s great anti-heroes; an intelligent, suave and charming psychopath whose amorality is the centre of a plot about duplicity and murder. Period early 1950s
Play. Christopher Hampton
M14 F6. Extras. Various interior and exterior settings.
Evening Standard Best Comedy Award winner, this evokes the vagaries
of Tinseltown from the late thirties to 1950 McCarthyism, which welcomed
the multi-talents of German emigre writers fleeing Nazism and employed
them as screenwriters for the major film companies. Mixing fact and
fantasy, Hampton presents comical, witty and often moving vignettes
of life through the eyes of AustroHungarian playwright Odon von Horvath
whom he sends to America with the Mann and Marx brothers, Garbo,
Weismuller, Brecht and many others.
ISBN 0 573 11433 1
Play. John Chambers
M24 F14. Various medieval settings.
Tracing Arthur's life from his boyhood, through his magical accession
to the throne by means of the sword in the stone, his romance with
Guinevere and his search for the Holy Grail, to his death at the
hands of the wicked Mordred, Tales of King Arthur tells its story
clearly and economically, provides good acting opportunities for
a large cast and can be staged as simply or as lavishly as circumstances
allow.
ISBN 0 573 05110 0
Drama. Horton Foote.
6 men, 5 women. Unit Set
1929, Harrison Texas. Myra Tolliver makes her living playing the
live music for the silent pictures. She makes barely enough to survive,
caring for herself and her teenage son, Pete. As boarders in the
home of the Jacksons, Myra supplements her rent by giving piano lessons
to the Jackson's two daughters. Mr. Jackson is a railroad man who,
during the course of the play, is transferred from his engineer's
position stationed in Harrison, to one stationed elsewhere, and transferred
back again. They'll stay in Harrison, meaning Myra and Pete can stay;
that is if Myra can continue to find work since talkies are about
to take over the town picture show and Myra won't be needed anymore.
Myra knows her means of making a living is at an end, and that her
prospects are slim. But she is willing to do almost anything to keep
her and Pete going. While trying so hard to provide for her son,
his father, Gerard, keeps trying to lure Pete away from Myra to live
with him. Changing girlfriends, jobs and being a show-off Gerard
doesn't know anything about bringing up their son, but Myra doesn't
realise how much Pete believes his father's promises of a better
life. Through all this, Myra is courted by Willis, a bricklayer abandoned
by his wife 5 years earlier. Smitten with Myra, everyone knows Willis
will soon ask her to marry him. Though taken with Willis, Myra may
not be in love with him. He will be a good provider though, and a
kind, loving companion, so when he does ask Myra to marry him, she
accepts. Pete announces he will go to live with his father nearly
breaking Myra's heart. She won't stop him though, for fear he will
hate her. Yet when Gerard casually announces he is married again
and he is postponing Pete's move, Pete knows things will never turn
out the way he wanted. Myra, now happy Pete is staying with her,
faces a hard life since the talkies have come to Harrison. Around
them, the Jackson girls learn music from Myra and listen to the stories
of a young preacher boy their own age who will travel back to his
native Mexico, leaving the girls with dreams of running away to that
exotic land. Willis' ex-wife shows up too, running away from an abusive
boyfriend, hoping Willis will take her back to shield her. Through
it all, Myra and Willis quietly carve out a place for themselves
and what will be a new era.
ISBN: 0-8222-1462-8
Lanford Wilson : Comedy/Drama
1M 1F Exterior set
Set in the deserted Victorian boathouse at the Talley's home in
Lebanon, Missouri, this touching and lyrical play deals with the
courtship of the young Sally Talley and her Jewish suitor, Matt Friedman
in 1944. Matt, an accountant from St Louis, has arrived to plead
his love to Sally, the susceptible but cautious daughter of the family.
Matt refuses to accept her rebuffs, and through his charm and persistence,
gradually overcomes her resistance, telling her his innermost secrets
while at the same time learning hers as well. He gradually awakens
Sally to the possibilities of a life together until, in the final
moments, it is clear that they are two kindred spirits who have truly
found each other, with a wholeness rare in human relationships.
ISBN: 0 374 52157 3
Play. Lanford Wilson.
6 men, 6 women. Interior
The time is Independence Day, 1944, the place the parlor of the
Talley homestead in Lebanon, Missouri. As World War II rages across
the seas, the Talleys are beset with crises of a different sort.
Slipping into senility, the elder Mr. Talley still has flashes of
explosive lucidity, when he schemes to dispose of the local bank
among heirs of his own choice, and berates his charming but spineless
son, Eldon, for considering the sale of the family garment business
to an eastern conglomerate. Also involved in the bickering are Eldon's
long-suffering wife, Netta; their son, Buddy, who is home on leave
from the Army; his vapid wife, Olive; and Eldon's sister, Charlotte,
a defiantly free spirit who is suffering the fatal effects of radium
poisoning. And, commenting on the action, unseen by the others, is
the "ghost" of the second son, Timmy, already a casualty of the Pacific
war, although the family has not yet learned of his death. In the
end the petty antagonisms, scandals and selfishness which infuse
the play are their own reward, and we are aware that a dynasty built
by hard work and clear if conniving vision is about to be dismantled
by lesser men who have inherited the property, but not the character,
of their predecessors.
ISBN: 0-8222-1452-0
Thriller. Ian Cullen and Catherine Arley. Based on a bestselling
French novel.
5 men, 1 woman. Interior.
Anton Korf, aide to a mysterious ailing recluse, who is reputed
to be one of the world's richest men, interviews a young woman who
has applied for a position as nurse for the aging mufti-millionaire.
Korff's questioning centers on whether the applicant, Hilde, is completely
unattached and whether (as she has stated in her letter of inquiry)
she would indeed do anything for money. Once satisfied of her qualifications,
Korff adds a startling requirement: if she is taken on he will legally
adopt her as his daughter; he will also maneuver his employer, Karl
Richmond, into proposing marriage to her, and she will sign a letter
paying over a large sum of money to him in the event of her would-be
husband's death. Hilde accepts his terms, and thereafter the action
of the play moves darkly and deviously to its menacing conclusion
- but with so many strange events and tantalizing developments along
the way that the truth of what transpires remains clouded until the
final, surprising moments of the play.
ISBN: 0-8222-1110-6
Comedy. Molière. Adapted by Miles Malleson
M8 F4. Interiors.
In public, Tartuffe affects every pious excellence; so virtuous
is he that every form of pleasure is anathema to him. M. Orgon, a
rich merchant, is completely taken in. Inviting Tartuffe to his home,
he watches approvingly while Tartuffe 'reforms' his whole family.
The besotted merchant even plans to give Tartuffe his fortune and
his daughter's hand in marriage. Finally, Mme Orgon exposes Tartuffe
for the rogue he is - and M. Orgon for the gullible fool he has been.
Period 1664
ISBN 0 573 01437 X
Comedy. Molière Translated by Christopher Hampton
M8 (young, middle-age) F5 (young, 30, elderly). Interiors.
This new translation of Moliere's classic depiction of hypocrisy in action into colloquial, English blank verse, was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and was first presented at The Pit, London in 1983, with Antony Sher as Tartuffe, Alison Steadman as Elmire, and Nigel Hawthorne as Orgon.
Molière, translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur
: Comedy
7M 5F Interior set
A sparkling new version of one of the great comedies of the French theatre. Tartuffe, a fraud and a pious imposter, has insinuated himself into the home of the wealthy Orgon. He succeeds magnificently in winning the respect and devotion of the head of the house and then tries to marry his daughter and seduce his wife and scrounge the deed to the property. He nearly gets away with it, but his duplicity is ultimately exposed and punished. An examination of the evil which men can commit in the guise of religious fervour, presented in the form of a sparkling comedy.
Play. Shelagh Delaney
M3 (20s, 1 Black, 30) F2 (17, 40). Composite setting.
Jo, the teenage heroine who lives in a filthy tenement bedsitter, is deserted by her nagging peroxided mother, who is unaware that her daughter is pregnant by a black sailor. Jo's greatest fear is that her illegitimate baby might be mentally deficient like her own father. To soothe, clean and cook for her is Geof, an effeminate art student, with whom she makes a temporary home. Bruised by insensitivity and rejection, the boy and girl find a very real comfort in each other. Period 1958
Peter Coke : Comedy
5M 7F Interior set
Flora Draycott, an exuberant and impulsive widow, lives with her
sister, Joyce, writing books and raising funds for charities. But
to make real money she secretly, under a male nom de plume,
writes a highly scandalous novel based on her late husband's drunken
experiences. When a possible publisher arrives unexpectedly, she
doesn't admit authorship, so blurts out that the author 'is ill upstairs'.
This leads to a mass of complications as the sisters get involved
in the highly coloured life they invent for him. The audience is
kept very amused and intrigued as they watch Flora and Joyce endeavouring
to extricate themselves from the many complicated situations which
arise.
ISBN: 0 85676 025 0