The Goose Hangs High
The story take place at the Ingals' colonial style home in a Midwestern city with a population of 100,000. Act I (The Ingals' living room. About 5pm on December 23rd.) Bernard and Eunice are preparing for their younger children's homecoming from college for Christmas. Noel Derby suggests to Bernard they buy a market garden business and turn it into a nursery. Leo Day drops by to pressure Bernard into sponsoring him at the local country club. Bernard stalls him by inviting him to dinner later that week. Julia Murdoch escorts Granny Bradley home from shopping. Granny and her both scold the Ingals for indulging their kids. Julia spills the news of Hugh's engagement to Dagmar Carroll. Hugh surprises everyone by his unexpected return from New York. Pandemonium ensues when the twins arrive home a day early. Ronald Murdoch takes his mother Julia home. Lois says she will continue with marketing her senior year, while Brad discusses his summer plans for studying scene design. Both take it for granted their parents will be subsidizing them. Bernard mentions the trouble he is having with the new city councilmen. Hugh confesses his engagement, and says he and Dagmar will soon marry and move into a Manhattan apartment. Hugh makes good money and has savings, but does not know of his parents precarious finances. All three children rush off to a holiday dance, leaving their parents to dine alone. (Curtain) Act II (Same as Act I. About 8pm on December 29th.) Hugh and Dagmar discuss future plans then leave for dinner at Dagmar's, though Hugh was supposed to dine at home. More, he left his mother to walk home in the rain instead of picking her up downtown. Lois also skipped dinner, having spent hours with a local department store owner suggesting improvements to his advertising. Lois explains she has secured a place in an expensive residence for her coming semester and will need more money. Clem comes for Lois and Granny goes next door to the Holding's. Bernard tells Brad about his troubles with Kimberly, how he fired his longtime stenographer and put a girlfriend in the job. Brad, without a date, expresses sympathy for D. H. Lawrence's theory of women. For the first time, Bernard and Eunice doubt their approach to child rearing. Kimberly calls on Bernard to demand an apology for his girlfriend, whom he says feels insulted by Bernard. Throwing Kimberly out, Bernard writes his resignation and addresses it. Before he can stop him, Brad takes it to mail on his way to a dance. Telling Eunice what he's done, Bernard tries to get ahold of Brad to stop the letter. He is horrified when Brad telephones home and Eunice tells her son to mail it. She won't let Bernard be tormented or corrupted. When Granny returns, Eunice asks to borrow money, and explains why. But Granny refuses a loan, if they are going to spend it on the twins. Eunice and Bernard go for a walk. Granny calls Hugh at Dagmar's and has him round up the twins. (Quick curtain) An hour has gone by; when Hugh, Lois, and Brad come in, Granny bluntly tells them their father has lost his position and is bankrupt. After agonizing over their selfishness, they take action. Hugh writes his parents a check, the savings on which he was to marry. Lois sends a telegram cancelling her college dormitory reservation. Brad, knowing it was Kimberly who provoked the crisis, goes over to his house and beats him up. When Bernard and Eunice return from their walk, the kids explain they know the situation and have taken steps. (Curtain) Act III (Same as Act I. Morning of December 30th.) Bernard still refuses Hugh's check. Dagmar has come to breakfast and secured Eunice's approval. When he gets Dagmar alone, Hugh explains their marriage must wait. Dagmar agrees to the postponement until Bernard gets back on his feet financially. Eunice outrages Granny by offering the twins' bedrooms for rent, since Hugh's money will send them back to college. But the twins refuse to go back; Lois has taken a job with the department store, while Brad will do scenery for the local stage theatre. They go to work on Granny, pointing out how ashamed she would be to have her son-in-law working menial jobs. Gradually they lead her into investing her money with Noel Derby for a nursery business, with Bernard as manager. Noel and Granny go upstairs to work out the deal. But Bernard startles everyone by saying Leo Day has saved his job by refusing the resignation. Eunice tells Bernard she will divorce him if he goes back to City Hall. Stunned, he is forced to acquiesce to Granny's offer, which Noel says the twins' dreamed up. Hugh's money is returned, allowing him and Dagmar to marry, as the twins refuse to go back to college; the entire family celebrates their love and loyalty. (Curtain)