Girl with a Pearl Earring
The play opens after servant Griet inherits the pearl earrings she once wore for Vermeer, then returns to her arrival as a teenager in his household. As Griet works in Vermeer’s studio and becomes his model, his wife and daughter respond with resentment and heartbreak. A part-narrated structure gives the other characters direct address to the audience as they recount Griet’s effect on the household.