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The Lion in Winter

Play · 1966

Set during Christmas 1183 at Henry II of England's castle in Chinon, Anjou, Angevin Empire, the play opens with the arrival of Henry's wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, whom he has had imprisoned since 1173. The story concerns the gamesmanship between Henry, Eleanor, their three surviving sons Richard, Geoffrey, and John, and their Christmas Court guest, the King of France, Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste), who was the son of Eleanor's ex-husband, Louis VII of France (by his third wife, Adelaide). Also involved is Philip's half-sister Alais (by Louis VII's second wife Constance), who has been at court since she was betrothed to Richard at age eight, but has since become Henry's mistress.

The Little Foxes

Play · 1939

The play's focus is Southerner Regina Hubbard Giddens, who struggles for wealth and freedom within the confines of an early 20th-century society where fathers considered only sons as their legal heirs. As a result of this practice, while her two avaricious brothers have wielded the family inheritance into two independently substantial fortunes, she has had to rely upon her manipulation of her cautious, timid, browbeaten husband, Horace. He is no businessman, just her financial support; although he is pliable enough for her ambition, that ambition has driven him into becoming merely the tool of her insatiable greed. Her brother Oscar married Birdie, his much-maligned alcoholic wife, solely to acquire her family's plantation and cotton fields. Oscar now wants to join forces with his brother, Benjamin, to construct a cotton mill. They need an additional $75,000 and approach Regina, asking her to invest in the project. Oscar initially proposes marriage between his son Leo and Regina's daughter Alexandra—first cousins—as a means of getting Horace's money, but Horace and Alexandra are repulsed by the suggestion, as is Birdie. Horace refuses when Regina asks him outright for the money, so Leo, a bank teller, is pressured into stealing Horace's railroad bonds from the bank's safe deposit box. Horace, after discovering this, tells Regina he is going to change his will in favor of their daughter, and also claim he gave Leo the bonds as a loan, thereby cutting Regina out of the deal completely. When he has a heart attack during this chat, she makes no effort to help him. He dies within hours, without anyone knowing his plan and before changing his will. This leaves Regina free to blackmail her brothers by threatening to report Leo's theft unless they give her 75% ownership in the cotton mill. (It is, in Regina's mind, a fair exchange for the stolen bonds.) The price Regina ultimately pays for her evil deeds is the loss of her daughter's love and respect. Regina's actions cause Alexandra to finally understand the importance of not idly watching people do evil. She tells Regina she will not watch her be "one who eats the earth," and abandons her. Having let her husband die, alienated her brothers, and driven away her only child, Regina is left wealthy but completely alone.

The Living Room

Play · 1953

The play consists of two acts, each of two scenes and is set entirely in the living room of Rose Pemberton and her two elderly aunts who live with the aunts' brother James, a disabled Roman Catholic priest. The aunts have a long-running fear of death in the house, with any bedroom being locked away from further use following a death of its resident family member. The story revolves around the introduction of Rose's new lover, Michael Dennis, to the family. It later transpires that Michael is married when his suicidal wife arrives at the house.

The London Cuckolds

Play · 1681

The London Cuckolds is a 1681 comedy play by the English writer Edward Ravenscroft. It was performed at the Dorset Garden Theatre by the Duke's Company. The original cast included Cave Underhill as Wiseacre, James Nokes as Doodle, Joseph Williams as Townly, John Wiltshire as Loveday, William Smith as Ramble, Anthony Leigh as Dashwell, John Richards as Tom, Elizabeth Currer as Eugenia, Elizabeth Barry as Arabella, Elinor Leigh as Engine and Margaret Osborne as Jane.

The London Hermit

Play · 1793

The London Hermit, Or, Rambles in Dorsetshire is a 1793 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It was staged at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 29 June 1793. The original cast included Richard Suett as Whimmy, James Aickin as Old Pranks, John Bannister as Young Pranks, Howard Usher as Barleycorn, Ralph Wewitzer as Barebones, John Henry Johnstone as Tully, William Parsons as Toby Thatch, Lydia Webb as Mrs. Maggs, Elizabeth Kemble as Kitty Barleycorn, Elizabeth Heard as Dian and Jane Powell as Fishwoman. The prologue was written by George Colman the Younger and spoken by William Barrymore. It was staged at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin in 1795.

The London Merchant

Play · 1731

Act I Sarah Millwood, a London prostitute, schemes to find some innocent young man "who, having never injured women, [would] apprehend no injury from them" (I.iii) to seduce and exploit for money. She observes young George Barnwell in town, and she invites him to her house for supper. She realizes that he works for the wealthy merchant Thorowgood (who is known throughout London for his wealth and success). She decides to seduce George Barnwell at supper with irresistible flattery, and he succumbs to her wiles in a way that will give her access to Thorowgood's money, and she manipulates Barnwell to steal from his boss. Act II Upon returning home the next morning, George feels he has betrayed Thorowgood by disobeying his curfew. The guilt he feels from disobeying the rules of the house, as well as the guilt he feels from his fornication with Millwood, leaves George tormented. His guilt is compounded by the loyalty of his friend Trueman. Soon, Millwood visits George at his place of work. When she discovers he no longer wants anything to do with her, she begins to sense her money-making scheme has come to an end. She quickly thinks of a lie to tell George to keep her plan going. She tells George that the man who provides her with housing somehow found out about their tryst and is now evicting her because of it. This evokes new feelings of guilt from George, and he is prompted to steal a large sum of money from his employer's funds to give to her to amend the situation. Act III After giving her the money, George feels unworthy of his kind master, Thorowgood, so he runs away and leaves a note for Trueman confessing his crime. Having no place to go, he turns to Millwood for help. At first she refuses him since his employer's money is no longer at his disposal, but she quickly remembers that he has previously mentioned a rich uncle. She again manipulates George into believing that she truly loves him, and concocts a scheme for him to rob his uncle. George objects, saying that his uncle will recognize him as his nephew; Millwood answers that the only way, then, will be to also murder his uncle. In a fit of passion, George runs off to commit the robbery and murder. He finds his Uncle Barnwell alone, and as he approaches, George veils his face and attacks his uncle with a knife. As he lies dying, Uncle Barnwell prays both for his nephew and his murderer, not knowing that they are the same. Overcome with sorrow, George reveals himself to his uncle, and before he dies, Uncle Barnwell forgives his murderous nephew. Act IV In the meantime, Lucy came to Thorowgood and revealed the truth behind what Barnwell had done. Because of this Thorowgood rushes to exit and tells Lucy she must keep watch on Millwood's house. Later, George returns to Millwood's home upset, trembling, and with bloody hands. Upon realizing that he did not take any money or property, Millwood sends for the police and has George arrested for murder. Two of Millwood's servants, Lucy and Blunt, who were aware of the plan from the beginning, have her arrested as well. Both George and Millwood are sentenced to death. In the last scene of Act 4 Millwood expresses to Thorowgood that she is not remorseful in the least bit saying, "I hate you all! I know you, and expect no mercy -- nay, I ask for none. I have done nothing that I am sorry for. I followed my inclinations, and that the best of you does every day. All actions are alike natural and indifferent to man and beast who devour or are devoured as they meet with others weaker or stronger than themselves." Act V Millwood blamed society and men for what she has become. She is not remorseful at all and with passion accepts her fate. Despite all that has transpired, George is visited by Thorowgood and Trueman in his prison cell. They console and forgive him. Thorowgood provides for his spiritual needs by arranging a visit from a clergyman. In the end, George is truly repentant for his sins and is at peace with himself, his friends, and God. Trueman ends the show with a small monologue saying, "In vain with bleeding hearts and weeping eyes we show a human gen'rous sense of others' woe, unless we mark what drew their ruin on, and, by avoiding that, prevent our own" (Act V Sc. X) to show that the play was to learn how to do the right things in our own lives.

The Lonei Household

Play · 1880

Commission councillor Lonei is stern with his 21-year-old son Kurt, who feels treated like a child. When Kurt fails his school-leaving examination and a bill goes missing, father and son clash; Kurt's despair leads him to throw himself into a canal, where the lawyer Reinhard rescues him. They come to recognize their mistakes and reconcile, and Kurt later passes his examination with distinction. A parallel romance links Reinhard with Paulina, Lonei's ward.

The Lottery Man

Play · 1909

Jack Wright, a handsome, well-travelled young newspaperman with a gambling problem and debts, has been fired by his employer over losses that he caused to the paper with some shoddy reporting. To turn in a sensational story that will get his job back, and also raise some cash, he decides to conduct a lottery through the newspaper with himself as the prize in marriage; he will also supply the paper with weekly tales of his adventurous exploits, and each installment will tantalize readers a hint about his identity. He promises the paper that if he fails to go through with the marriage, the winner will get all the lottery money. As soon as the piece goes to press, he falls in love with a charming girl, Helen, and realizes that the lottery will ruin his new relationship. The lottery is a big hit, raising $300,000. In an attempt to prevent matrimonial disaster, he buys up all the lottery tickets he can. When Helen learns of the stunt, she is upset and breaks up with Jack. On the last day of the lottery, a nervous spinster, Lizzie, wins the lottery and refuses to give up her prize. It turns out, however, that she has stolen the lottery ticket. All ends well, and Jack marries Helen.

The Love Chase

Play · 1837

The Love Chase is an 1837 comedy play by the Irish-born writer James Sheridan Knowles. It premiered at the Haymarket Theatre in London on 10 October 1837 with a cast that included Robert Strickland as Sir William Fondlove, Edward William Elton as Waller, Benjamin Nottingham Webster as Wildrake, Julia Glover as Widow Green and Charlotte Vandenhoff as Lydia. Louisa Cranstoun Nisbett's role as Constance became one of her two signature parts. The Haymarket had just come under the management of Benjamin Webster that year.

The Love of Four Colonels

Play · 1951

The Love of Four Colonels is a play by the British writer Peter Ustinov, first performed in 1951. It is a fantasy set around military officers from the four Allied Occupation Powers (American, British, French and Soviet) of postwar Germany. It premiered at The Alexandra, Birmingham before transferring to London's West End where it ran for 816 performances between 23 June 1951 and 9 May 1953, initially at Wyndham's Theatre before transferring to the Winter Garden Theare.The original West End cast included Ustinov, Moira Lister, Alan Gifford, Colin Gordon, Eugene Deckers, Theodore Bikel, Paul Hardtmuth, Patricia Jessel and Mary Hignett. Due to the length of the run, a number of replacements took the roles of original cast members including Cyril Luckham, Clifford Mollison, Ruth Trouncer. It subsequently ran for 141 performances at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway in 1953 with a cast that included Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer. That year it was chosen as the Best Foreign Play by the New York Drama Critics' Circle and won a Donaldson Award.

The Loving Enemies

Play · 1680

The Loving Enemies is a 1680 comedy play by the English writer Lewis Maidwell. It was first staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre in London. The original cast included Thomas Betterton as Lorenzo, William Smith as Marcello, Joseph Williams as Antonio, Anthony Leigh as Paulo, Cave Underhill as Circumstantio, John Richards as Albricio, Mary Lee as Julia, Elizabeth Barry as Camilla, Anne Shadwell as Lucinda and Elinor Leigh as Paulina. It was dedicated to Charles Fox, son of the politician Stephen Fox, who Maidwell had been a tutor to.

The Loyal Brother

Play · 1682

The Loyal Brother; Or, The Persian Prince is a 1682 tragedy by the Irish writer Thomas Southerne. It was first performed by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. The prologue was written by John Dryden. It was Southerne's first play and was written in the context of the recent Exclusion Crisis and the Popish Plot from a Tory viewpoint. Two characters are thinly disguised versions of contemporary figures, the heroic Tachmas is James, Duke of York and the villain is the Whig politician the Earl of Shaftesbury. It was staged at a time when the growing Tory Reaction had swung power away from the Whigs trying to exclude the Catholic York from the throne. The original Drury Lane cast included Cardell Goodman as Seliman, Thomas Clark as Tachmas, Michael Mohun as Ismael, Philip Griffin as Arbanes, Richard Saunders as Osman, Katherine Corey as Begona, Sarah Cooke as Semanthe and Anne Marshall as Sunamire. The published play was dedicated to the Duke of Richmond, Master of the Horse and illegitimate son of Charles II.

The Loyal General

Play · 1679

The Loyal General is a 1679 tragedy by the Irish writer Nahum Tate. It was first performed at the Dorset Garden Theatre by the Duke's Company. The prologue was written by John Dryden. The original cast included Thomas Betterton as Theocrin, Henry Harris as King, Henry Norris as Theron, Thomas Gillow as Diphilus, Thomas Jevon as Escalus, John Bowman as Pisander, Joseph Williams as Abardanes, Elizabeth Currer as Queen, Mary Lee as Arviola and Emily Price as Edraste.

The Luckey Chance

Play · 1686

The Luckey Chance, or an Alderman's Bargain by Aphra Behn is a 17th-century comedy in five acts. The play was first staged in the Spring of 1686. Its main theme is romance and it includes devices such as impersonation and disguise, Some songs were composed by John Blow. The play continues to be performed. In 1984 it was performed at the Royal Court Theatre as the first production of the Women's Playhouse Trust (now known as The Wapping Project). A version in 1960s dress was staged by Echo Theatre in 2013 at the Bath House Cultural Center in Texas, United States.

The Lying Lover

Play · 1703

The Lying Lover; Or, The Lady's Friendship is a 1703 comedy play by the Irish writer Richard Steele. It was his second play, written while he was an army office doing garrison duty in Harwich during the War of the Spanish Succession. It is described as being both a restoration comedy and a sentimental comedy, and marked the transition between the two. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. The original cast included Philip Griffin as Old Bookwit, Robert Wilks as Young Bookwit, John Mills as Lovemore, Colley Cibber as Latine, William Pinkethman as Storm, William Bullock as Charcoal, Jane Rogers as Penelope, Jane Lucas as Lettice, Susannah Cox as Betty and Anne Oldfield as Victoria. The published version was dedicated to the Duke of Ormonde, an Irish politician and soldier.

The Madwoman of Chaillot

Play · 1945

The play is set in the café "chez Francis" in the Place de l'Alma in the Chaillot district of Paris. A group of corrupt corporate executives is meeting. They include the Prospector, the President, the Broker and the Baron, and they are planning to dig up Paris to get at the oil which they believe lies beneath its streets. Their nefarious plans come to the attention of Countess Aurelia, the benignly eccentric madwoman of the title. She is an aging idealist who sees the world as happy and beautiful. But, advised by her associate the Ragpicker, who is a bit more worldly than the Countess, she soon comes to realize that the world might well be ruined by these evil men who seek only wealth and power. These people have taken over Paris. "They run everything, they corrupt everything," says the Ragpicker. Already things have gotten so bad that the pigeons do not bother to fly any more. One of the businessmen says in all seriousness, "What would you rather have in your backyard: an almond tree or an oil well?" Aurelia resolves to fight back and rescue humanity from the scheming and corrupt developers. She enlists the help of her fellow outcasts: the Street Singer, the Ragpicker, the Sewer Man, the Flower Girl, the Sergeant, and various other oddballs and dreamers. These include her fellow madwomen: the acidic Constance, the girlish Gabrielle, and the ethereal Josephine. In a tea party every bit as mad as a scene from Alice in Wonderland, they put the "wreckers of the world's joy" on trial, and in the end condemn them to banishment—or perhaps, death. One by one, the greedy businessmen are lured by the smell of oil to a bottomless pit from which they will (presumably) never return. Peace, love, and joy return to the world. Even the earthbound pigeons are flying again.

The Maid of Kent

Play · 1773

The Maid of Kent is a 1773 comedy play by the English writer Francis Godolphin Waldron. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 17 May 1773. The original cast included William Parsons as Sir Thomas Richacre, John Hayman Packer as Doctor Goodman, Francis Godolphin Waldron as Metre, John Palmer as George, Joseph Vernon as William, John Moody as O'Connor, Robert Baddeley as La Poudre, Richard Griffith as Robert, Elizabeth Younge as Emily, Jane Pope as Patty and Mary Bradshaw as Dame Quickset.

The Maid of Mariendorpt

Play · 1838

The Maid of Mariendorpt is an 1838 play by the Irish writer James Sheridan Knowles. It was inspired by the 1821 novel The Village of Mariendorpt by Anna Maria Porter. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 8 October 1838. The original cast included Sheridan Knowles as Muldenhau, Robert Strickland as General Kleiner, Walter Lacy as Baron Idenstein, Benjamin Nottingham Webster as Joseph, John Buckstone as Hans, Fanny Cooper as Adolpha, Emma Elphinstone as Meeta, Julia Glover as Esther. The same year it appeared at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

The Maid's Last Prayer

Play · 1693

The Maid's Last Prayer: Or, Any Rather Than Fail is a 1693 comedy play by the Irish writer Thomas Southerne. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the United Company. The original cast included George Powell as Granger, John Bowman as Gayman, John Verbruggen as Garnish, Thomas Doggett as Lord Malepert, George Bright as Sir Ruff Rancounter, William Bowen as Sir Symphony, Cave Underhill as Drydrubb, William Pinkethman as Porter, Carey Perin as Christian, Elizabeth Barry as Lady Malepert, Anne Bracegirdle as Lady Trickitt, Susanna Mountfort as Lady Susan Malepert, Jane Rogers as Maria, Mary Betterton as Wishwell, Elinor Leigh as Siam and Mary Kent as Florence. It included music composed by Henry Purcell. The published version was dedicated to Charles Boyle.

The Major

Play · 1881

The Major is an 1881 comedic play produced by Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart. It debuted to a full house at the new Theatre Comique on Broadway in New York City on August 29, 1881. Songs contributed by David Braham include "Major Gilfeather", "Miranda, When We Are Made One", "Veteran's Guards' Cadets", "Clara Jenkins' Tea" and "4-11-44". It ran for over 150 performances, closing on January 7, 1882, the longest of any Harrigan and Hart production at that time. The play was revived in March 1885 at the Fourteenth Street Theatre.

The Man Who Came to Dinner

Play · 1939

The play is set in the small town of Mesalia, Ohio in the weeks leading to Christmas in the late 1930s. The famously outlandish New York City radio wit Sheridan Whiteside ('Sherry' to his friends) is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do factory owner Ernest W. Stanley and his family. But before Whiteside can enter the house, he slips on a patch of ice outside the Stanleys' front door and injures his hip. Confined to the Stanleys' home, Whiteside is looked after by several professionals: Dr. Bradley, the absent-minded town physician, Miss Preen, his frantic nurse, and Maggie Cutler, his faithful secretary. Confined to the house for a month, Whiteside drives his hosts mad by viciously insulting them, monopolizing their house and staff, running up large phone bills, and receiving many bizarre guests, including paroled convicts, and the eccentric Professor Metz, who brings him a glass-encased cockroach colony. Although he earns the intense dislike of Mr. Stanley, Whiteside manages to befriend his adult children, June and Richard, as well as his wildly eccentric older sister, Harriet Stanley. He also befriends local newspaperman and aspiring playwright Bert Jefferson but soon learns that Maggie has fallen in love with Bert, and plans to leave her job to marry him. Unable to bear the thought of losing his secretary, Whiteside invites his friend, the glamorous and loose-living actress Lorraine Sheldon, to Mesalia to look at Bert's new play, hoping she can break up the marriage plans. Dr. Bradley tells Whiteside he was mistaken in his diagnosis, and Whiteside is well enough to leave. Whiteside buys the doctor's silence by pretending to want to work on a book with him, and for the rest of the play keeps brushing him off. Whiteside encourages June Stanley to elope with a young union organizer whom her father disapproves of, and Richard to run away and pursue his dream of becoming a photographer. Lorraine arrives, and Maggie instantly suspects Whiteside's efforts to interfere with her and Bert. Whiteside and Maggie then receive a visit from their friend, noted British actor and playwright Beverly Carlton. Maggie learns Beverly can do a great impression of Lord Bottomley, an English lord whom Lorraine is desperate to marry. She gets Beverly to call Lorraine from the train station and pretend to be Lord Bottomley proposing, to get Lorraine to leave. However, Whiteside soon sees through the ruse and when Lorraine realizes Maggie's involvement, she starts to seduce Bert as revenge. The next day, Christmas, Bert is enthralled with Lorraine, and Maggie, hurt by Whiteside's betrayal, tells him she is quitting. Feeling guilty, Sherry tries to think of a way to get Lorraine out of Mesalia. He gets help from an unexpected visit by his friend, movie comedian Banjo. Mr. Stanley, however, furious at Whiteside's interference with his family, has now ordered Sherry's eviction from the house and gives him fifteen minutes to leave. All looks hopeless until an Egyptian mummy case is delivered to Whiteside (a Christmas gift from the Khedive of Egypt). Whiteside and Banjo manage to trick Lorraine into the mummy case and shut her inside. Sherry then sees a photo of Harriet Stanley when she was younger, and recognizes her as a famous axe murderer. Using this information, he blackmails Mr. Stanley into helping them get the case onto Banjo's plane. Whiteside now stands, telling Maggie she is free to marry Bert and prepares to return to New York by train. Unfortunately, as he is leaving the house, he slips on another patch of ice, injuring himself again. He is carried back inside the house screaming as the curtain falls.

The Man from Home

Play · 1907

At intervals throughout the play the mandolins and guitarist are heard playing The Fishermen's Song, usually off stage. During the opening of Act III an unseen orchestra softly plays an aria from Pagliacci, the music coming through the open doors of the conservatory at the rear of the salon. Act I (The terrace of the Hotel Regina Margherita in Sorrento. Morning.) Exposition between Mariano and Ribiere identifies the main characters and their relationships. The Earl, his son, Lady Creech, Ethel, Hoarce, and Hélène form one party. The Grand Duke has met Pike at a hotel in Naples and is bringing him along to Sorrento. Hawcastle and Hélène discuss their latest venture, the capture of Ethel and Hoarce's money through promised matrimony. News of an escaped Russian convict alarms Hélène, but Hawcastle assures her it cannot be Ivanoff. Almeric confirms Ethel has accepted him. Hawcastle tells Hoarce the "settlement" will be £150,000. Hoarce acquiesces in order to appear worldly, though this is Ethel's entire estate. Mariano explains a commotion from the village is the arrival of Herr von Gröllerhagen and his American friend. The Earl's party dismiss the German as common and the American as gauche. Ethel and Hoarce are embarrassed by their countryman, and horrified to learn he is Ethel's guardian. Pike, in turn, is astonished at the settlement and Ethel's choice of fiancé. (Curtain) Act II (The hotel's entrance garden. Afternoon.) Pike, working on the engine of Doc's auto, ignores Hoarce's protests. Pike has refused to discuss a settlement with Hawcastle. Pike sends Doc for some clean rags, which amuses him. Lady Creech is seen peering out a second story window, spying on Pike. Ivanoff appears on the garden wall and begs Pike's help. With the reluctant help of Doc, Pike is able to convince the carabinieri that Ivanoff is a chauffeur. Mariano expedites matters by secretly revealing Doc's real identity to the carabinieri. Ivanoff tells his story to Pike and Doc. Doc allows Ivanoff to stay in his suite of rooms, but is troubled. Lady Creech steals away to tell Hawcastle what she has seen. Pike and Ethel argue about the settlement. A letter from England that Pike hoped would dissuade her fizzles out but does let Ethel know Pike is fond of her. Hawcastle now confronts Pike: approve the settlement or face Italian justice for aiding a fugitive. (Curtain) Act III (A private salon in the hotel. Evening.) Pike discusses the situation with Doc about Ivanoff and Hawcastle's threat. He apologises for getting him into this situation. Doc is unconcerned; he has already had Ribiere take steps about which he doesn't tell Pike yet. Pike calls Ivanoff into the room to give him the situation. Doc leaves on an errand of his own outside. Ivanoff notices his silver cigarette box and vodka bottle and realizes Doc is really Russian. He and Pike look out the window to see Doc speaking with the carabinieri, who salute him. Ivanoff panics, but Mariano enters to announce Lady Creech. Pike dismisses Ivanoff, but Lady Creech isn't fooled. She repeats Hawcastle's threat, but Pike has a sudden epiphany about the Earl, Hélène, and Ivanoff. He summons Ethel to the salon, and commands her to stay no matter what. Ethel agrees, and when her brother, the English party and the Cometesse arrive, she resists their demands to leave. Pike forces Hawcastle to repeat his threat in front of Ethel. He then summons Ivanoff, who recognizes his wife and Glenwood in Hélène and the Earl. Hélène is terrified of her husband and Hawcastle alarmed. He urges Almeric to go for the police, but Doc enters and announces the carabinieri have been dismissed. When Hawcastle challenges him, Ribiere identifies Doc as the Grand Duke Vasili, who has arranged a pardon for Ivanoff. Pike is stymied when Ethel still stands by Almeric; she has given her promise. (Curtain) Act IV (Same as Act I. Morning.) Hélène has already gone. Hawcastle urges Almeric to keep after Ethel, as he prepares to flee in fear of a now free Ivanoff. Lady Creech reveals Ethel has wept upon hearing Ivanoff's tale. Ethel also had Pike give Ivanoff a large sum of money. As porters load his carriage, Hawcastle rushes out. Grand Duke Vasili now takes his leave of Ethel and Pike, praising the latter and signaling to the girl he knows where her heart is drifting. Ivanoff then comes to thank Ethel; he will go to London to teach languages and serve as a reproach to Hawcastle. As Ethel is still determined to honor her promise, Pike grants her request for the settlement. Hoarce is angry, but Ethel seems happy. However, Almeric blights it all by congratulating Ethel for "buying off the convict". She repudiates her promise on his opinion of her venality. Most of all she is angry with Pike for acquiescing now, and not earlier. But as she berates him, she realizes he has acknowledged her right to choose the life she wants. Slowly she enters the hotel, and soon the sound of her playing the piano and singing Sweet Genevieve, Pike's favorite song, drifts through the open door. Pike is staggered, then as a man in a dream, goes towards the music. (Curtain)

The Man in the Street

Play · 1947

The Man in the Street is a comedy play by the British writer Geoffrey Kerr. It first appeared at the Manchester Opera House before transferring to the St James's Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 44 performances between 9 October and 15 November 1947. Presented by the impresario Basil Dean the West End cast included Bobby Howes, Lloyd Pearson, Edward Jewesbury, Kynaston Reeves, Charles Lloyd Pack, Helen Christie and Beryl Measor. The play revolved an ordinary man of the people being celebrated by a newspaper proprietor. While The New Statesman described it as "slick and frequently amusing comedy" the review in The Spectator was more critical.

The Man of Newmarket

Play · 1678

The Man of Newmarket is a 1678 comedy play by the English writer Edward Howard. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the King's Company. The original cast featured John Wiltshire as Passal, Nicholas Burt as Maldrin, Martin Powell as Nonsuch, Joseph Haines as Whiffler, Thomas Clark as Swiftspur, Cardell Goodman as Trainsted, Philip Griffin as Bowser, Carey Perin as Plodwell, Michael Mohun as Breakbond, John Coysh as Pricknote, Mary Corbett as Clevly and Katherine Corey as Quickthridt.

The Man of Taste

Play · 1735

The Man of Taste is a 1735 comedy play by the British writer James Miller. It was a success and was performed numerous times during the theatre season. It is also known by the longer title The Man Of Taste or, The Guardians. The original Drury Lane cast included Benjamin Griffin as Sir Positive Bubble, John Mills as Freelove, William Milward as Valentine, John Harper as Sir Humphrey Henpeck, William Mills as Harcourt, Theophilus Cibber as Martin, Richard Cross as Lewis, Joe Miller as Renard, Richard Arne as Almanzor, Frances Cross as Lady Henpeck, Kitty Clive as Maria and Hannah Pritchard as Dorothea and Sarah Thurmond as Dorinda.

The Man of Ten Thousand

Play · 1796

The Man of Ten Thousand is a 1796 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Drury Lane cast featured William Barrymore as Sir Pertinax Pitiful, John Palmer as Lord Laroon, Charles Kemble as Dorington, John Bannister as Hairbrain, James William Dodd as Curfew, Richard Suett as Consol, Robert Palmer as Major Rampart, Ralph Wewitzer as Herbert, James Aickin as Hudson, Walter Maddocks as Thomas, John Phillimore as Clerk, Jane Pope as Lady Taunton, Maria Gibbs as Annabel and Elizabeth Farren as Olivia.

The Man with Blond Hair

Play · 1941

Two Nazi airmen, Rudolph and Stumer, escape internment in Canada and find themselves in New York where they are arrested. A policeman arranges for them to escape so the policeman may recapture and beat them. Stumer escapes but Rudolph is captured by a gang of kids. They are about to force him to jump off a roof when Ruth, fiancée of one boy Involved, takes him away to her apartment via the fire escape. At Ruth's apartment he is fed and well treated by her mother, while the boys search for him. One of the boys is shot by the police before he is about to spot Rudolph. Rudolph gives himself up to the police.

The Man's Bewitched

Play · 1709

The Man's Bewitched is a 1709 comedy play by the British writer Susanna Centlivre. It is known by the longer title The Man's Bewitch'd; or, The Devil to do about Her. The original Haymarket cast included John Bowman as Sir Jeffrey Constant, John Mills as Captain Constant, Benjamin Husband as Lovely, Robert Wilks as Faithful, Benjamin Johnson as Sir David Watchman, Richard Estcourt as Trust, Thomas Doggett as Num, Richard Cross as Slouch, William Pinkethman as Clinch, William Bullock as Roger, Colley Cibber as Manage, Anne Oldfield as Belinda, Mary Porter as Maria, Margaret Saunders as Dorothy and Margaret Bicknell as Lucy.

The Manor of Northstead

Play · 1954

The Manor of Northstead is a 1954 comedy play by the British writer William Douglas Home. It is a sequel to his 1947 hit The Chiltern Hundreds. The title refers to the Manor of Northstead. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham before transferring to the Duchess Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 307 performances between 28 April 1954 and 22 January 1955. The original London cast included A.E. Matthews, Jean Lodge, Marie Lohr, Charles Heslop, Bryan Coleman, Ronald Adam, Arthur Hewlett and Viola Lyel.

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