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The Widow of Malabar

Play · 1790

The Widow of Malabar is a 1790 tragedy by the British writer Mariana Starke. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 5 May 1790. The original cast included William Farren as Raymond, George Davies Harley as Chief Bramin, William Powell as Second Bramin, Joseph George Holman as Young Bramin, James Thompson as Narrain, Ann Brunton Merry as Indamora and Mrs Rock as Fatima. Starke's play is an adaptation of the French playwright Antoine-Marin Lemierre's La Veuve de Malabar (1770). Both Starke's drama and its source material center on a British officer who saves an Indian woman from committing suicide via widow-burning, but while both characters have a romantic relationship with one another Lemierre's play, in The Widow of Malabar, relations between the two are purely platonic.

The Widowed Wife

Play · 1767

The Widowed Wife is a 1767 comedy play by William Kenrick. It premiered at Drury Lane Theatre on 5 December 1767. It closely resembled the plot of Memoirs of a Magdalen a novel by Hugh Kelly. The play enjoyed a fairly successful run. The original Drury Lane cast included Samuel Reddish as Fred Melmoth, Thomas King as Syllogism, Charles Holland as General Melmoth, Francis Aickin as Colonel Camply, James Aickin as Lord Courtly, James William Dodd as Doctor Mineral, John Palmer as Furnival, Hannah Pritchard as Mrs Mildmay, Frances Abington as Narcissa, Mary Bradshaw as Susan and Kitty Clive as Sift.

The Wife

Play · 1833

The Wife: A Tale of Mantua (also known as The Wife of Mantua is an 1833 historical play by the Irish writer James Sheridan Knowles. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 24 April 1833. The cast included Sheridan Knowles as Julian St. Pierre, Ellen Kean as Mariana, Charles Kean as Leonardo, James Prescott Warde as Ferrardo, George Bennett as Antonio, William Abbot as Lorenzo, Edwin Ransford as Hugo, Drinkwater Meadows as Bartolo and William Payne as Pietro. The epilogue was written by Charles Lamb. It is set in Mantua during the reign of the House of Gonzaga.

The Wife of Bath

Play · 1713

The Wife of Bath is a 1713 comedy play by the British writer John Gay. It was inspired by The Wife of Bath's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer. The play marked a conscious switch by Gay towards an apolitical and distant past, after his contemporary work The Mohocks had faced controversy and censorship the previous year. Robert Wilks, a celebrated actor and manager of the Drury Lane Theatre, appeared as Chaucer. The title role of the wife was played by Margaret Bicknell with Mary Porter as Myrtilla and the cast rounded out by William Bullock, Lacy Ryan, Christopher Bullock, William Pinkethman, Susanna Mountfort and Henry Norris. It had been expected to premiere in April 1713, but was delayed by the lengthy run of Joseph Addison's Cato which had been widely acclaimed. When it was finally able to be staged, it lasted for only two nights. However a publisher Bernard Lintot paid £25 for the copyright to the work, while Richard Steele had been enthusiastic after seeing it in rehearsals. The epilogue was likely to have been written by Gay's friend and fellow Tory Alexander Pope. On 19 January 1730 the play, substantially rewritten by Gay who was now celebrated for his The Beggar's Opera, opened at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. The cast featured John Hippisley and Jane Egleton, who has both appeared in The Beggar's Opera. Other cast members included Thomas Chapman, Anthony Boheme, William Milward, Charles Hulett and Elizabeth Younger. It ran for three nights and this time Lintot paid £75 for the copyright to print it for sale. However, the play was never revived.

The Wife's Relief

Play · 1711

The Wife's Relief, or, The Husband's Cure is a 1711 comedy play by the British writer Charles Johnson. The plot revolves around a virtuous wife who tries to mend her husband's rakish ways. The cast included Robert Wilks as Volatil, Colley Cibber as Riot, Anne Oldfield as Arabella, Barton Booth as Horatio, Thomas Doggett as Sir Tristram Cash, Lacy Ryan as Valentine, Henry Norris as Spitfire, Christopher Bullock as Hazard, Mary Willis as Teraminta and Jane Rogers as Cynthia. It lasted seven nights, considered a good run for a play at the time.

The Wife's Secret

Play · 1846

Although various aspects of the play differ between the 1846 and 1869 versions of the text, the general plot remains the same: Lady Eveline is hiding her brother, Lord Arden, in her house after he and his fellow Cavaliers are defeated in their attempt to overthrow the Commonwealth of England. While Lady Eveline posits that her husband, Sir Walter, though a Parliamentarian, will have mercy on her brother if he reveals himself, Lord Arden insists on remaining hidden, as he fears that Sir Walter will have him arrested if he discovers him. Sir Walter comes to suspect that Lady Eveline is keeping a lover hidden in the house, and threatens to kill him. Lady Eveline reveals the truth and Sir Walter, although sceptical at first, comes to believe her, and decides to protect Lord Arden. Jabez Sneed, a servant that has been stealing money from Lady Eveline, attempts to escape arrest and flee by boarding a ship- but his plot is discovered by Sir Walter, who plans to report him to the authorities.

The Will

Play · 1797

The Will is a 1797 comedy play by the British writer Frederick Reynolds. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 19 April 1797. The original cast included Thomas King as Sir Solomon Cynic, Richard Wroughton as Mandeville, John Bannister as Howard, Robert Palmer as Veritas, Richard Suett as Realize, Samuel Thomas Russell as Robert, John Hayman Packer as Old Copsley, Dorothea Jordan as Albina Mandeville, Charlotte Tidswell as Deborah, Ursula Booth as Mrs Rigid and Harriet Mellon as Cicely Copsley. The Irish premiere took place at Dublin's Crow Street Theatre on 16 December 1799.

The Will for the Deed

Play · 1804

The Will for the Deed is an 1804 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Dibdin. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 24 March 1804. The original cast included Joseph Shepherd Munden as Old Harebrain, William Thomas Lewis as Harry Harebreain, William Blanchard as Antimony, Samuel Simmons as Capias, John Fawcett as Motto, Charles Farley as Reference, John Emery as Acorn, William Chapman as Manly and Mary Ann Davenport as Mrs. Reference.

The Wisdom Tooth

Play · 1925

Act I (Scene 1: Men's Washroom at Porter & Company.) Charley banters with colleagues about his saving so much money and not marrying. He complains of an aching wisdom tooth, and gets a recommendation for a dentist from Sparrow. They all wonder why a bright pretty stenographer nicknamed the Duchess was dismissed suddenly. Charley vows to challenge their boss Mr. Porter about it, but goes quiet when he passes by, drawing his coworkers' derision. (Curtain) Act I (Scene 2: Waiting room of Dentist's office. Later that afternoon.) Charley arrives for his appointment to find four people ahead of him, two men and two women. All the magazines are taken so he goes to a bookshelf and pulls down a volume of fairy tales. The two men tease him about his choice of reading matter; Charley tries to justify it, while the two women smile at his discomfiture. He eventually gives up and leaves without seeing the dentist. (Curtain) Act I (Scene 3: By fireplace of Mrs. Poole's boarding house. That evening.) The various denizens of Mrs. Poole's make their entrances and exits. Sally and Charley sit out dinner because of his tooth. He has bought her a cribbage board, because she used to play it in college. Mrs. Poole is fond of Charley; he has lived there six years and never missed paying rent on time. Farraday discourages Sally from taking Charley seriously, because he lacks opinions of his own. He proceeds to demonstrate this by switching sides in an argument, and each time Charley goes along with Farraday's new opinion. Alone now, Sally tells Charley she likes him, but despairs of freeing the strong person she senses inside him. She calls him a "carbon-copy person" then leaves him in the room now lit only by the fire. He speaks into the fire, wishing his grandparents were there to convince others he was really someone to respect. He hears his long-dead grandma calling "Skeeter! Skeeter!" and answers "Here I am!" The double doors of the room open by themselves, filled with a blue light, as his grandparents enter wearing old-fashioned clothes. (Curtain) Act II (Scene 1: Same as Act I Scene 3. A moment later.) Charley greets his grandparents with relief, telling them he really needs their help. He, and other living people in this scene find nothing incongruous about their presence. The grandparents introduce Lalita, an immortal spirit; Charley and her remember each other from his boyhood. Charley explains the problem he is having with Sally. Summoned to the room by Charley, she is introduced to the grandparents and Lalita. The latter's attire is considered a bit outlandish, so Charley fetches Katie, while the grandparents tell Sally about Charley's deeds as a boy in Indiana, how he saved a horse from a barn fire and rescued a mule from a pit. Katie agrees to take Lalita to Sally's room for a change of dress. Farraday is called for by Sally to see the true Charlie, but he refuses to change his opinion of him. In a moment, he is proved right, when Mrs. Poole enters to scold Bemis about Lalita. She insists the spirit and the old folks leave her house, and Charlie does not stand up for them. At this, the grandparents and Lalita fail to recognize Charlie as Skeeter, the boy they used to know. They depart calling for him. Sally encourages Charly to go seek Skeeter too, to recapture his lost self. Charley starts out the door calling after his grandparents. (Curtain) Act II (Scene 2: Blackdrop with only Charley's face lit up.) Voices are heard, some from Charley's youth, others just fellow travelers on the mysterious road Lalita and his grandparents took. Charley tries to speak with the voices of his youth, reminding them of shared events. At mention of a circus, he recalls working to earn tickets for him and his grandparents. The circus voices and noises begin to predominate and music is heard. (Curtain) Act II (Scene 3: An old fashioned circus.) Charley finds himself under a big top, with circus performers and crew moving about. Grandpa and Grandma Bemis come in, happy that Charley, whom they once again recognize as Skeeter, provided tickets for them. Barnum and Bailey greet them and introduce the clowns and animal trainer. They spot Porky wriggling in under the canvas, but Barnum and Bailey allow him to enter. Charley sees Everett hauling water for the animals. Everett explains he took the job after his last sentence for drunkenness was done. Charley introduces Lalita as his girl, but Everett corrects him; your girl is my niece Mildred. She now appears, glad to have met up with Charley and delighted to meet Lalita. Porky challenges Mildred and Charley; he cannot see Lalita because he does not believe in fairies. The clowns join in the rough teasing, but all are put in their place when Skeeter appears. Though smaller than Porky, he forces him to back down and apologize. Charley implores Skeeter to help him recover his courage. Skeeter agrees to help Charley, for a little while. (Curtain) Act II (Scene 4: Mr. Porter's office) Skeeter takes Charley to the present time, but the haziness of light signals another fantasy scene. Sparrow brings accounts for Mr. Porter, who asks for Charley. Skeeter is ignored by Sparrow and Mr. Porter, who both welcome Charley. The latter immediately announces his resignation, explaining its the only way he can challenge his big boss about the dismissal of the Duchess. After some verbal skirmishing, Mr. Porter reveals the Duchess was habitually late for work, incompetent, and overly familiar. He then asks Charley to reconsider his resignation, and he agrees to stay. Skeeter says he is leaving now to return to Grandma and Grandpa. Charley wants him to stay and help bolster his courage, but Skeeter is adamant he is not going to babysit Charley. He will, however, be there if Charley really needs him. They shake hands and part, with Charley musing "Gee, I was a swell kid". (Curtain) Act III (Same as Act I Scene 3. Same evening, 10:30 pm.) Charley finds himself back in front of the fire at Mrs. Poole's. She brings in Sparrow, who has come to borrow some money for taking a young lady home by taxi cab. Kellog and Fry join them for a brief discussion about business and the French war debt. Charley gradually comes to self-realization as he listens to their opinions. When Faraday and his wife return from the cinema, Charley reminds them of his recommending the film. Despite the late hour, he telephones Porter at home and challenges him over the dismissed Duchess. Sally has come into the room and hears the call. Mr. Porter fires Charley over the phone for impudence. Charley tells Sally he does not care, he said what he meant to say. Sally is delighted, and signals her renewed interest in Charley by agreeing to teach him to play cribbage. (Curtain)

The Wise Man of the East

Play · 1799

The Wise Man of the East is a 1799 comedy play by the British writer Elizabeth Inchbald, inspired by an earlier German work by August von Kotzebue. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 30 November 1799 and was performed thirteen times that season. The original cast included Joseph Shepherd Munden as Ava Thoanoa, William Thomas Lewis as Claransforth, Charles Murray as Metland, Henry Erskine Johnston as Ensign Metland, Thomas Knight as Timothy Starch, John Waddy as Lawley, George Davenport as Bankwell, Charles Klanert as Waitby, Mary Ann Davenport as Lady Mary Diamond, Isabella Mattocks as Rachel Starch and Nannette Johnston as Ruth Starch.

The Wives Excuse

Play · 1691

The Wives Excuse also The Wives Excuse; Or, Cuckolds Make Themselves is a 1691 comedy play by the Anglo-Irish writer Thomas Southerne. The title is sometimes written more grammatically as The Wives' Excuse. It was originally staged at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the United Company with a cast that included Thomas Betterton as Lovemore, Edward Kynaston as Wellvile, Joseph Williams as Wilding, John Bowman as Courtall, William Mountfort as Friendall, George Bright as Ruffle, Joseph Harris as Musick Master, Elizabeth Barry as Mrs Friendall, Anne Bracegirdle as Mrs Sightly, Susanna Mountfort as Mrs Wittwoud and Katherine Corey as Mrs Teazall.

The Woman Captain

Play · 1679

The Woman Captain; Or, The Usurer Turned Soldier is a 1679 comedy by the English writer Thomas Shadwell. It was originally staged by the Duke's Company at Dorset Garden Theatre in London. The original cast is unknown except for Elizabeth Barry who played the title role, and also read the epilogue. It is part of the tradition of Restoration Comedy that flourished during the era. It was revived in 1710 at Drury Lane featuring Lucretia Bradshaw and Henry Norris then again in 1716 and 1717 at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre with Sarah Thurmond starring.

The Woman in Room 13

Play · 1918

This synopsis has been compiled from contemporaneous newspaper and magazine reviews. Prologue (The Bruce home in Galveston, Texas.) John Bruce and his wife Laura quarrel, ending with him throwing her out of the house since she wants a divorce. (Curtain) Act I (A salon in the Ramsey's New York residence.) The ex-Laura Bush is now remarried to Paul Ramsey, who works for a bank. His boss is Dick Turner, a serial vamp who preys on married women. Turner has designs on Laura, so he sends Ramsey off to San Francisco to get him out of the way. But Ramsey is suspicious of his boss; he hires a detective to secretly watch over Laura. However, unknown to Ramsey, the detective is Laura's ex-husband, John Bruce, who seeks revenge on her. (Curtain) Act II (A Manhattan apartment hotel room, just under room 13.) John Bruce has wired the room above with a speaking tube that feeds a Dictaphone in this room, with a stenographer present to transcribe completed rolls. He summons Paul Ramsey to hear what he thinks is his wife meeting with Dick Turner. But Laura has been intercepted by Edna Crain, who sent her off while she met Dick Turner in Room 13. Enraged at his wife's supposed infidelity, Ramsey rushes out and a moment later a gunshot is heard, followed by Edna Crain coming down the fire escape wearing only a diaphanous negligee. (Curtain) Act III (Room 13 in the Manhattan apartment hotel.) Chief Carrigan takes charge of the investigation into Dick Turner's murder. The gun is found in the room and Paul is charged with homicide. Laura sacrifices her honor by insisting she was in the room with Dick Turner, to protect her husband by casting the killing as a crime passionel. (Curtain) Act IV (A corridor in the Criminal Courts Building. By darkening the corridor lighting and the use of a scrim curtain, this scene also displayed events happening in the court room.) John Bruce changes his testimony on the witness stand, identifying Edna Crain and not Laura as the woman in Room 13. The jury still acquits Paul, despite the mistaken identity. (Curtain)

The Woman in the Case

Play · 1905

Margaret has been married to Julian but three months when Julian is arrested for the murder of his best friend, Philip Long. It had previously been thought that Long had committed suicide, but his family refused to accept such a gruesome idea. Just prior to the arrest, newspaper reports told of the discovery of love letters from Julian to Claire Foster, whom Long was planning to marry. The implication is that Julian must have killed Long in a fit of jealousy. Julian, however, is known by all as a man of uncommon integrity. Margaret never questions his innocence; she decides to disguise herself as a member of the underclass in order to get to know Claire Forster (herself a member of the lower class) in an attempt at getting Claire to explain how she set Julian up. Margaret does this successfully; she gets Cliare drunk, and Claire then explains that her actions constitute an effort at getting even with Julian. Julian had ruined Claire's prospects for marriage by revealing to Long the baseness of his fiancée, after which Long, broken hearted, told Claire the wedding was off and proceeded to shoot himself. Julian is acquitted.

The Women's Conquest

Play · 1670

The Women's Conquest is a 1670 tragedy by the English writer Edward Howard. It was first staged by the Duke's Company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre with a cast that included Henry Harris as Tysamnes, William Smith as Foscaris, John Crosby as Andrages, John Young as Bassanes, Samuel Sandford as Toxaris, Philip Cademan as Alvanes, Henry Norris as Araxis, Mary Betterton as Parisatis, Jane Long as Mandana, Anne Shadwell as Clarina, Elinor Dixon as Melvissa and Mary Lee as Doranthe.

The Woods

Play · 1977

The play is about a couple, Nick and Ruth, spending a night at a house in the country. They push their relationship to the breaking point in a night of stories and fights, only to rediscover their need for one another in the morning. The play takes place on the front porch of Nick's family's summerhouse, where he and Ruth are spending the night. The Woods ends with a bed-time story, but the final reconciliation remains uncomfortably tempered by the violent core we now know to be hiding beneath the soothing words.

The Woodsman

Play · 2012

The play focuses on the story of Nick Chopper, a mortal woodsman who will eventually become the Tin Woodman in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In eastern section of the Land of Oz, Munchkin Country, the Munchkins live in fear of their master the Wicked Witch of the East. The Witch's rule has made everyone afraid to speak aloud – to that end, the play is almost entirely wordless, with the characters instead communicating through noise and mime. Two Munchkins brave the dangerous forest to try to find safety in Emerald City on the other side, but after finding a safe clearing decide to settle down in the woods instead. As they age, they give birth to Nick Chopper, who after their deaths inherits his father's practice as a woodsman and a locket belonging to his mother, along with their hope to eventually reach the Emerald City. The Witch has in her captivity a Munchkin named Nimmie, the daughter of a Munchkin sorcerer, who is forced to serve as the Witch's servant. Sent into the woods to retrieve items for the Witch, Nimmie is ambushed by a vicious Kalidah creature, but is saved by Nick. The pair having never seen another Munchkin, they quickly grow intrigued by each other: Nick shows off his skills with his axe and teaches Nimmie how to use it. They gradually fall for each other as Nick gifts Nimmie his mother's locket, but Nimmie recalls her mission and returns to the Witch. However, the Witch notices the locket and attempts to take it from Nimmie: Nimmie uses her latent powers of sorcery as well as her bravery she learned from Nick to fight the Witch into submission and escape. She reunites with Nick and the two become lovers, planning to build a home and family together. However, the Witch tracks down Nick and Nimmie while they are asleep and places a curse on his axe which causes him to lose pieces of himself every time he uses it. A group of Winkies, the Tinsmiths, help him by replacing each of his severed limbs with metal parts. Nimmie tries to stop Nick from continuing to use the axe, but he is too devoted to building their future together: eventually, the axe completely tears him to pieces. Nimmie recovers his parts and pleads with the Winkies for help, breaking her silence in the process. The Winkies build Nick a new body out of tin, and Nimmie uses her powers to revive him. However, realizing he lacks a heart and feeling he can no longer love Nimmie, Nick chooses to leave her. The Witch invites a devastated Nimmie to return to her, but Nimmie rejects her and vanishes into the woods alone. In the play's only song with lyrics, "Rusting Tin Man", the Woodsman devotes his existence to chopping wood in the field as the spirits of his parents sadly watch on. Eventually, his memories of Nimmie fade as he rusts until he is completely unable to move. Some time later, the Witch is crushed when a house falls from the sky, and a girl emerges, venturing into Oz.

The World in a Village

Play · 1793

The World in a Village is a 1793 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It was staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 23 November 1793. The original cast included John Powell as Sir Henry Check, John Henry Johnstone as Captain Mullinahack, James Middleton as William Bellevue, Joseph George Holman as Charles, Thomas Hull as Willows, William Cubitt as Captain Vanslueisen, William Macready as Briers, John Fawcett as Master Jack, William Thomas Lewis as Grigsby, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Jollyboy, Harriet Pye Esten as Louisa, Isabella Mattocks as Mrs Allbut and Susan Fawcett as Mrs. Bellevue. Its Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre on 25 November 1794.

The World's Full of Girls

Play · 1943

The World's Full of Girls is a play in three acts by Nunnally Johnson which was adapted from Thomas Bell's 1943 novel Till I Come Back to You. The work premiered on Broadway on December 6, 1943, at the Royale Theatre. The cast included Thomas W. Ross as Mr. Bridges, Eva Condon as Mrs. Bridges, Walter Burke as Nick, Julie Stevens as Hannah, Gloria Grahame Hallward as Florrie, Virginia Gilmore as Sally, Frances Heflin as Adele, Berry Kroeger as Miley, Thomas Hume as Dave, Charles Lang as Edward, Harry Bellaver as Sergeant Snyder, John Conway as Mel Fletcher, and Cora Smith as Mrs. Fletcher.

The Wrangling Lovers

Play · 1676

The Wrangling Lovers; Or, The Invisible Mistress is a 1676 comedy play by the English writer Edward Ravenscroft. It premiered at the Dorset Garden Theatre, performed by the Duke's Company with a cast that included Anthony Leigh as Count de Benevent, William Smith as Don Diego de Sluniga, Matthew Medbourne as Don Ruis de Moncado, Henry Harris as Don Gusmun, Cave Underhill as Sanco, Thomas Percival as Ordgano, Margaret Hughes as Octavia, Elizabeth Barry as Elvira and Anne Shadwell as Beatrice.

The Wren

Play · 1921

The setting is an old New England farmhouse on the coast near Ogunquit, Maine. The farmhouse's ground floor interior walls have been removed to leave a large open area, with a double door entry in the center stage back wall. Through the open doors may be seen an exterior veranda, the bay, and another cape. Act I (Interior of Cap'n Olds Place. A spring afternoon.) Cap'n Olds wheels himself in from the veranda, but gets stuck until Mrs. Freehart gives him a push. They are surprised by the unexpected arrival of Mr. Frazee. He asks Seeby for a room separate from that of his wife. Seeby stops Francis and the Captain from beleaguering Frazee with gossip about his wife and Roddy. When they do come in from a morning supposedly devoted to painting, their relationship is betrayed by identical daisy chains of flowers around their necks. Clara Frazee is surprised to find her husband waiting. She portrays Roddy as Seeby's beau when Frazee is around, only to flirt with Roddy when he is not. Seeby, meanwhile, realizes Roddy hasn't done any serious painting since Clara arrived. (Curtain) Act II (Same, that evening.) Francis and Mrs. Freehart go out walking together in the evening. Clara has encouraged Roddy to take Seeby for a walk and play up to her, to mislead Mr. Frazee. Clara plays the piano for Roddy when he and Seeby return. Seeby intervenes by calling Francis to bring his guitar. Seeby sings The Nightingale while Francis plays and backs her vocals. Mr. Frazee appears and asks Seeby to have his bill ready tomorrow morning, when he will leave... with his wife. Clara objects and pursues him back to his room. Seeby then has words with Roddy, who is hopeless when Clara is present. Seeby accuses him of leading her on last season and tonight. Roddy protests his sincerity, but is nonplussed when Frazee tells him Clara makes a habit of these liaisons with bohemian types. Frazee then tells Clara that Roddy cannot afford to keep her; Francis has told him that Roddy stays at Cap'n Olds Place at half-rates. (Curtain) Act III (Same, the next morning.) The next morning Francis bears the brunt of Seeby's displeasure with his gossiping. Roddy confesses to Clara that he has been living off the sale of two paintings since last year, and cannot afford to take her anywhere. Clara realizes she better return with her husband, who understands her and can indulge her need for occasional flings. Seeby sends Roddy out to do some painting, rejecting his request to come along with him. Francis, the Captain, and Mrs. Freehart watch out a window as Roddy makes off alone with his paint gear and lunch box. They tell Seeby how lonely he looks now. After a moment she runs out the door, while the old folks watch amazed at her volte-face. (Curtain)

The Young Man from Atlanta

Play · 1995

In 1950, Will Kidder, age 64, is at his office at the Sunshine Southern Wholesale Grocery, where he has worked since his early 20s. He and his wife Lily Dale have just moved into their new house in Houston and, in Will's words, "There's no finer house in Houston." He was poor as a child and had a successful career. However, Will is fired. Will talks about his only son, Bill, who had moved to Atlanta. Bill drowned six months ago, and Will suspects Bill actually committed suicide. Lily Dale refuses to consider that he committed suicide, instead believing that his death was an accident. Bill's roommate, Randy Carter, the "Young Man from Atlanta", had been trying to see Will, who believes that all he wants is money. Will learns that Bill had given Randy money, but eventually accepts that he knew Bill and "that's the only Bill I care to know about." A review in The New York Times titled "Nameless Menace in Latest by Foote" points out: "This being 1950, nobody in the play mentions the word 'gay,' or refers even euphemistically to the truth of the relationship between Bill and Randy." Lily Dale Kidder Will Kidder Pete Davenport Carson Tom Jackson Miss Lacey Ted Cleveland Jr. Clara Etta Doris Meneffree

The Younger Generation

Play · 1910

The Younger Generation is a comedy play by the British writer Stanley Houghton. It takes place in a dining room of a house in the suburbs of Manchester, during a period of twenty four hours. It premiered at the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester in 1910. It enjoyed a West End run of 131 performances between 19 November 1912 and 8 March 1913, originally at the Haymarket before transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre. The London cast included Nigel Playfair, Norman Page, Allan Jeayes and Kate Bateman.

Theodosius

Play · 1680

Theodosius; Or, The Force Of Love is a 1680 tragedy by the English writer Nathaniel Lee. It was first staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre. It takes place during the reign of the Roman Emperor Theodosius II. Incidental music for the play was composed by Henry Purcell. The original cast included Joseph Williams as Theodosius, Thomas Betterton as Varanes, William Smith as Marcian, John Wiltshire as Lucius, John Bowman as Atticus, Mary Betterton as Pulcheria and Elizabeth Barry as Athenais. The published version was dedicated to the Duchess of Richmond. The play remained popular and was revived numerous times over the following century and a half. A 1744 version at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin used fresh compositions from Thomas Arne, the leading English-born composer of the era. Actors who appeared in the title role included Lacy Ryan, Henry Giffard, Thomas Barry and John Philip Kemble.

There's Always Juliet

Play · 1931

There's Always Juliet is a 1931 comedy play by the British writer John Van Druten about an American architect who falls in love with an Englishwoman. It ran for 118 performances at the Apollo Theatre in London West End with a cast of Herbert Marshall, Edna Best, May Whitty and Cyril Raymond. It then transferred to Broadway's Empire Theatre with the same cast members. After a fairly lengthy run, however, producer Gilbert Miller was paid by a Hollywood studios to free Marshall for film work. He was eventually replaced by Roger Pryor, but the revived version was less successful. It was adapted for Australian radio in 1940 starring Peter Finch. In 1941, the play was updated into a loosely adapted film One Night in Lisbon starring Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll and Patricia Morison. May Whitty reprised her role from the original play.

There's Wisdom in Women

Play · 1935

There's Wisdom in Women is a play written by Joseph Kesselring. Producer D. A. Doran staged it on Broadway in 1935. Walter Pidgeon played Leon Nordoff, a famous pianist who has cheated on his wife, Margalo (Ruth Weston). She must decide whether to stay with him, and seeks advice from her friend, Tony Cooke (Glenn Anders). In his review for The New York Times, Brooks Atkinson said the play was "old hat" produced by "routine playwrighting". Robert Benchley was similarly dismissive in The New Yorker, saying the play need not have been produced at all. The production closed in less than a month, after 46 performances.

There's a Girl in My Soup

Play · 1966

There's a Girl in My Soup is a stage comedy written by Terence Frisby. Set in the 1960s, it tells the story of a smooth-talking TV chef, Robert Danvers, who falls for a much younger woman, Marion. She leaves her hippie boyfriend, Jimmy, to live with Danvers, but eventually returns to Jimmy, leaving Danvers bereft. It opened on 30 May 1966 at the Golders Green Hippodrome and transferred soon after to the Globe Theatre. There's a Girl in My Soup ran for years until 1973 to become the longest-running comedy in the history of the West End. The play ran at the Globe Theatre for years, from March 1966 until 6 August 1969, when it transferred to the Comedy Theatre, opening there on 18 August 1969 and closing in 1973 after 2,547 performances. It was unprecedented for a comedy to run for such a long time. This record was later broken by No Sex Please, We're British and then Run for Your Wife. The title alludes to the well-known set-up line for a series of popular 20th century Anglo-American jokes about rude or sarcastic food servers: "Waiter, there's a fly in my soup."

These Charming People

Play · 1925

This synopsis was compiled from contemporaneous newspaper reviews. Scenes: Act I (Sir George's House in Chester Square.) Act II (The same. The next morning.) Act III (Sitting room of Bat and Ball Hotel at Guilford. The same day.) Sir George, long a sponge on friends and acquaintances, has become an MP by the influence of his son-in-law James Berridge, and obtained a large loan from him, secured by his London townhouse. When Berridge comes to tell Sir George of his daughter Julia's rumored adultery, Sir George is alarmed. Berridge is in line for a peerage, and cannot afford any hint of scandal. He threatens to evict Sir George, for he knows how the two daughters dote on their parasite of a father and will listen to him. Desperate to avoid losing his home and even worse his source of easy loans, Sir George starts a campaign to stop Julia's infidelity. But Julia finds her husband insufferably dull, while she dreads the thought of the attention a peerage will focus on their daily life. She is attracted to Geoffrey Allen, who has an engaging mind. Younger sister Pamela, however, prefers her man to be seen and not heard, which Miles Winter fulfills in his dunderheaded way to Sir George's annoyance. As Julia prepares to take the fatal step, she discovers an unpleasant fact: Geoffrey is the son of a cleaning woman and her father's butler Minx. Even more appalling, Minx is firmly against the illicit romance, not wishing his son to be allied with such disreputable nobs. Julia decides to meet with her husband and make a deal; if he will turn down the peerage, she will return to him. He agrees, and the play ends with Sir George hitting up both Berridge and Winter for loans.

They Walk Alone

Play · 1938

They Walk Alone is a 1938 thriller play by the British writer Max Catto. After premiering at the Q Theatre in Kew Bridge, it transferred to London's West End where it ran for 156 performances between 19 January and 3 June 1939 initially at the Shaftesbury Theatre before switching to the Comedy Theatre. The cast included Beckett Bould, Jimmy Hanley, Rene Ray, Carol Goodner and Beatrix Lehmann. It was produced by Berthold Viertel. It also ran for 21 performances at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway in 1941.

This House

Play · 2012

This House is based on true events that occurred between 1974 and 1979 in the House of Commons. These years involved very tense periods in Parliament, with the Labour and Conservative whips working hard to defend and remove the Government respectively. The February 1974 election had produced a 'hung parliament' (where no party has a majority to govern and pass laws). This deadlock led to the October 1974 general election, where the incumbent Labour government gained a majority of 1 seat – meaning that whips had to ensure every Labour MP voted whenever the Government needed to win a vote (which might have happened multiple times a day). This situation got more difficult between October 1974 and March 1979 as the Labour government lost MPs in by-elections and defections to other parties. The government was finally defeated in a vote of no confidence – by 1 vote – in March 1979. It is the job of parliamentary whips to win votes for their party, by tracking how many of their colleagues are going to vote and convincing (or threatening) reluctant colleagues to vote the way they want. Usually, when one member cannot be present at a division, the whips will attempt to 'pair' them, by striking an informal agreement with the opposition that one of their members will also miss the vote. As happened between 1974 and 1979, throughout the play, these relationships and pairing break down due to the tensions in the government with a small majority, or even none at all. At different times, both parties lost votes in circumstances where they felt that the other party had cheated the pairing (that is, the MP who promised not to vote had voted). Sick members were obliged to attend the House for their votes to be counted, and this was done even in circumstances where this may have contributed to their deaths. It is this tension, and the work it caused the party whips, which the play fictionalises.

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