aftercurtain.
Loading navigation…

Plays

Upcoming shows

8284 shows

Clear filters

Clarence

Play · 1919

A great deal of the dialogue centers on Clarence's mysterious background, which comes out bit by bit. Even his surname isn't known until late in the play. Act I (The anteroom of Mr. Wheeler's private office, New York.) Mrs. Martyn suggests Mr. Wheeler might want to see a young soldier in the waiting room. At first Mr. Wheeler demurs, but as his wife, son, daughter, and daughter's governess parade through the waiting room baying out their complaints, he realizes it might be politic to offer the young doughboy a job to keep him quiet. Mr. Wheeler is impressed that Clarence could drive mules in the Army without learning to swear, thinking this may be the fellow to ride herd on his family. Mrs. Martyn, unable to hear Clarence through Cora's chattering, has recorded his surname as "Smun". All that the family knows about the plainly ailing Clarence is that he was discharged for his liver. (Curtain) Act II (Living room of Mr. Wheeler's home, Englewood, New Jersey. Daytime, three weeks later) Clarence now acts as general handyman at the Wheeler home, as well as secretary to Mr. Wheeler, since he is plainly well educated. He has grown healthier and stands straight, but still wears his uniform for lack of civilian clothes. Della and Rosie admire his husband potential, while Dinwiddie can't decide whether Clarence is domestic staff or a professional man. Violet is beset with suitors: first Bobby, then Hubert Stem, and now Clarence who shyly seeks her company. Cora is distraught when she learns Hubert was using her as a stalking horse to draw the protective Violet to him. Clarence frustrates Hubert's attempt to woo Violet then calms Mrs. Wheeler's unwarranted jealousy over Mr. Wheeler and Violet. But Violet doesn't want Clarence to pursue her, and requests he keep his distance. Della has now abandoned her designs on Bobby and switched to Clarence, as does Cora. When Clarence's army backpay arrives, he buys a new suit and used saxophone, and leads Cora and Dinwiddie into an impromptu parade. (Curtain) Act III (Same, that evening.) Della spars with a jealous Dinwiddie, then startles Bobby by comparing him unfavorably to Clarence. She reveals Clarence used to work in a "lavatory". Violet still refuses Clarence's tenative approaches, but is reconciled with Mrs. Wheeler. Cora asks Clarence what was wrong with his liver, to which he replies he was shot in it. "At Château-Thierry?" asks Mrs. Wheeler, to which he answers "During training". Violet, Bobby, and Mr. Wheeler cannot agree on Clarence's last name, offering Moon, Smart, and Smun respectively. Hubert Stem now brings a newspaper clipping about an Army deserter named "Charles Short". Clarence frustrates him by obtuseness, but reacts angrily when accused of being Charles Short. Mr. Wheeler tries to calm him, explaining they know so little about him. Clarence shouts that all you have to do is look him up in Who's Who, as he is the expert on Coleoptera. The situation is defused when Dinwiddie reports a plumbing emergency. Clarence exits to stop the flooding while Mr. Wheeler calls for a dictionary. (Curtain) Act IV (Same, the next morning.) The Wheeler family bickers after breakfast, Bobby and Cora endlessly sniping and aggravating Mr. Wheeler. Only Mrs. Wheeler remains calm. The crux of the matter is they can't remember the word Clarence told them. They also can't find a Clarence in Who's Who under any of the surnames they thought were his. Clarence explains to Della that he worked in a laboratory, not a lavatory, but she doesn't know the difference. Violet comes down with her suitcase and hat. She is leaving, but is surprised when Clarence says he is too. While they are alone Clarence explains that he is an entomologist, and has re-applied for his old job. He expects a letter that morning confirming the re-appointment. He overwhelms Violet with his confidence in planning their future; she is swept along in the tide. The letter arrives for C. Smith, Esq., provoking astonishment among everyone. The Who's Who is re-consulted and reveals his doctorate and other impressive credentials. Violet and Clarence depart, while the miffed Cora, frustrated in love again, swallows and says softly "Oh, Clarence". (Curtain)

Clash by Night

Play · 1941

Clash by Night is a romantic triangle drama by Clifford Odets which premiered on Broadway in 1941 and was later adapted to film and television. The title derives from Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach" (1867): Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Clementina

Play · 1771

Clementina is a tragic play by the Irish writer Hugh Kelly, first staged at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in February 1771. The plot follows the marriage of a young Italian woman Clementina and her lover Rinaldo, despite her father's opposition to the wedding as he had wished her to marry Palermo. It ends with Palmero killing Rinaldo, and Clementina committing suicide in her despair. In the History of Drama, Allardyce Nicoll describes it as "a poor dull pseudo-classic production, in spite of its Italian scene". The original cast included Mary Ann Yates as Clementina, Robert Bensley as Granville and Richard Wroughton as Palermo.

Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick

Play · 1998

Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick is a 1998 play written by the English dramatist Terry Johnson, who also directed the original production at the National Theatre. The play is about the off-screen love affair between Carry On film stars, Barbara Windsor and Sid James. The comedy also portrays the filming of the "Carry On" series as a less than glamorous affair, characterised by leaking caravans, inadequately paid actors and argumentative co-stars. Most of the play's action takes place in rainy locations, with Barbara staying in Sid's trailer, while he and co-star Kenneth Williams carry on their feud, which began when they starred together in the TV series Hancock's Half Hour. In 2000, Johnson adapted the play for television as Cor, Blimey!.

Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero

Play · 1692

Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero or Cleomenes, The Spartan Heroe: A Tragedy is a 1692 tragedy by the English writer John Dryden. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the United Company. It portrays the reign of Cleomenes, the King of Sparta, inspired by Plutarch's history of the period. Dryden's version is strongly Jacobite in drawing parallels from his overthrow to the recent Glorious Revolution in England. Because of this it was temporarily banned by the authority of Queen Mary. The original Drury Lane cast included Thomas Betterton as Cleomenes, Anthony Leigh as Cleonidas, John Verbruggen as Ptolomy, Samuel Sandford as Sosybius, William Mountfort as Cleanthes, Edward Kynaston as Pantheus, John Hodgson as Coenus, Mary Betterton as Cratisiclea, Anne Bracegirdle as Cleora and Elizabeth Barry as Cassandra. It was published by Jacob Tonson who had by this time secured exclusive rights to Dryden's work past and present. The published version was dedicated to the Tory politician, the Earl of Rochester.

Cleone

Play · 1758

The plot concerns a woman named Cleone, whose brother-in-law, Glanville, attempts to convince her husband that she is unfaithful. Granville decides to have his servant kill Cleone so Glanville can frame his own brother, Siffroy for the murder; Glanville plans to have it believed that Siffroy has murdered Cleone in a jealous rage. Glanville involves his devoted wife, Isabella, in his scheme, carrying it out under the pretext that he is avenging himself against Siffroy for stealing his fortune, but in reality, Glanville is motivated by his jealousy of Cleone, who has rebuffed his advances towards her. Glanville's servant accidentally murders Cleone's child instead of his intended target. Glanville and his servant are found out and arrested by the police. Despite the attempts of her father, brother, and husband to rehabilitate her, an aggrieved Cleone dies of madness.

Cleonice, Princess of Bithynia

Play · 1775

Cleonice, Princess of Bithynia is a 1775 tragedy by the British writer John Hoole. It is set in Bithynia during the Ancient era. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London. The original Covent Garden cast included Spranger Barry as Artabuses, Robert Bensley as Lycomedes, William Thomas Lewis as Pharnaces, John Lee as Orontes, Thomas Hull as Teramenes, James Thompson as Officer, John Whitfield as Agenor and Elizabeth Hartley as Cleonice.

Clive of India

Play · 1933

Clive of India is a play by the British author R.J. Minney. It portrays the life of the eighteenth century soldier and politician Robert Clive, particularly focusing on his victory at the Battle of Plassey. It was based on a biography of Clive that Minney had written two years earlier. First staged at the Theatre Royal at Windsor in 1933, it had a lengthy West End run from January 1934 to January 1935, originally at Wyndham's Theatre before a transfer to the Savoy, encompassing a total 413 performances. Leslie Banks played the title role, while the cast also included Raymond Huntley, Winifred Evans, Gillian Lind and Leo Genn.

Closer

Play · 1997

A young man, Dan, takes a young woman to hospital after she has been hit by a taxi; they flirt while waiting for the doctor to attend to her bloodied knee. Dermatologist Larry inspects her leg briefly and leaves. Dan and the young woman introduce themselves—he is Daniel Woolf, an obituary writer and failed novelist who mentions how he and his colleagues use euphemisms humorously in their work in obituaries. At the young woman's prompting, he says that his euphemism would be "reserved" and hers would be "disarming". She is Alice Ayres, a self-described waif who has a scar along her leg shaped like a question mark. Wanting him to spend the rest of the day with her, she calls in sick to his office for him. More than a year later, Dan is on the verge of publishing a book based on Alice's past as a stripper, and Anna is taking his photograph for publicity. Dan is infatuated with Anna, despite being in a relationship with Alice, for whom he left his former girlfriend. He begs Anna to see him again, and she rejects him. Alice overhears this conversation. She asks Anna to take her photo, and after Dan leaves, confronts her. Anna insists that she is "not a thief" and snaps a photo of a tear-stricken Alice. Six months later, Dan and Larry meet in an adult chat room. Dan impersonates Anna and has Internet sex with Larry. He tries to play a practical joke on Larry by arranging for Larry to meet him (Dan pretending to be Anna in the chat room) in the London Aquarium the next day. When Larry arrives, stunned to see Anna (who Dan did not know would be there), he acts believing that she is the same person from the chat and makes a fool of himself. Anna catches on and says that Dan was probably playing a practical joke on him. She reveals that it is her birthday and snaps a photo of Larry. At Anna's exhibition of photos, Alice stands in front of the photo of her, looking at it; Dan is watching her. They have an argument over Alice's feeling that Dan will leave her. Larry meets Alice, whom he recognises as the woman in the photo, and knows that she is Dan's girlfriend. Meanwhile, Dan persuades Anna to carry on an affair with him. They cheat on their partners with each other, even through Anna and Larry's marriage. A year later, they tell their partners the truth and leave to be with each other. Alice, devastated, disappears from Dan's life. She returns to stripping, using the name Jane. Larry finds her at a seedy strip club in London, where he pushes her to tell the truth about her name. He asks, "Tell me something true, Alice." She says, "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off—but it's better if you do." They share a connection based on mutual betrayal and heartbreak. He asks her to meet him later for sex. She declines. A month after this, Anna is late meeting Dan for dinner. She is coming from asking Larry to sign the divorce papers. Dan finds out that Larry had demanded Anna have sex with him before he would sign the papers. Dan becomes upset and jealous, asking Anna why she did not lie to him. They have a candid, truthful conversation. Anna reveals that she did have sex with Larry and he did sign the papers. Alice meanwhile has been having sex with Larry. On his birthday, she summons him to the museum and sets up Anna to meet him there. Larry and Anna exchange words, as Anna discovers Alice and Larry have been having a casual relationship. Larry asks Anna if their divorce will ever become finalised; he leaves when Alice emerges. The two women share an exchange in which their mutual animosity is revealed. Anna calls Alice "primitive", a description Alice accepts. The younger Alice describes Larry's emotional state as troubled and learns from Anna that Dan still calls out for "Buster" (Alice's nickname) in his sleep. Anna goes back to Larry. Distraught, Dan confronts Larry at his office and has to reconcile himself to the loss of Anna. Larry recommends that Dan return to Alice and reveals that he had seen her in the strip club. He lies for Alice at first and tells Dan that they did not have sex, since Alice feared that, if Dan found out, he would not want her any more. At the end, Larry decides to hurt Dan and reveals the truth—that they had sex. Dan and Alice, back together, prepare to go to the United States. They relive the memories of their first meeting, but Dan is haunted by their encounters with Larry and Anna and pushes Alice to tell him the truth. In the moment when Alice becomes caught between refusing to tell the truth and being unable to lie to him, she says, "I don't love you anymore. Goodbye." (She had told Dan in the beginning that these are the words she tells her significant others when their relationship is over and she is going to leave.) She tells Dan to leave. He struggles with her; she spits in his face, and he throws her back on the bed, grabbing her neck. She dares him to hit her, and he does; she leaves. Later, Anna and Larry meet again, only to reveal that they have broken up once again and Larry is dating Polly, a young nurse. They are meeting because Alice has died the night before in New York, having been hit by a car while crossing the street. Their conversation also reveals that "Alice" was always a pseudonym—her real name was actually Jane. Larry leaves as Dan arrives because he has patients to see. Dan talks with Anna and says that no one could identify Alice's body and he is flying over to the United States to do so. Before Dan leaves, he tells Anna that Ruth, his ex-girlfriend whom he left for Alice/Jane, is now married, has a child, and is pregnant with a second. She married a poet, having fallen in love with him (without ever having met him) after reading his book of poems, Solitude. Dan and Anna bid each other goodbye. Dan leaves to catch his flight, leaving Anna alone.

Cloud 9

Play · 1979

Act I Clive, a British colonial administrator, lives with his family, a governess and servant during turbulent times in Africa. The natives are rioting, and Mrs Saunders, a widow, comes to them to seek safety. Her arrival is soon followed by Harry Bagley, an explorer. Clive makes passionate advances to Mrs Saunders, his wife Betty fancies Harry, who secretly has sex with Joshua, and later with Clive's son, Edward. The governess Ellen, who reveals herself to be a lesbian, is forced into marriage with Harry after his sexuality is discovered and condemned by Clive. Act 1 ends with the wedding celebrations; the final scene of the first act ends with Clive giving a speech while Joshua, watched by Edward (who does nothing), aims his rifle at him and fires as the scene ends with a blackout. Act II Although Act II is set in 1979, some of the characters of Act I reappear – for them, only 25 years have passed. Betty has left Clive, her daughter Victoria is now married to an overbearing Martin, and Edward has an openly gay relationship with Gerry. Victoria, upset and distant from Martin, starts a lesbian relationship with Lin. When Gerry leaves Edward, Edward, who discovers he is in fact bisexual, moves in with his sister and Lin. The three of them have a drunken ceremony in which they call up the Goddess, after which characters from Act I begin appearing. Act II has a looser structure, and Churchill played around with the ordering of the scenes. The final scene shows that Victoria has left Martin for a polyamorous relationship with Edward and Lin, and they are sharing custody of their son Tommy. Gerry and Edward are on good terms again, and Betty becomes friends with Gerry, who tells her about Edward's sexuality.

Coastal Disturbances

Play · 1986

Artist M.J. Adams, a senior, paints at a private beach on the north shore of Massachusetts. At the end of August, her niece, Holly Dancer, a photographer, has come for a visit to escape her troubled life—both private and work. The young attractive lifeguard Leo Hart is attracted to Holly, but he is just getting over a failed romance. Another visitor to the beach, Ariel Took, now divorced and bitter, brings her young son Winston to play on the beach, but she cannot get away from her own sadness. Also visiting is Faith, Ariel's Wellesley College roommate, who is pregnant, and who has brought along her adopted daughter Miranda. After Holly and Leo start a romance, Andre Sor, Holly's real romantic interest, arrives. Holly leaves to return to her New York home, and, although she has told Leo that she cannot continue their romance, she gives him her phone number. Finally, M.J. Adams and her husband Dr. Hamilton “Hammy” Adams come to the beach together, comfortable in their long relationship.

Coastwise

Play · 1931

Coastwise is a play in three acts by Don Mullally and H. A. Archibald. The work premiered on Broadway at the Provincetown Playhouse on November 30, 1931, where it ran for a total of 37 performances. The play is set in a cabin in Northwestern Canada. The original production starred Shirley Booth as Annie Duvall, Richard Stevenson as Alan Farquhar, Lucia Moore as Mrs. Farquhar, Thomas McQuillan as Marty, Priscilla Knowles as Minnie, Charles Gibney as Alec MacDonald, Alexander Campbell as Roberts, and Gordon Hamilton as Nelson.

Columbus

Play · 1792

Columbus: Or, A world Discovered is a 1792 historical play by the British writer Thomas Morton. His first play, it was staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 1 December 1792. The original cast included Alexander Pope as Christopher Columbus, Joseph George Holman as Alonzo, William Thomas Lewis as Harry Herbert, John Quick as Doctor Dolores, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Bribon, William Macready as Roldan, James Thompson as Valverdo, William Cubitt as Moscoso, Charles Farley as Captain, William Farren as Orozimbo, George Davies Harley as Solasco, Jane Pope as Cora and Harriet Pye Esten as Nelti. The Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 10 July 1793.

Come Back, Little Sheba

Play · 1950

Set in the Midwestern house of Lola and Doc Delaney, the plot centers on how their life is disrupted by the presence of a boarder, Marie, a college art student who has a keen interest in the young men around her. Middle-aged Lola engages in mild flirtations with the milkman and the mailman. She sees in Marie a younger version of herself and encourages her pursuit of her hometown boyfriend, the wealthy Bruce, but also her classmate, the athletic Turk. Doc, a chiropractor, abandoned a different career in medicine when he married a pregnant Lola, who subsequently lost the baby. A recovering alcoholic, Doc maintains a precarious sobriety. To him, Marie represents youth and opportunities long gone; seeing her with Turk brings out resentments against Lola for ruining his life. Ultimately these feelings cause him to fall off the wagon, and act violently toward Lola. Frightened, she calls Doc's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, who comes to collect Doc and take him to a state asylum where he can be sobered up. When he comes back four days later, Marie has married Bruce and left, and he and Lola reconcile. The title refers to Lola's missing dog, who disappeared before the play's opening and remains gone throughout the story. Lola hopes for the puppy's return throughout the play by calling "Come back, little Sheba" daily from the front door, but eventually faces reality and gives up on Sheba's return.

Comedians

Play · 1975

The play opens in a classroom on a rainy night, where the school caretaker is cleaning graffiti off a blackboard. Gethin Price, a young man, enters and begins to shave. One by one, Phil Murray, George McBrain, Sammy Samuels and Mick Connor file into the room, as they discuss their outfits for later that night. Eddie Waters, the teacher of their stand-up comedy evening class, comes in. Eventually Ged Murray completes the class, and they swap jokes and begin to warm up. Later on, they will perform in front of Bert Challenor, the president of the Comedy Federation, who has come up from London to scout for talent. Waters takes exception to a misogynistic rhyme told by Price, and takes the opportunity to denounce sexist, racist and other such forms of comedy, explaining that they feed on ignorance and "starve the audience". Mr Patel, an Asian man, walks into the room, having mistaken this class for a different one. Waters welcomes him and allows him to stay in the room. Waters then makes the stand-ups recount a serious story from their past, creating a tense and emotional atmosphere. Breaking into this, Challenor enters and greets the men who will perform for him tonight. He gives some words of advice about what he is looking for, in stark contradiction to the lessons Waters has been trying to teach, and leaves. In his wake, the men have frantic arguments over whether to change their act to please the scout. The action moves to the club, the scene of the men's performances. First on is Mick Connor, who delivers a routine based on his identity as an Irishman in England, staying true to his previous stand-up. Next up is Sammy Samuels, who offers a fast-paced collection of jokes about women and sex, as well as satirising his Jewishness. He has sold out for a shot at fame. Thirdly, the brothers Ged and Phil Murray begin a chaotic performance in which they have an argument onstage about their act, resulting in a dismal failure. Then George McBrain tells a range of racist and sexist jokes. Lastly, Gethin Price comes carrying a tiny violin and bow, dressed in a bizarre mime-style outfit. After crushing the violin, he launches into a kata and other kung fu exercises. Two shop mannequins, a man and woman, are illuminated in the corner. Price begins a crazed conversation with the dummies before stabbing them and shouting a stream-of-consciousness monologue. He plays The Red Flag on another, unbroken violin, and leaves. The club secretary restarts the bingo. The comedians are back in the classroom after the show. Samuels and McBrain attack Price for his surrealist routine, while Connor, Ged and Phil feel dejected after their performances. Challenor enters and assesses the men act by act. Connor and the Murray brothers are admonished, while Samuels and McBrain are praised for their stereotyped jokes that titillate the audience. He reserves the strongest condemnation for Price, who he describes as "aggressively unfunny" and "repulsive". After summarising, Challenor reveals that he will take Samuels and McBrain under his wing, and exits. Most of the men leave for the pub, and only Waters, Price and Mr Patel remain. Waters tells Price that his act was brilliant, and goes on to tell an emotionally charged anecdote about performing comedy during the Second World War in Bielefeld. Price leaves, the men parting on good terms. Finally, Mr Patel tells a joke to Waters, and they exit the classroom.

Conduct Unbecoming

Play · 1969

The widow of a heroic officer is assaulted by an unrevealed comrade in arms and an investigation takes place to determine his identity. A kangaroo court is convened, as the regiment doesn't wish to have itself dishonored in public. A second lieutenant by the name of Edward Millington is accused of the assault by Mrs Hasseltine, the victim and, at first, everyone is prejudiced against him. Millington himself has no interest in remaining in the army, even though his father was a decorated official. Millington's friend and comrade Arthur Drake is given the duty of defending Millington, much to his initial displeasure. But as events begin to unfold, Drake realizes that Millington is in fact not guilty, and slowly manages to convince everyone else as well. But the question remains... who is guilty?

Conflict

Play · 1925

Set amidst London's 1925 social season, Conflict centers on Lady Dare Bellingdon, a young debutante living with her aristocratic father, Lord Bellingdon. She is romantically involved with Sir Ronald Clive, a Conservative politician aligned with her father. Despite their long courtship, the match leaves Dare feeling restless and intellectually unfulfilled. Dare's outlook begins to change when she encounters Tom Smith, an earnest and articulate working-class candidate for Parliament representing the Labour Party. Initially dismissive of his politics, Dare becomes increasingly intrigued by Tomy's ideas about social reform, class inequality, and workers' rights. As she spends more time with him, she begins to question her own assumptions about society and her place within it. The political contest between Ronald and Tom—who are opposing candidates in an election—parallels Dare's personal conflict. Torn between her established life with Ronald and her growing admiration for Tom, she is forced to confront the moral and emotional implications of her choices. Her evolving political consciousness leads her to reassess her loyalties, both romantic and ideological. Ultimately, Dare breaks with Ronald and aligns herself with Tom, signaling both a romantic union and a shift in her political sympathies. The play concludes with her embracing a more socially conscious worldview, suggesting the possibility of personal transformation amid broader societal change.

Conscience

Play · 1821

Conscience; or, The Bridal Night is an 1821 tragedy by the Irish writer James Haynes. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 21 February 1821. The original cast included Sarah West as Elmira, John Powell as Duke of Venice, John Cooper as Arsenio, James William Wallack as Lorenzo. It was acted five times on its original run. It then appeared at the Anthony Street Theatre in New York in May 1821. Haynes dedicated the play to James Perry. John Genest considered the play's language better than its plot.

Constantine the Great

Play · 1683

Constantine the Great is a 1683 tragedy by the English dramatist Nathaniel Lee. It is based on the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It was first staged by the United Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. The epilogue was written by John Dryden. The original Drury Lane cast included William Smith as Constantine, Thomas Betterton as Crispus, Philip Griffin as Dalmatius, Cardell Goodman as Annibal, John Wiltshire as Lycinius, Thomas Gillow as Arius, Carey Perin as Labienus, Richard Saunders as Eubolus, John Bowman as Sylvester, Elizabeth Barry as Fausta and Sarah Cooke as Serena.

Copenhagen

Play · 1998

Three spirits come together to try to apprehend and explain one simple question: "Why did Heisenberg go to Copenhagen?" The rest of the play details information around this subject through argument and interjections. Heisenberg – "No one understands my trip to Copenhagen. Time and time again I've explained it. To Bohr himself, and Margrethe. To interrogators and intelligence officers, to journalists and historians. The more I've explained, the deeper the uncertainty has become. Well, I shall be happy to make one more attempt." Along the way, Heisenberg and Bohr "draft" several versions of their 1941 exchange, arguing about the ramifications of each potential version of their meeting and the motives behind it. They discuss the idea of nuclear power and its control, the rationale behind building or not building an atomic bomb, the uncertainty of the past and the inevitability of the future as embodiments of themselves acting as particles drifting through the atom that is Copenhagen.

Coquette

Play · 1927

Act I (Living room of Dr. Besant's home. September, early evening.) Jimmie, Dr. Besant, and Stanley Wentworth discuss Norma's refusal to settle on one man. Jimmie resents her curtailing of his second helpings at dinner, so she has tidbits to feed her evening callers. Stanley dotes on her but she will not take him seriously, in part because her father favors him as suitor. Norma's latest beau is ne'er-do-well Michael Jeffery, which alarms Dr. Besant. Norma tries to paint a brighter picture of Michael, coercing Stanley to support her, but betrays her interest and arouses her father's suspicions. Later, Norma upsets Stanley by breaking their dance date so she can go with Michael, and persuades him to take Betty instead. Betty is staying with the Besant's temporarily, so Norma helps her try on a dress for the dance, her first. Mr. Wentworth comes to advise Dr. Besant that Michael Jeffery was involved in a fight on Main Street with a former beau of Norma, who called her a "coquette". Michael calls early on Norma; he cannot take her to the dance because he lacks a dress suit. Norma is unused to being turned down, but quickly rallies and puts Michael on the defensive. A confrontation between Dr. Besant and Michael is averted when Norma fibs and says a patient telephoned about a sick baby. Nevertheless, Dr. Besant forbids Michael to see Norma again. Michael and Norma confess their love for each other. Michael tells Norma he will go away for six months to work with a surveying party in the hills, and return only when he has made enough money for them to marry. (Curtain) Act II (Same as Act I. A bright morning, three months later.) Stanley calls on Norma, but Betty Lee will not let him see her. Norma is moody and upset, for Michael came back unexpectedly last night to the Country Club dance. He had been drinking, and after she cut other partners to dance with him, the two of them left the dance. A friend of Betty saw them driving around at 3am, so Norma must have come home very late. Later, Dr. Besant calls out Jimmie for coming home at 4am and making so much noise. Jimmie says nothing; he actually got in at 12:30am, but allows his father to believe otherwise. Jimmie scolds his sister for chancing her reputation like that, but Norma is unrepenetant. However, she grows anxious as Dr. Besant draws Betty Lee aside to have a little talk. When Michael rings the bell, the other young people clear off to let him speak with Norma alone. From their conversation it is clear they have been intimate. Michael is determined they shall marry today, but Norma pleads with him to let her deal with father. A sternly cold Dr. Besant comes in to accuse Norma of disobeying him and Michael of putting her at risk. He orders Michael out, but the young man will not go without saying his piece. He is intemperate and hotheaded, and reveals all in his rage, before rushing out. Dr. Besant orders Julia to take Norma to her room, and commands Jimmie to take care of Norma, for he will soon no longer be there. Taking a pistol from the matched set in the drawer of a side table, he goes out of the house. It is Stanley who takes the news to Norma; her father has shot and killed Michael, and turned himself in to the law. Norma rages against her father for killing the man she loved, and scorns Mr. Wentworth's advice to say she resented Michael's attention. Growing hysterical, she vows to let her father hang. (Curtain) Act III (Same as Act I. A cold day in March.) Norma and Jimmie have returned home from their father's ongoing trial. They are both discouraged, and Norma expresses remorse for having precipitated this crisis. Joe Reynolds tells Jimmie that sentiment is running against his father, especially as he is being permitted to remain under house arrest, with Sheriff Forsythe transporting him each day to court. Mr. Wentworth, as defense counsel, advises Norma that the District Attorney may subpeona her if the defense does not call her as a witness. Michael having been a veteran, the local Legion post has joined the press in pushing for a tough prosecution. Norma is scared of testifying, and when Wentworth explains the crux of the trial hangs on whether the jury believes her to be pure, she becomes hysterical. Her father has an unwritten right to defend a virgin daughter, but if she is found morally wanting it is murder. Controlling herself, Norma asks Wentworth to return after dinner. She summons Stanley and confesses to him she is carrying Michael's child. After swearing him to secrecy and sending him away, she takes the other pistol from the side table drawer and hides it in her pocket book. As Forsythe brings her father home, Norma intercepts him and asks him to be kind to her. They embrace, and he goes to his study. Norma chats inanely with Betty Lee and Jimmie, excusing herself after a few minutes. A shot is heard from the dining room, followed by screams and shouts. Norma has killed herself, to save her father from conviction once her condition is known. (Curtain)

Coram Boy

Play · 2005

The action takes place in the eighteenth century. The benevolent Thomas Coram has recently opened a Foundling Hospital in London called the "Coram Hospital for Deserted Children". Unscrupulous men, known as "Coram men", take advantage of the situation by promising desperate mothers to take their unwanted children to the hospital for a fee. The story follows a range of characters, focusing on two orphans: Toby, saved from an African slave ship; and Aaron, the deserted son of the heir to an estate, as their lives become closely involved with this true and tragic episode of British social history.

Cortez

Play · 1823

Cortez: Or, The Conquest of Mexico is an 1823 historical extravaganza by the British writer James Planché with music composed by Henry Bishop. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 5 November 1823. The original cast included John Cooper as Herdinando Cortez, Mary Ann Paton as Amazitli, Thomas Comer as Velaszque de Leon, William Chapman as Maxicazin, William Claremont as Tentile, George John Bennett as Teluxo, and Thomas Cooke as Oxoctzin. It also featured thirteen horses on stage and the trick rider Andrew Ducrow. The libretto by Planché is inspired by the Spanish conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés, and it enjoyed great success.

Count Your Blessings

Play · 1951

Count Your Blessings is a 1951 comedy play by the British writer Ronald Jeans. A married couple draw up a plan to solve their financial problems, but this soon runs into trouble. It premiered at the Garrick Theatre, Southport before transferring to the West End where it ran for 92 performances between 7 March and 26 June 1951, initially at Wyndham's Theatre and then moving to the Westminster Theatre. The original London cast included Naunton Wayne, Patricia Dainton, Harold Lang, Eileen Way, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Joyce Redman and Viola Lyel.

Showing 1,273–1,392 of 8,284 shows

Load more shows