King Arthur in Contemporary Connecticut

by James C. Ferguson

Inspired (loosely) by Mark Twain’s classic novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, King Arthur In Contemporary Connecticut reverses Twain’s original premise, unexpectedly transporting King Arthur to a small town in twentieth century Connecticut, where he struggles to adjust to his new future while his past refuses to stay in the past.

Inspired (loosely) by Mark Twain’s classic novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, King Arthur In Contemporary Connecticut reverses Twain’s original premise, unexpectedly transporting King Arthur to a small town in twentieth century Connecticut, where he struggles to adjust to his new future while his past refuses to stay in the past.

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King Arthur in Contemporary Connecticut

Recommended by

  • Lucretia Anne Flammang: King Arthur in Contemporary Connecticut by James C. Ferguson
    “

    “King Arthur in Contemporary Connecticut” is brilliant farce, on par with Stoppard and Wilde. Lines are fluid and eminently actable. Scene after scene surprises with comic and narrative invention. As with all farce, there is a firm moral foundation. Each character is clearly and economically drawn and defined. The play necessarily takes time to wind the spring of the machine, and the first act contains plenty of good lines and jokes to make the winding tolerable and fun. When the spring unwinds, we get we get a great, endlessly comic denouement. A gift. Highly recommended.

    “King Arthur in Contemporary Connecticut” is brilliant farce, on par with Stoppard and Wilde. Lines are fluid and eminently actable. Scene after scene surprises with comic and narrative invention. As with all farce, there is a firm moral foundation. Each character is clearly and economically drawn and defined. The play necessarily takes time to wind the spring of the machine, and the first act contains plenty of good lines and jokes to make the winding tolerable and fun. When the spring unwinds, we get we get a great, endlessly comic denouement. A gift. Highly recommended.

    ”
  • Laura Pittenger: King Arthur in Contemporary Connecticut by James C. Ferguson
    “

    KING ARTHUR is a playful adaptation of the original Mark Twain story that will delight any Arthurian or Merlinian aficionado. The play is radio drama in style of Thrilling Adventure Hour and uses SFX & a lot of heart to tell its tale. James is a very easy playwright to work with and has polished his script considerably since its first reading, looking forward to seeing what kind of future this piece has in store for it.

    KING ARTHUR is a playful adaptation of the original Mark Twain story that will delight any Arthurian or Merlinian aficionado. The play is radio drama in style of Thrilling Adventure Hour and uses SFX & a lot of heart to tell its tale. James is a very easy playwright to work with and has polished his script considerably since its first reading, looking forward to seeing what kind of future this piece has in store for it.

    ”
CHARACTERS:
1.) King Arthur (M, 30s - 40s +/-, British)
2.) Walter J. Goodrich (M, 20s - 30s +/-, American) A simple, awkward, out of shape young deacon.
3.) Old Man / Merlin (M, 50s - 70s, British). Emotionally erratic. Eccentric. Prone to wild mood swings. Brilliant. Sometimes, he is calm and controlled, thoughtful, with a hint of mad whimsy. But you get the sense that it’s work. He is also arrogant. Prone to caustic outbursts and slightly mad. Irascible. Impatient.
4.) Lancelot (M, 30s - 40s +/-, British) A ghost. Brave but boorish. Charming when he wants to be. He's been kicking around in his etherial form for a bit so his vernacular is more contemporary than one might expect, at first glance, from this character. Prone to outbursts but he's seeing a therapist so it never quite gets away from him completely. Until it does.
5.) Lynn Blessing (30s - 40s, American)
6.) Everett (M, 50s - 70s, American) Merlin’s driver / butler. An older gentlemen.
7.) A sheep
8.) Tamora Bruce (F, 40s - 60s +/-, British) Dramatic. Sultry. Not unlike an actress overplaying a part. Barely able to hold back her irritation at, well, everything. / Morgan le Fay
9.) God (M/F, any age) Booming, commanding and authoritative.

DOUBLING SUGGESTIONS:
1.) Arthur / A Sheep 2.) Old Man / Merlin 3.) Everett
4.) Walter
4.) Lancelot
5.) Lynn
6.) Narrator / Tamora Bruce / Morgan le Fay / God (w/ voice modulation)

Development History

  • Workshop, Putting it Together - New World Theatre (NH), 2019
  • Reading, The Depot - New Play Readings (CT), 2018
  • Reading, Emerson Theatre Collaborative (in assoc. w/ The Mark Twain Museum) (CT) , 2016
  • Reading, Turn to Flesh Productions - YES New Play Series (NYC) , 2014
  • Reading, Vagabond Theatre Group - There Will Be Words (MA), 2013

Production History

  • Workshop, Produced in assoc. w/ DreamCatcher Entertainment’s Fulfill Your Dream program (NYC), 2015