PURITANS

by Austin Tichenor

A long-lost Bible from the time of Shakespeare holds the key to a centuries-old mystery, and past and present merge when Sally and Jake inherit their 400-year-old ancestral home. It’s history as farce – THE CRUCIBLE meets NOISES OFF – as 6 actors play 19 characters across 12 generations, and time periods overlap in a uniquely theatrical multi-generational family dramedy where the two siblings (and their...

A long-lost Bible from the time of Shakespeare holds the key to a centuries-old mystery, and past and present merge when Sally and Jake inherit their 400-year-old ancestral home. It’s history as farce – THE CRUCIBLE meets NOISES OFF – as 6 actors play 19 characters across 12 generations, and time periods overlap in a uniquely theatrical multi-generational family dramedy where the two siblings (and their ancestors) must reconcile their past to secure their future.

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PURITANS

Recommended by

  • Andrew Moorhead: PURITANS by Austin Tichenor
    “

    "Puritans" is a buoyantly entertaining play that's rich in both theatrical spectacle and zingy one liners. Tichenor deftly combines farce, family melodrama, historical fiction, and ghost story, remixing American history, genre conventions, and classic dramatic themes through his sharp comedic sensibility. Tichenor's mind may be Shakespearean scholar but his heart is pure vaudeville – and it's in the tension and synthesis between these two poles that "Puritans" finds its inimitable voice.

    "Puritans" is a buoyantly entertaining play that's rich in both theatrical spectacle and zingy one liners. Tichenor deftly combines farce, family melodrama, historical fiction, and ghost story, remixing American history, genre conventions, and classic dramatic themes through his sharp comedic sensibility. Tichenor's mind may be Shakespearean scholar but his heart is pure vaudeville – and it's in the tension and synthesis between these two poles that "Puritans" finds its inimitable voice.

    ”

Character Information

6 actors of any age, race, or gender each play 3-5 characters at various ages.
  • SALLY (Now)
    A struggling actor whose life has reached a crossroads, Sally rarely has a thought or opinion she doesn't share. She believes she's moved on from the death of her parents and wishes her brother Jake would, too.
    late 20s
    Bi-racial/multi-racial,
    White
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • JAKE (Now)
    Sally's shy brother and executor of their parents's estate. Still reeling from their death, he's desperate to reconnect with his older sister and create the home they never had. His discovery of hidden family archives ignites his purpose and drives the play.
    mid-20s
    Bi-racial/multi-racial,
    White
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • MARTIN (1667, 1683)
    A stern puritan with a secret past. Devoted husband and father, the house he built in 1666 still stands, though he wrestles with the decisions he's made...and the ones he's about to make. Appears at different ages in two separate time periods.
    40s-60
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • MARY (1667, 1683, 1725)
    Martin's wife, family matriarch, and minister's daughter with her own ideas about Scripture who offers counsel to her husband and untraditional remedies to her great-granddaughter. Appears at different ages in three separate time periods.
    20s-80s
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary,
      Woman
  • REVEREND ABRAHAM PIERSON (1667)
    New Ark's stern and eminent spiritual leader.
    30-50
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
  • JOHN (1683)
    Martin and Mary's son, at odds with his conservative wife and traditional parents.
    20s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • SUSANNAH (1725, 1777)
    Mary's great-granddaughter and James's aunt. From nervous teenager to grown woman, Susannah's emerging power makes itself felt across the generations. Appears at different ages in two separate time periods.
    13, 65
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary,
      Woman
  • MARTHA (1777, 1830)
    Reverend Pierson's great-great-granddaughter. Frustrated with her husband's absence, she'll do anything to change her situation.
    30s-70s
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • JAMES (1777)
    Martha's husband, George Washington's lieutenant, and Revolutionary War hero. Loves his wife very much...probably too much.
    30s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • EZEKIEL JONES (1777)
    A sweet soul who rescues James from the battlefield and changes the family line forever.
    30s-70s
    Bi-racial/multi-racial,
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • ABRAHAM (1830)
    A good-humored dandy who shifts the family fortunes into business and real estate
    30s
    Bi-racial/multi-racial,
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • FRANKLIN (1875)
    Abraham's son, whose delusions of greatness sparks the first inquiry into family legend.
    30s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • MARGARET (1875)
    Franklin's Irish wife who tries to ground Franklin in the present, not the past.
    30s
    Irish
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • ISAAC (1932)
    Franklin's son, whose restoration of Martin's house leads to disturbing discoveries.
    40s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • PERCY (1932)
    Isaac's son, whose love for a blues singer divides the family.
    30s
    White,
    Bi-racial/multi-racial
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary,
      Woman
  • JIMMY (1967, 1997)
    Percy's son, who returns home in time to prevent a tragedy and reclaim his legacy. Appears at different ages in two separate time periods
    30s-60s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • IKE (2 years ago)
    Jimmy's son, whose devotion to his passions leads to neglect of his children.
    30s-40s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • KATE (2 years ago)
    Ike's driven wife, who passes on both her vocabulary and emotional isolation to Sally.
    30s-40s
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Reading, Reduced Shakespeare Company, 2024 – Directed by Jessica Thebus

Production History