Five by Wharton by
These are adaptations of four short stories and one novella by Edith Wharton that can be produced or stage-read in any combination or separately. Three are comedies, one is tragic, and one is just profound. Four are in the 10-20 minute range; one runs for 40 minutes.
Comedies:
“The Mission of Jane”-- A man who is contemptuous of his wife’s skills and intelligence is destined for a...
Comedies:
“The Mission of Jane”-- A man who is contemptuous of his wife’s skills and intelligence is destined for a...
These are adaptations of four short stories and one novella by Edith Wharton that can be produced or stage-read in any combination or separately. Three are comedies, one is tragic, and one is just profound. Four are in the 10-20 minute range; one runs for 40 minutes.
Comedies:
“The Mission of Jane”-- A man who is contemptuous of his wife’s skills and intelligence is destined for a comeuppance. Cast: 1 woman, 2 men.
“The Donkey” (Wharton’s title is “The Verdict”)--An arts devotee asks a fashionable painter why he has suddenly quit working. The artist tells him that a glimpse of a simple, perfect sketch of a donkey by a truer artist has convinced him he is an imposter. Cast: 1 woman, 2 men.
“Xingu”—A pretentious book group is scornful of a newcomer until she turns the tables on them. Cast: 6 women.
The profound play is “The Fullness of Life”—A woman entering the afterlife must choose to spend eternity either with a perfect soulmate or with her husband, who was definitely not her soulmate. Cast: 2 women, 3 men; with doubling, 2 women, 2 men.
The tragedy is “Bunner Sisters,” a 40-minute play—Two unmarried women nearing middle age are fairly content running their tidy shop. A man to whom they are both attracted enters their world and poses a threat to their tender relationship. Cast: 4 women, 2 men; with doubling, 3 women, 1 man.
For information or samples, please write: carkeetdavid@gmail.com
Comedies:
“The Mission of Jane”-- A man who is contemptuous of his wife’s skills and intelligence is destined for a comeuppance. Cast: 1 woman, 2 men.
“The Donkey” (Wharton’s title is “The Verdict”)--An arts devotee asks a fashionable painter why he has suddenly quit working. The artist tells him that a glimpse of a simple, perfect sketch of a donkey by a truer artist has convinced him he is an imposter. Cast: 1 woman, 2 men.
“Xingu”—A pretentious book group is scornful of a newcomer until she turns the tables on them. Cast: 6 women.
The profound play is “The Fullness of Life”—A woman entering the afterlife must choose to spend eternity either with a perfect soulmate or with her husband, who was definitely not her soulmate. Cast: 2 women, 3 men; with doubling, 2 women, 2 men.
The tragedy is “Bunner Sisters,” a 40-minute play—Two unmarried women nearing middle age are fairly content running their tidy shop. A man to whom they are both attracted enters their world and poses a threat to their tender relationship. Cast: 4 women, 2 men; with doubling, 3 women, 1 man.
For information or samples, please write: carkeetdavid@gmail.com