
“...a deliciously complex story of Dickensian dimensions...”
—Hudson Valley Magazine
“...a deliciously complex story of Dickensian dimensions...”
—Hudson Valley Magazine
The Set
The wooden deck of a ship. There is a staircase or ship’s ladder descending from the poop deck, at least one mast (behind which a tiny Cotswold cottage, and various other props may be stored), ropey rigging, barrels below filled with skeletons and wooden bats and buckets above filled with water, a board forming a make-shift table holding various props as needed, a wind-machine, thunder-sheet, and whatever items necessary for certain sound effects (Smee produces these, when appropriate), a big old-fashioned lighting board with several large levers (Smee controls the lights too, though of course he doesn’t really) and a place of concealment where Smee can don whatever costumes he needs. In working the lights or producing sound, Smee is often (especially as the play progresses) shrouded in darkness.
Author
JOHN PIELMEIER began his career as an actor, working at Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Guthrie Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Alaska Rep, Baltimore’s Center Stage, and the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference. It was at the O’Neill that his play AGNES OF GOD was first staged. A co-winner of the Great American Play contest, AGNES premiered professionally at Actors Theatre of Louisville, which production was followed by several regional productions and a seventeen month run on Broadway. His other plays include VOICES IN THE DARK, produced on Broadway and winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for Best Play (published by Broadway Play Publishing) ; Haunted Lives, a collection of one-acts published by Broadway Licensing; Courage, a one-man show about J.M. Barrie, produced at the Lambs’ Theatre off-Broadway, published by Broadway Licensing and filmed for public television (performed by the author); The Boys of Winter, produced on Broadway and published by Broadway Licensing; Sleight of Hand, produced on Broadway; Jass, presented at the O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference and workshopped at the New Harmony Project; Impassioned Embraces, a collection of short plays and monologues, published by... [FULL BIO]