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A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Full-Length Play, Drama / 8w, 16m
Tennessee Williams
Much of the play is set in a shirt factory in St. Louis and chronicles the daily frustrations of white-collar workers who find themselves stuck in dead-end jobs that stifle creativity.
Much of the play is set in a shirt factory in St. Louis and chronicles the daily frustrations of white-collar workers who find themselves stuck in dead-end jobs that stifle creativity. Williams' protagonist, Benjamin Murphy, finds release through frequent trips to the washroom, where he writes poetry, and through a romantic affair with a co-worker. He finds his ultimate escape hatch when he discovers an unused staircase that leads to the roof -- and a wide world beyond. William's called it a prayer for the wild of heart who are kept in cages and dedicated it to all the wage earners of the world. It features a fantastic, sci-fi style ending that predates the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Trek by several decades. The theme is clear and still resounds today: whether man can control technology or technology controls man.
Stairs to the Roof premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA in February 1947 under the direction of Gilmor Brown.
MR. GUM ALFRED JOHNNIE - the office boy A DESIGNER BENJAMIN D. MURPHY MR. WARREN B. THATCHER THE GIRL JIM THE BARTENDER BERTA ALMA - Ben's wife HELEN A YOUNG SOLDIER EDNA - Jim's wife THE POLICEMAN A VAGRANT THE NIGHT WATCHMAN - also plays THE ZOOKEPER TWO ZOO GUARDS THE CLOWN FIRST MUMMER - reader BEAUTY THE BEAST MRS. HOTCHKISS ALMA's MOTHER MESSERS. P, D, Q, T - company stockholders MR. E
Plus ensemble of office workers, choral voices, offstage speakers, carnival crowd, and a barker.
Multiple locations