A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Bernice

Short Play, Drama  /  1w, 2m

In Chicago in 1911, a thoroughly hated man who cheated hundreds of people out of their money suddenly returns home from prison to discover his wife and daughter have left him. The new maid, a convicted killer named Bernice, advises him on his future.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    30 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller, Period
  • Suggested Use
    • Scene Work
    • Competition or Audition Material
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Set in Chicago in 1911. Walbeck, a thoroughly hated man who cheated hundreds of people out of their money, suddenly returns home from Joliet prison when his sentence is reduced. He is greeted by two people: his attorney, who informs him that Walbeck's wife has fled to California, taking his daughter with her, and a new maid, Bernice, the self-proclaimed "best cook in Chicago," recently hired to keep the home going. Bernice, it turns out, served time for murder, and the advice she gives Walbeck on how to deal with his future allows Wilder to explore the nature of pride. Decisions have to be made quickly when Walbeck learns that his daughter is still in Chicago and coming by to see him at any moment.

Published in Thornton Wilder One-Act Series: The Seven Deadly Sins, representing "Pride."

Cast Attributes
Keywords
MR. MALLISON – Mr. Walbeck’s lawyer, 59
BERNICE MAYHEW – Mr. Walbeck’s maid, Black, 50
THE DRIVER – Irish, slightly drunk
MR. WALBECK – 47
  • Time Period 1910s/WWI
  • Setting Drawing room of a house in Chicago, 1911.
  • Duration 30 minutes

Media

Videos

  • Thornton Wilder: It's Time youtube thumbnail

    Thornton Wilder: It's Time

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £40 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

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Authors

Thornton Wilder

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975), born in Madison, Wisconsin, and educated at Yale and Princeton, was an accomplished novelist and playwright whose works explore the connection between the commonplace and the cosmic dimensions of human experience. The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one ...

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