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The Pot Boiler By: Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) |
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Edited by E. Haldeman Julius The Pot Boiler A Comedy in Four Acts Upton Sinclair CHARACTERS IN THE "REAL PLAY" Will ............................. The author
Peggy ................Joint author and critic
Bill ..................... Their son (aged 8)
Dad ............................ Will's father
Schmidt......................... The grocer
The Policeman.
The Landlady. CHARACTERS IN THE "PLAY PLAY" Jack ........................ The adventurer
Bob ............................. His cousin
Dad .............................. His father
Jessie.............................. His sister
Gladys .......................... His fiancee
Belle ............................. A waitress
Dolly ............................. Her sister
Bill .........................A street gamin
Schmidt ................ A restaurant keeper
The Policeman.
The Landlady.
A snow shoveller.
A butler. Note: The characters of Dad, Bill, Schmidt, the Landlady and the
Policeman are the same in the Real and the Play play. The character
of Jack is played by Will, and that of Belle by Peggy.
THE POT BOILER ACT I. SCENE. A transparent curtain of net extends across the stage from
right to left, about six feet back of the foot lights. Throughout
the text, what goes on in front of this curtain is referred to as
the Real play; what goes on behind the curtain is the Play play.
Upon the sides of the curtain, Right and Left, is painted a
representation of an attic room in a tenement house. The curtain
becomes thin, practically nothing at center, so the audience sees
the main action of the Play play clearly. At Right in the Real play
is a window opening on a fire escape, and in front of the window a
cot where the child sleeps. At Left in the Real play is a window, an
entrance door, a flat topped desk and two chairs. This setting of
the Real play remains unchanged throughout the four acts. The scenes of the Play play change with each act. For Act I the set
is a drawing room in a wealthy old New York home, entrances
Right center and Left. Both front and rear scenes are lighted by
many small lights, which can be turned off a few at a time, so that
one scene or the other fades slowly. When the Real play is in full
light, the Play play is dark and invisible. When the front scene is
entirely dark, we see the Play play, slightly veiled at the sides.
In case of some rude interruption, the dream is gone in a flash, and
the reality of the garret surrounds us. The text calls for numerous
quick changes of three of the characters from the Real play to the
Play play and back. Dialogue and business have been provided at
these places to permit the changes. AT RISE. The Real play, showing PEGGY putting BILL to bed; she
is young and pretty, he is a bright but frail child. Bill. Say, Peggy! Peggy. Well, Bill? Bill. Can you guess. Peggy. How many guesses? Bill. Three. Peggy. All right. I guess my little son doesn't want to go to bed! Bill. Say! You guessed it! Peggy. Oh, mother's great at guessing! Bill. But honest, it's still light. Peggy. I know but that's because it's summertime. Don't you
remember the little song? (sings) In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle light;
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day! Bill. Say, Peggy when's Will coming in? Peggy. I don't know, dear. Your father's working. Bill. Ain't he goin' to have any dinner? Peggy. I don't know he didn't tell me. Bill. Is he writin'? Peggy. Yes or else thinking about things to write. Bill. Say! He's great on writin', ain't he? Peggy. You bet! Bill. Do you think it's good stuff? Peggy. Indeed I do, Bill! Bill. You don't often tell him so. Peggy. Don't I? Bill. No generally you rip him up the back. PEGGY (laughs). Well, mother has to keep him trying, you know. Bill. Say, Peggy, do you suppose I'll be an author when I grow up? Peggy... Continue reading book >>
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