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5-20-2011

Marshall Carby's An Experiment with an Air Pump

Marshall Carby
University of New Orleans

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Theses and Dissertations. 1295.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1295

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 Marshall Carby’s An Experiment with an Air Pump

A Thesis

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the

University of New Orleans
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of

Master of Fine Arts

in
Film, Theatre, and Communication Arts
Theatre Performance: Directing

by

Marshall Alan Carby

B.A. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

May 2011

Acknowledgements

A play is never made up of just one person; neither is a thesis. As my mother would say, “I
have done the work, but I am standing on the shoulders of many people.” There is no way I can

express the gratitude I have for those who have helped me along the way to make An

Experiment with an Air Pump the wonderful experience it was.

This play was an experience I will never forget. The cast and crew were and continue to

be wonderful and close friends. I thank the cast and crew for their hard work and determination

and taking any of my short comings with a grain of salt. The education I gained from working

with all of you will always be treasured.

I must express my gratitude to the people who have served on my thesis committee. David

Hoover, Deb Daniels and Shannon Miller supported this production from the very first day of

rehearsal and allowed me to shoot for the moon. Their expectations were high and pushed me to

create the best work possible. Thank you very much for the trust and confidence you placed in

me with such a great project.

Next are my friends and colleagues that have helped to bring the play and the written thesis to

fruition. Thank you to Beau Bratcher for the insightful notes; Timothy O’Neal for his tireless

work on the show from start to finish; Erica Rostedt and Coleen Maidlow for their amazing

editing skills; and everyone else who spent countless hours listening to me complain about the

minor difficulties in my life. Your patience with me is remarkable.

I am indebted to many people from my educational past. Cheryl Painter, Tal Lostracco, Kelly

Russell, Terry Lewis, Phil Johnson and Chris Lusk are just a few of the people that have

ii
influenced and encouraged me to pursue this path and I am so grateful to you all. Thank you for
expecting the best out of me even when I didn’t.

I must thank you, family. My mother and father, who have raised me and helped me at

every turn to become the person I am today, and Michelle, Jon and Samantha for supporting my

dreams.

Last, but certainly not least, is the person that has been with me day in and day out during

this process. Sarah, you have been there more than anyone else has in the entirety of this process.

Your insight and work on the show were more helpful than you will ever know. You challenged

me to be better at every turn, even when I wanted to rip my hair out. I would have never

survived this last year if not for you kindness, support, and love. You have made me a better

person.

To everyone I have mentioned and anyone I may have forgotten, thank you for all you have

done for me, and please know that it does not go unnoticed. Because of all of you, this play and

thesis have been a success.

iii
 Table of Contents

Abstract ................................................................................................................................v

Chapter 1: Ask a Question ...................................................................................................1

Chapter 2: Do Your Background Research .........................................................................9

Chapter 3: Construct a Hypothesis ....................................................................................32

Chapter 4: Test Your Hypothesis .....................................................................................109

Chapter 5: Draw Your Conclusions .................................................................................115

Bibliography ....................................................................................................................120

Appendices .......................................................................................................................121

A An Experiment with an Air Pump script with blocking notes ..............122 B

Production Calendar of Events ..............................................................269 C Master

Props List ..................................................................................272 D Production Program

..............................................................................277 E Production Photos

..................................................................................289 F Production Poster

...................................................................................297 Vita

...................................................................................................................................299
 iv
Abstract

Using Joseph Wright’s painting, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump as an inspirational

starting point, Shelagh Stephenson’s An Experiment with an Air Pump explores the depth of

human existence using universal conflicts such as: morals versus ethics, science versus God and

right versus wrong. Since the play’s premiere in 1998, it has provided a forum for hot button

topics such as stem cell research, abortion, and scientific experimentation. The University of

New Orleans’s production not only presented the issues in the play, it strives to be an example of

theatrical excellence, challenge and engage both the company and the audience.
Marshall Carby, An Experiment with an Air Pump, Shelagh Stephenson, Joseph Wright, An
Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump

v
Chapter One: Ask a Question (Production Expectations)

An Experiment with an Air Pump by Shelagh Stephenson is a complex, challenging, and

wonderful play. There are many reasons I wanted to direct this work. When I was approached by

the faculty and asked what show I would like to direct for my thesis, I was floored. I had never

been asked what I would like to be working on before, and I found it overwhelming. I have

wanted to direct the play of my choosing for some time, in fact, and I have many, many scripts

cataloged I would like to direct. In order to choose my thesis, however, I had to ask myself a few

questions. For instance: what is it that interests me? What is going to push me? Where are my
strengths? Where are my weaknesses? What is going to benefit the University of New Orleans

student body the most?

My first task was to answer some of these questions. What interests me? I know I am a

big fan of contemporary theatre. I know I enjoy plays that have been written in the last ten to

fifteen years, and I especially appreciate their use of language. For my thesis work, I knew I

wanted to choose a piece that dealt with culturally relevant issues. Further, I knew I wanted a

play that would be very relatable for a university audience. To select my script, I took all of

these thoughts into consideration, and found my thesis-specific interests eliminated a good many

of the plays I have on my ever-growing ―to direct‖ list. This led me to An Experiment with an

Air Pump.

The contemporary themes in An Experiment with an Air Pump are what first drew me to the

work. Issues related to stem-cell research, abortion, and the general ethics of science are very

important in current cultural and political discourse. While I was working on the play, in fact, I

was constantly coming across news articles about stem-cell research. Almost all of these

1
articles dealt with the issue of spinal deformities, which is precisely the main concern in An

Experiment with an Air Pump. To me, it was so exciting my thesis project was able to tackle an

important issue while it was still unfolding in the news. This is especially important to me

because I take the role of theatre as bringing relevant social issues to an audience very seriously.

I love theatre that has the power to provoke audience members to ask questions, and I am always

excited when I walk through a lobby after a show and hear people discussing the issues raised

within a play.
 The other two ―hot button‖ issues in the play—abortion and the ethics of scientific

advancement—are themes that have been in the cultural consciousness for many years. When

exactly does life begin? The characters in An Experiment with an Air Pump all have different

answers. For example, Kate often refers to a lab subject as ―a cluster of cells,‖ while Tom calls

that very same lab subject a ―fetus.‖ This difference of opinion causes a lot of problems for the

character Ellen, who is caught between her husband and her co-worker. She is torn between two

very strong forces related to this topic, and she is pushed and pulled in this argument throughout

the play. Ethics, as related to scientific research in general (not just the discussion about the fetus

and where exactly life begins) is another major theme in the play. Key questions are raised about

what is necessary for the advancement of medical technology and what in turn will be sacrificed.

For instance, when Tom finds a box of old bones in the house, he becomes very uncomfortable

about where these bones initially came from. Kate suggests the bones/body could have been used

by medical students. Before the Anatomy Act, students were known to take bodies from their

burial plots for research. These students would have been considered grave robbers during their

time. Yet today, some now think of these students as great revolutionaries who moved science

forward and allowed the world to solve the riddles of serious illnesses. The

2
connection to be made here is that, like the students who pioneered anatomical research in order

to cure illnesses plaguing the public, stem-cell researchers are working with something

considered controversial today in order to solve some of the world’s greatest medical problems

tomorrow.

The next question I asked myself when choosing my thesis script was: what exactly makes a

play worth becoming a thesis project? I started thinking about the thesis plays I had seen, as well
 as the numerous theses I’d heard about. My friend Beau, for example, directed Shakespeare’s

Much Ado About Nothing for his thesis. I believe this was a great thesis project because of the

challenges presented by Shakespeare’s heightened language. This was a complex and difficult

task for not only the director, but for the actors as well. Realizing I wanted this challenge in my

own thesis, I wanted to work with a text that was complex not only in language, but in content.

Needing a script that asked deep questions, touched on multiple themes, and yet remained

theatrically interesting was a wonderful script by Shelagh Stephenson. An Experiment with an

Air Pump fit this criteria. Half of the play takes place in England in 1799, and the other half of

the play takes place in 1999. In other words, it is set in the exact same location, yet separated by

200 years. The speech of the characters in 1799 is elevated far above what we are accustomed to

hearing in modern America. I feel that working and challenging ourselves with language in

theatre is so important in an educational setting. As young theatre artists, we often fall into the

trap of thinking any language not tuned to our ear is something scary and hard to conquer. Yet all

we really need is to take time, practice and use our learned techniques. Elevated language is

something I had not yet had an opportunity to work with in a play, so I was thrilled to explore it

in An Experiment with an Air Pump. Additionally, the play utilizes dialect. Dialectical speaking

forces actors to be meticulous in the way they deliver their lines. It requires

3
a large amount of discipline from the actors, but also on the part of the director. To be

successful, I had to be as familiar with the speech, as the cast—if not more so. Every director

should have a strong knowledge of the language(s) and the dialect(s) in the play they are

presenting.

The portion of An Experiment with an Air Pump set in 1799 asks many of the same questions
raised in the story set in 1999. This was done to illustrate questions raised 200 years ago and still

relevant today. The experiments may be different, but the ideas are still the same. It is this

parallel between old and new thought that makes the play so compelling. In addition, It is very

clear from early on the two storylines of the script are very closely linked. The key to

successfully directing this play is allowing these stories to overlap and even contend with each

other. The play unfolds slowly showing us the ways in which the two storylines are related. One

of the connections I found most fascinating was the issue of gender and power within the two

stories. In 1799, the men are the well educated, scientific ones, however, in 1999 it is the women

who take on these roles. This is not so much about one group being smart and the other not, but

the battle between art vs. science. The play is a debate of intellect from beginning to end. At

times I think An Experiment with an Air Pump is about the uneducated questioning the educated,

the two never finding common ground. It is this tug of war that I find so theatrically enriching.

One of the challenges in An Experiment with an Air Pump is the same seven actors play

corresponding roles in each time period. The actors change from 1799 to 1999 and become

completely different people. In each case, I find the traits the person in 1799 is known for lead to

a completely different set of ideas and assumptions in 1999. I love watching actors as they

transform from one person into the next, and it is my job to help them find the differences in

their two particular characters. The actors in the show must be very skilled, and their trust in me

4
is essential. I am their eyes and ears, so to speak; I am there to let them know if what they are

trying to convey is working.

In choosing An Experiment with an Air Pump, I knew I was setting myself up for a lot of

hard work. This lead me to the corresponding question: what is going to push me? First of all,
switching back and forth between two time periods is no easy task; this was going to push not

only me, but the actors as well. The play takes place in England, which comes with an extensive

amount of dialect work. Setting a play in another country creates many excepted and unexpected

challenges, and research becomes incredibly important. The use of a dialect coach was going to

be essential for me to achieve a true-to-life quality in my characters. Trust in others is incredibly

important: to be successful, I would have to place a lot of trust in the hands of the dialect coach

and even turn several rehearsals over to that person to make sure we were all correctly

comprehending the language of the play.

Another aspect of An Experiment with an Air Pump I knew would be challenging was the

necessity for seamless crossings back and forth between time periods. The balance of real time

(the time it takes things to happen) and theatrical time (the time the playwright/script denotes as

passed) is incredibly delicate. Here is just one example of this difficulty: when Armstrong exits

with a line at the end of one scene, the very next line is spoken by Phil. The fact that these two

roles are played by the same actor is an incredible challenge to which the script provides no

answer—the script simply is what it is. Consequently, the costume designer and I would have to

work closely together on this scene change to ensure that both the costumes look good and that

the actor would actually be able to make the change fast enough and not cause a long break in

the action of the play. This is just one practical problem the script possessed; as a director, these

problems (expected and unexpected) were exciting to solve.

5
After all of this pre-thinking about An Experiment with an Air Pump, the only other

elements I needed to articulate for my thesis were the challenges that would help me grow as a

director. First, I needed to address my weaknesses. One of the hardest things for me is
communicating my concept of a play to designers. It has always been a challenge for me to

explain what I want to a designer without just handing off a picture of the set, a color palate for

lighting, or a fabric swatch for costumes. This tactic does not work for a variety of reasons, one

major one being too specific. This ends up taking some of the creative challenge away from the

designers. Yet equally important is the realization that my lone perspective is not enough. I truly

believe in collaboration, and if collaboration is my goal, being so structured with designers gives

them little room to grow. Another challenge related to this I found, however, was as a graduate

student, I knew it would be intimidating working with Kevin, a faculty member set designer. He

has many more years of experience than I, and yet if I ended up not liking something that had

been done with the set, I knew I would find it hard to express my concerns to a superior.

Another way I would grow as a director, I hoped, was by working with fellow graduate students

Chris and Mignon; the lighting and costume designers respectively. Because we are still students

and still learning, I hoped we would help each other to become better in our fields by continuing

to ask questions and challenge one another. I will challenge myself to work with all the

designers in the same manner, regardless of their status. I want to overcome my fears and my

limitations, and work collectively to create the best show possible. I knew we would have a very

strong production team and the show would be great. I just needed to make sure I was prepared

and very clear with the show’s concept and the story I wanted to tell with the actors.

6
Another area that will help me grow as a director is time period—I have never directed a

play that takes place earlier than the 18th century. When I see a play where the mannerisms of

the time are not consistent, or—worse—when time period concerns are completely ignored, it
drives me crazy. For this reason, I have done a lot of research about the clothing/costumes of

that particular time and about how people would interact with one another during this era (i.e.

How do men act around only men? How do men and women act together? How do women act

around only women?) I find this to be an exciting challenge for me. I can’t expect the actors to

know all of this; I need to be the one to share this knowledge. I must be as invested in the

specificity of this play as much or more than the actors themselves. I should note that I really

enjoy the research side of directing. Even though I know this play will be a great challenge for

me, I know it will be one on which I will be happy to work.

In my time at the University of New Orleans, I have directed two other plays. Both casts

were made up of three men and one woman. That means that in the last two-and-a-half years, I

have only directed two women. In my undergraduate studies, I had a very similar track record. I

sometimes feel that I do not communicate with female actors as well as I should. This play has

more women than men, and these women are very strong, prominent female characters. I am

excited to see if it is really that different working with a largely female cast than a largely male

one. Not only is the gender difference going to be a challenge for me, but I will be working with

more graduate actors than I have in the past. In my previous plays, I have worked mostly with

very young actors. That being said, my directing style will have to change some to accommodate

the new level of actors, but I am hoping this change will be for the better. Now I won’t have to

work so hard to help the actors find intentions and actions, instead I will get to focus on making

polished pictures and fine-tuned moments. I feel that in some cases having

7
graduate actors will make my life easier, because these actors should come with a more mature,

professional attitude. But at the same time, working with higher-caliber actors puts more
pressure on me to be prepared with information on the scene, and I should be ready to defend

any choices that might not be agreed upon by the actors. I will also have less of a role as an

acting coach, and more of a role as a director. I have wanted this for a long time, but now that I

have it, it is a little overwhelming. I have never been in this situation before, and sometimes a

new thing can be little frightening.

My last big goal for An Experiment with an Air Pump is to apply all of the things I have

learned in my last eight years of school. I have had some great teachers, and I have taken many

classes. Now is the time to step away from the textbooks and put all my knowledge to use. I feel

is the point of a thesis. In so many of the other shows I have done, I have been working on one

very specific thing or another; here, I get to lay it all out on the table and make it work. I feel

that An Experiment with An Air Pump is a play that will push me to my limits, and I am sure it

will be a wonderful example of all I have learned in my schooling. I am so excited to see how it

all will end up. Here we go.

8
Chapter Two: Background Research (Character Analysis)
 An Experiment with An Air Pump is a play that has been crafted with the strongest of

plots. It is sophisticated in its writing style, clever in its progression of plot and interesting from

start to finish. In short, Shelagh Stephenson has created a fascinating world I could not wait to

explore. Stephenson has taken very complex characters and thrust them into a world together,

using Joseph Wright’s painting ―An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump‖ as the foundation of

and inspiration for, the story. The painting in itself sets a mood. The lighting is dim in the

painting, and only the faces of the men and women surrounding the air pump are illuminated.

Consequently, all the focus is on the center image of a bird in the air pump—all eyes (including

those of the viewer) are wondering what will happen to the bird. The painting evokes a wide

variety of emotions tied to the experiment, as well as raising many questions about who exactly

the people in the painting are. What are their thoughts and feelings? How are they connected to

one another? Finally, what will happen to the bird? Stephenson answers a good many of these

questions for us. She has taken a picture that has existed for centuries and breathed life into each

of its characters, taking us on a journey into their lives and raising important questions still

relevant today.

Joseph Fenwick (1799)

Joseph Fenwick is the head of the household in the 1799 section of the play. He is a scientist, I

believe is around the age of 55. Joseph is a man thrilled by the quest for knowledge, and

consequently, he loves education. Further, he is connected to everyone around him. He is the

husband to Susannah, and their marriage is of a complex nature. It is a relationship started at a

young age, one that has gone through many changes and a relationship that continues to evolve

9
during the course of the play. Joseph Fenwick is father to two girls. The first is Maria, who has

a very unique relationship with him. Maria follows many of the ambitions of her mother and is

very well-loved by her father. However, I do not know how much Fenwick expects from Maria

in the way of science and knowledge. His other daughter is Harriet, and to Fenwick, she is very

puzzling. Fenwick often dismisses Harriet’s ambitions to create and explore; he calls her

ambitions a phase and hopes they will pass in time. The Fenwick family unit is very complex and

changes as the play moves forward. Then there are Fenwick’s relationships with the rest of the

people in 1799. First there is Isobel, the servant of the house. The relationship between she and

Fenwick is one that is not easily defined. She is in the house to serve the family. She cleans,

brings wine, serves dinner and attends to the children. She lives in the house with the family and

bounces back and forth between servant and family member. Fenwick is fascinated by Isobel’s

wealth of knowledge for words. He asks her many times in the play for her thoughts on one

matter or another. For a traditional servant, these questions would be far too advanced. It should

be noted, too, that Fenwick’s fascination surrounding Isobel’s thoughts on the English and their

language is anchored in the fact that Isobel is Scottish. Fenwick thinks of Isobel as someone who

can help him view the English from an outside point of view. It is the back-and-forth,

contradictory way Fenwick treats Isobel that illuminates the contrast within his own character.

On one hand his is a mind open enough to ask Isobel about her ideas, and another, his is a mind

closed and resigned enough to treat Isobel as a common house worker and much less of a family

member. Though Fenwick is described as wearing very traditional costumes, he is also shown as

having some very progressive ways of doing things. Fenwick spends a good amount of time with

Armstrong. Armstrong and Fenwick’s relationship is built on mistrust and forced tolerance.

Armstrong is living in Fenwick’s house only as a favor to another scientist. At one point,
 10
Fenwick clearly reviles Armstrong and does not want him living in the house. Fenwick respects

the fact Armstrong is a very good scientist, but worries that Armstrong is cold at heart. From the

very beginning, it is clear that Fenwick will be opposed to the thoughts and ideas of Armstrong.

One of Fenwick’s first lines addresses Armstrong: ―You’re an awful prig, has anyone ever told

you that?‖ This line is a clear indication of the relationship between the two men. This tension

creates a lot of dramatic possibilities in the play. The last person Fenwick interacts with is Roget.

Roget, like Armstrong, lives in the Fenwick house to study science. His personality is much

different from Armstrong’s, and this brings with it a different relationship between Fenwick and

Roget. In many ways I feel Fenwick views Roget as a younger version of himself. Fenwick

believes Roget is a good scientist and has an appropriate thirst for knowledge. In one scene of

the play, Fenwick really tries to investigate Roget’s mind through discussion. Fenwick tries to

probe Roget for his own thoughts. The reason Fenwick does this is to see what Roget himself

thinks, not to have Roget parrot all he has learned back to him. Fenwick respects Roget and

really wants to help him to become a better scientist. Fenwick is a character of many levels. I

really enjoy the way he is written; Fenwick is the same person in every scene, but his tone

changes depending on who he is talking to. This is a very human quality, and one that is not

always captured on stage. Fenwick is a major voice for the family and he is well respected by the

community. However, it is clear the more we dive into the play he does not balance his duties at

home and his duties to the community equally. In many ways, he is like a modern day politician.

He is a big asset to the community and a shining example of a husband, father, and friend.

However, the truth is Fenwick often ignores his obligations as a husband, father, and friend to

instead dive deeper into his quest for discovery. Fenwick projects a strong outer view of having
the perfect family, and yet his family’s very foundation is slowly falling apart. By the

11
end of the play, Fenwick reevaluates what is important to him, and we see him make a major turn

as a person. He is a complex character that is truly a challenge for any actor that tries to play

him.

Susannah Fenwick (1799)

Susannah Fenwick is around the age of 40. She is wife to Fenwick and mother to Maria

and Harriet. She is thought of as pretty and sophisticated. In her youth, she studied literature.

She is smart in many ways, but she is always thought of as less intelligent than the men in the

play. She does not have a great knowledge of science, and she is often thought of as silly and

quickly dismissed when sharing her thoughts on anything related to science or politics. She does

not have much respect from her daughters. This disrespect is rooted in the way Susannah and

Fenwick relate to one another. She is a woman who feels very trapped, and when she is finally

pushed too far, Susannah makes a stand for herself. A woman full of passion and love, Susannah

challenges people in the play like no other person. The first relationship to discuss when dealing

with Susannah is her marriage to Fenwick. Married at a young age, Susannah and Fenwick were

a couple fell for each other hard and fast. Fenwick was attracted to her outstanding beauty, and

she was drawn to Fenwick’s power and confidence. Being a woman in 1799 had its limitations.

Because of her sex, Susannah was never thought about politics or science. Consequently, she is

often excluded and ignored during these conversations. Over time, this begins to wear on

Susannah, and she becomes very irritated with being treated as inferior. Over the years,

Susannah has found less and less comfort in her husband and more and more comfort in alcohol.
By drinking she frees herself to dive into any conversation she pleases, and yet anything she says

while inebriated lacks credibility. This leads to serious problems in her marriage. This irritation

is not one sided; it is a back and forth between Susannah and

12
Fenwick. He is embarrassed by Susannah’s behavior in front of company, and she is very upset by

always being pushed aside. Like all good theatre, these confrontations come to a head. The

couple have it out in a heated exchange of words, that hopefully leads the them on the path to

healing. The arc of their relationship is one that must take the audience on a journey from start to

finish, and it serves as a window into the myth of the perfect family. Now for the relationships

with her daughters: as mentioned, the two girls are very different in their ambitions. Maria is very

much like her mother. She is interested in books and, to put it bluntly, boys. Like her mother,

Maria is interested in finding a husband at a young age and becoming a wife and mother.

Susannah is very pleased with Maria’s uncomplicated ambitions. Susannah very much enjoys

watching her daughter grow into a woman, and she is not at all threatened by anything she might

do. If Susannah feels she has an ally in the battle at home at all, it is in Maria. However, because

Maria is rather simplistic in her goals and because Susannah believes she is acting correctly,

Susannah sometimes gives Maria less attention than Harriet. Susannah has a much harder time

relating to Harriet. Harriet is very much like her father, so this is really no surprise. Yes, Harriet

is interested in science and politics, but the real issue between mother and daughter is she also

does not show Susannah much respect. Whenever there is a fight between Susannah and

Fenwick, Harriet will always defend her father. In the past, Harriet tried to be like her mother by

writing plays and poetry. According to Susannah, Harriet’s writing was very good. However,

when Susannah talks about how great a writer her daughter Harriet is, it causes a enormous

amount of tension between mother and daughter. This relationship finally explodes in the second
act when the girls are performing one of Harriet’s plays. The scene ends with Harriet telling her

mother (and whole family) she would like to study science and medicine like her father and

abandon all of her writing. This is not well received by Susannah. Another person

13
that Susannah is connected to is Isobel. As mentioned, Isobel takes care of Susannah and

Fenwick’s children. Susannah, unlike her husband, treats Isobel the same way from start to

finish. At some points of the play, Susannah even exhibits a sense of resentment towards Isobel.

As mentioned, Fenwick asks Isobel what she thinks about things and shes even openly invited her

into scientific conversations when she is done working. This is something Susannah yearns for,

but has never been invited to do. The fact Fenwick seems to care more about the thoughts and

ideas of the hired help feels cruel to Susannah. Consequently, Susannah often pulls Isobel out of

scientific conversations by asking for more wine. This often happens directly after Isobel is asked

for her thoughts or Susannah’s thoughts are dismissed. However, it would be unfair to say that

Susannah does not like Isobel. Susannah is just incredibly frustrated her husband cares more for

what the working class girl has to say than the thoughts of his own wife. The relationships

between Susannah and the other men living in the house are somewhat ambiguous. Not that they

are unimportant, but they affect Susannah far less in her day-to-day life. First, there is

Armstrong. Susannah also appears not to trust him, but this seems largely because her husband

has so clearly expressed his dislike for the man. Like Fenwick, Armstrong rarely gives Susannah

any attention and often overlooks her. The only time Susannah gets any attention from

Armstrong is when she yells at her husband after dinner, and Armstrong tries feebly to excuse

himself from the situation. Susannah views Armstrong as a younger and colder version of her

husband. Susannah has a little more of a connection with Roget. Being a gentlemen, Roget tries
to include Susannah in topics of discussion, even if he is unsuccessful. At the top of the play we

witness Susannah trying to connect to Roget, but she is very quickly overpowered by her

husband. Susannah is another character difficult for an actor to play, however, I believe playing

her in a university production is going to make the challenge even greater. Susannah’s feelings

14
are rather complex and varied, and I think it is going to be hard to find someone who has the

range to perform both roles effectively. Her complexity is a shining example of why this play is

such a great piece of work for an ensemble.

Maria Fenwick (1799)

Maria Fenwick is the daughter of Joseph and Susannah Fenwick and sister to Harriet Fenwick.

She is still very young spirited and very much the ―do right by her parents‖ daughter. Unlike

her sister Harriet, she is always trying to show how good and obedient a daughter she is. She is a

unique character in that she has a relationship with someone we never see on stage. His name is

Edward, and he is her fiancé. They communicate throughout the play in a series of letters.

Edward is off studying science in the world, and Maria is left at home pining for her soon-to-be

husband. The letters are necessary to the play and an exciting challenge for two reasons. The

first is very technical: the fact the play moves between two time periods means the show needs

transitional scenes to aid the quick change in settings and costumes—the letters help make this

possible. The other reason they are so important is because they are used to show more about the

role of women in 1799. Maria’s life is very much consumed with the idea of marriage and

having children. After all she has been groomed by her mother for this her entire life. The first

letters from Edward are written by a man fighting hard against home sickness and the longing
 for his future wife. These are feelings greatly shared by Maria. She can’t wait for Edward to

return and is excited about her upcoming wedding. However, the next letter she receives from

Edward is a little different. Edward seems to be getting more and more used to being away, and

he is enjoying the freedom he has. The change of lifestyle and landscape are very exciting for

him. Maria is very confused about this and starts to question what is going on with her dear

Edward. As the letters back and forth continue, we start to see a different side of

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Maria. She is stronger and not as silly as we might have initially thought. When she learns

Edward is cheating on her, she stands up for and defends herself; she breaks ties with him. In this

decision, she finds confidence in herself she did not know was there. As for Maria’s relationship

with her father, she loves him very much and he views her as a very sweet girl. Maria finds most

of what her father does confusing and does not enjoy attending things like dissections. She

respects her father very much, and this is made clear in her final letter to Edward when she

speaks of her father in such high regard. I feel that Maria and her mother are cut from the same

cloth. They are destined to follow the same paths. The only hope Susannah has for Maria is

when she does marry it will be to someone who includes her and respects her thoughts and

opinions. Maria’s relationship with her sister, however, is another story. The two girls are very

different, and this creates constant tension between the two of them. The fact that Maria wants to

marry and have nothing to do with understanding how the world works drives Harriet almost to

the point of madness. Maria loves her sister, but she does not understand her. She feels Harriet is

unladylike for exploring the world of science. The two have a big fight when Harriet tells Maria

she was a fool for trusting Edward; Harriet tells Maria she needs to move on and not think of

him anymore. This advice is not well-received, and these two well-bred ladies respond in

violence. This fight does not last long, and by the end of the play, the two sisters are friends
again. Maria is very close to Isobel. In many ways, Isobel has done much of the nurturing of the

girls and a very close bond exists between she and Maria. Maria always tries to be kind to Isobel

and treat her like a member of the family. This bond with Isobel makes it especially hard for

Maria when she is the one who finds Isobel hanging. Maria is not the most intellectual of people,

but she ―loves‖ very earnestly. Her emotions run very deep, and change is very hard for her. As

for the two men in the house, Maria is simply very much amused to have

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any male attention she can. Having the men there makes her happy, and she often tries to bring

Roget into conversations regarding things not related to science. As for Armstrong, Maria takes

issue with him from the beginning because he has so little care for whether the bird lives or dies.

Armstrong’s disregard for life is something that really upsets Maria, but because she doesn’t

want to rock the boat she, for the most part, avoids him altogether. Maria is sweet and kind, and

I think the temptation is to misunderstand that and believe her to be dumb. I feel very strongly if

she does appear dumb at any point in the play, it is simply because she does her best to avoid

confrontation. Her whole personality is built on being the perfect daughter, and anything that

offsets that is very hard for her. The actor who plays Maria must fit well into the ensemble, but

also must be able to handle the letter reading all on her own. I think an actor would thoroughly

enjoy playing this fun and heartfelt character.

Harriet Fenwick (1799)

Harriet Fenwick is also the daughter of Joseph and Susannah Fenwick, sister to Maria, who is in

very close age with her sister. She is a strong-willed and often ill-tempered young woman. It is

hard to be a person like Harriet in 1799. She is not at all interested in the things a woman of her
 age and status should be learning and dealing with. She is not in the least concerned with

finding a husband and thinks reading and writing plays and poetry is a waste of time. Like her

father, she is very interested in how the world works. She is excited by the discovery of all

things, and she wants to find out how she can make things better. This quest for knowledge is

her greatest strength, but at the same time it is often her downfall. Harriet was born ahead of her

time. It was unheard of for a woman in 1799 to take part in experimentation. She is driven not

only by her desire to discover, but also by her need to impress. The relationship Harriet longs

for most is one with her father. She very much wants to prove to him

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she not only has an interest in his work, but that she truly understands it and wants to create

things on her own. Throughout the play Harriet is trying to make both of her parents proud of

her. She tries first with her mother, and Harriet is basically forced to write a play and perform it

for the guests in the house. Even though Harriet does not like the writing, she tries to do it in

hopes of not getting in trouble with her mother. She writes the play trying to put her own

interests into the story. She does this to impress her father. In the play, one of the costumes needs

a hat that will smoke and represent a smoke stack. We see the hat in different stages as the play

moves along. She finally gets the hat to work for a short time which does impress her father. But

in the end, Harriet’s mother mocks her achievement, and the victory is bittersweet for Harriet.

Harriet is a character who should be handled with much care. She is very quick tempered, and

sometimes the script does not do a lot to help you with her build. All of this has to be done by

the actor playing the role. Harriet, like her sister, is very close to Isobel, but for the most part

treats her like hired help. She does not give Isobel the same respect Maria does. Maria at times

says things that are less than kind to Isobel, but it is never intended as harmful. This is not to say

Harriet and Isobel do not like each other, but their relationship is just different. As for the two
men living in the house: Harriet openly does not like Armstrong. She refers to him mocking her

in her attempts to invent and is always on the defensive with him. As for Roget, Harriet looks up

to him. He really does try and encourage Harriet in her ambitions. He asks her hard questions

about her play, and even though this frustrates Harriet, it makes her respect Roget for treating her

as an equal. I feel as though she would try to treat someone in her shoes the same way Roget

treats her. She is a strong force in the family and one that can change the mood of the play on a

dime.

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Isobel Bridie (1799)

Isobel Bridie is the servant in the Fenwick home. She is originally from Scotland, and her age is

somewhere between 19 and 25. She serves the house in any way the family needs her. She has a

spinal deformity she has had since birth, and it is increasing in severity as she gets older. As

already mentioned, she is treated in many different ways in the home. The father, Joseph, asks

her to clean the table, bring the wine, and tend to the children, but at the same time he tries to

include her in intellectual conversations. She is a self-educated woman with a passion for words.

She is incredibly open about her thoughts on subjects, and this openness thrills Fenwick. Her

mind is the thing that fuels the fire for Fenwick’s work. As for Susannah, she loves Isobel, but

questions why her husband would show more interest in Isobel’s mind than her own. The two

Fenwick daughters are both loved by Isobel, but their relationships with her are very different.

Harriet is a little more self-reliant and does not have as close a relationship with Isobel, as Maria.

The other men in the house relate to the heart of Isobel’s story. Roget is around the same age as

Isobel, and he finds her intriguing. They both have a passion for words and play a few games
together. Roget is very uncomfortable with women, especially one with which he is romantically

interested. Isobel enjoys Roget’s company, but is cautious of any men who show an interest in

her. Isobel has so many qualities Roget likes. She is smart, proud, quick-witted and, above all,

kind. If the plot of the story had been a little different, there would have been nothing that would

have gotten in the way of the two being together and happy. However, Armstrong is also a factor,

and her relationship with him is as twisted as Isobel’s back. At the very beginning of the play,

we can clearly see Isobel does not like or trust Armstrong. In fact, for a large part of the play,

Isobel is downright rude to Armstrong. She tells him she feels

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he makes fun of her. From the start, he is very open in asking her about her hump and spinal

issue. This makes Isobel very uncomfortable. When Armstrong starts to make romantic advances

toward Isobel, she tries to fight them off. She tells him she does not trust him. More importantly

she tells him no man would ever think she was pretty and then reveals the embarrassing truth

about an old man who tried to marry her. Armstrong knows he is not going to get what he wants

just by kind words, so he brings her a book of Shakespearian sonnets. This small gift is just

enough for Isobel to let down her guard, and she begins to trust Armstrong little by little. This

being Isobel’s first experience with love, she ends up falling hard for Armstrong. When she is

found by Roget kissing Armstrong, she realizes she could get in trouble for having a romantic

fling in the house in which she works. She runs out of the room. When Roget questions

Armstrong about his motives, Armstrong reveals he is only interested in the deformity of her

spine. Isobel hears the whole conversation, and this revelation becomes too much for Isobel to

bare. With all of this information before her eyes, she decides to take her own life. Isobel made a

choice long ago she would spend her life alone, and she felt this was a solitary, but good enough,

existence for her. However, when Armstrong interferes with these plans and Isobel feels herself
so cruelly tricked, she is ashamed and feels she must end her life. After writing a note to the

family explaining her actions, she hangs herself. Isobel is not only a challenging role because of

the depth of emotions the actor must portray, but the vocal and physical demands of the character

are a big hill to climb for even the most skilled of actors.

Peter Roget (1799)

Peter Roget is the only person in this play who is based on someone historical. Peter Roget is

the man who publishes the first thesaurus. In the time the play is set, Roget would have been in

his mid-20s. He is a wonderful character and adds to the texture of the ensemble. Even

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though it is never directly said he is the person who invented the thesaurus. Stephenson hints at it

many times in the course of the play. Roget is a young scientist who is very smart but lacking in

confidence. He is in the Fenwick home because Joseph sees something special in him. He thinks

the young man has talent, and Roget, in turn, respects Fenwick. Roget admires what Fenwick has

done with his life, and Roget wants to learn how to reach these same heights. One of the best

parts about Roget is, like all young people, he is conflicted on matters concerning life and death,

science and religion, family values and politics. Roget tries to treat everyone in the play with

respect and admiration. He looks for the very best in people, and he has a keen insight into their

characters. Susannah is someone Roget can see as feeling trapped. At one point in the play,

Fenwick and Susannah have a fight in front of Roget. After Susannah storms out of the room,

Roget tries to help Fenwick see it is the way in which he is treating his wife that is upsetting

Susannah. Roget has a way of talking to Fenwick no one else in the play can get away with. As

mentioned, I believe Fenwick views Roget as a younger version of himself. Roget realizes this

fact and is honored a man he respects so much holds him in such high regard. As we know,
Roget is very uncomfortable around women. When Susannah engages in an explosive argument

after dinner, it makes Roget very uncomfortable. He tries to say things to comfort her, but is

unsuccessful. As for the daughters in the house, he treats them very differently. For the most part,

he tries to stay away from Maria. She asks him about things he has no idea of or cares little

about; for example, Maria asks him what he thinks of her new dress, his retort is a confused,

surprised and awkward ―…yes!‖ His relationship with Harriet is much different. He can see her

trying to create and explore things. In this time period, most men would discourage a woman

who looks for answers. But Roget does just the opposite. He not only likes that Harriet is trying

to follow in her father’s footsteps, he also wants her to surpass all of them. He feels it

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does not matter who makes the discoveries; the important thing is they are being made. He is the

only one in the house who pushes Harriet to do better work. He asks her questions to help put her

on the right track to finding a solution. By pushing her to do better, Roget shows his kindness as

a person as well as his ability to be a progressive thinker. His relationship with Isobel is one of

the most tender in the play. He is romantically interested in her from the very beginning. He falls

in love with her mind. Isobel is unlike any other woman Roget has ever met. Although she has a

problem with her spine, he doesn’t see it—he only sees how smart she is. He asks her on a walk,

and at this point in the play, Isobel is still very hesitant to accept the advances of men. She tells

him no, and being the gentleman he is, Roget leaves her alone. This is unfortunate considering

what happens to her with Armstrong. Roget is crushed at the end of the play when Isobel is

found dead, and in many ways, I think he holds himself responsible as he knew what Armstrong

was doing. For a large part of the play, Roget is torn about his feelings toward Armstrong. He

respects Armstrong as a scientist. He knows in the world of science he is trying to make great
advances, however, Roget has a problem with the fact Armstrong is so hungry for discoveries he

is willing to do anything to get them. Roget and Armstrong talk about stealing bodies from the

graveyard on which to experiment. Roget would love to gain the knowledge of the experiments

but does not like the idea of taking bodies. He feels it is wrong. When Armstrong informs Roget

he scopes out bodies before they are even dead, Roget is disgusted. He does not understand how

Armstrong can have such little respect for human life. The other complication in Roget and

Armstrong’s relationship lies within Isobel. Both men want Isobel for different reasons. Roget is

smart; he is on to Armstrong’s game from the very beginning. However, being an optimist, Roget

doesn’t see the danger signs. Instead, Roget hopes he has just made up his negative feelings

about Armstrong in his head; after all, he is

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jealous Isobel is falling for Armstrong and not him. When Armstrong admits he does not love

Isobel and he only wants to study her, Roget tells Armstrong how wrong he is, and this even

drives Roget to use the hardest language found in the whole play. When Roget becomes so

enraged at Armstrong, there are no other words he can use but to call Armstrong a ―cunt.‖ This

use of such harsh language is an example of how strongly Roget feels about what Armstrong is

doing, and this feeling pulls Roget out of gentlemanly demeanor for a moment to express how he

truly feels. Roget is a strong character you just can’t help but like.

Thomas Armstrong (1799)

Thomas Armstrong is the other scientist living in the Fenwick home. He is 26 years old.

Armstrong is smart, cunning, deceptive, charming and ambitious. He has a thirst for knowledge

that can never be fulfilled. He is living in the Fenwick home because another scientist named Dr.
 Farleigh asked Joseph to take him on for three months. Armstrong still goes and studies with

Farleigh, but he lives with the Fenwicks. As we discover, Joseph does not really like Armstrong,

and the only reason he has Armstrong living in his home is because he is doing Dr. Farleigh a

favor. Fenwick does think of Armstrong as a good scientist. He knows Armstrong has many

scientific skills, but Fenwick does not trust him because he has no care for anything other than

discoveries. From the start of the play, we know Armstrong is going to be a figure who will cause

problems for all involved in the play. As mentioned, Susannah and Armstrong never really

interact, because Armstrong follows her husband’s example and ignores her. The daughters don’t

really like him. They think he is cruel. In his relation to Isobel, Armstrong shows us just how

deep his passions for exploring go. He destroys a young girl’s life just so he can get a look at her

back. Armstrong tricks Isobel into loving him. This is no easy task. He pushes her until she

breaks. He tells her nice things, brings her gifts, and makes up stories to

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make her love him: all so he can examine her. Most of this I have referenced already, but let me

point out one thing more: when Isobel is found hanging (but not dead), Armstrong shows just

how far he will go to get what he wants. When he gets her down she still has a pulse. He tells

Maria to go and get the father for help. When he is alone, he finds the note Isobel has written

telling everything that happened. He hides the note and instead of trying to save her, he kills her.

He knows two things. One: if she is dead, no one can stop him from digging up her body and

studying it. Two: dead people don’t talk. When she dies, there is no evidence he had anything to

do with the tragedy. Roget does not know Armstrong is the actual person who ended Isobel’s life,

but he does know he is the one who drove her to hang herself. After Isobel’s body is removed

from the room, the two men are left alone. Roget confronts Armstrong about his involvement in

her hanging. When Armstrong tries to brush off the fact he had anything to do with it, Roget
responds in violence and punches Armstrong. This is one of the only times in the play where

anyone gets the best of Armstrong. It is very easy to view Armstrong as a villain, and in some

cases he is, but the people who come to watch the play must never know this. This battle to hide

who Armstrong really is will be a struggle. If they do, the play does not work. Playing and

trusting in a character like Armstrong is very hard for an actor and an ensemble cast. Yet

Armstrong is one of the best roles I have read, and am excited for others to find out why.

Ellen (1999)

Ellen is a smart, sophisticated, and passionate woman. She is around 50 years of age and works

in genetics. She is married to Tom, an English lecturer. She has come on some harder financial

times recently, because her husband has been forced into early retirement. This being the case,

they need to sell their house. The house has been in Ellen’s family for many generations. The

house means a lot to Ellen because it is filled with history, her own personal

24
history and the history of ―radicalism,‖ as she calls it. There is, however, an opportunity for

them to keep the house if they want to. Ellen has been offered a job working with stem cells.

Ellen really wants the job. However, the job prospect causes an ongoing fight with Tom. He does

not feel working with embryos is right, and he believes his wife is messing with things she

should not have anything to do with. Ellen is torn; she wants to take the job, but does not think

she can live with her husband judging her. For Ellen and Tom, this is a very delicate subject. She

has been pregnant six times and has miscarried every time. Ellen does not view this as human

life, but Tom does. This issue is the topic of the majority of their battles. Looking for a

sympathetic ear, Ellen turns to someone else to see what they think about the matter. The first

person Ellen talks to is Kate. Kate is Ellen’s friend and possible future coworker. Kate works for
the firm that wants to hire Ellen to do the research. Kate has a very different prospective in these

matters. She views the fetus as a ―cluster of cells,‖ and makes the issue less about human life

and more about the work. She tells Ellen Tom should not have a say in the matter because he is

not going to be the person doing the experiments. Ellen disagrees with her because Tom is her

husband and it matters to her what he thinks. Kate tries to convince Ellen the job is good for her,

and she will be helping many people when her methods are perfected. The other person Ellen

talks with is Phil. Phil is a man taking measurements of their house for the remodeling that is

going to take place after they move out. He is blue collar and a very out spoken man. He is a

father and has much less education than the other characters in 1999. He has a very different

opinion of Ellen’s research. Being a father, Phil gets very upset when Kate and Ellen suggest one

thing positive that might come out of Ellen’s research is the ability to find out very early on if a

fetus presents any abnormalities, and therefore will offer parents all the facts in deciding whether

or not to terminate a pregnancy. This thought really upsets Phil, and it actually weighs

25
heavily on Ellen’s mind as well. Ellen sees Phil as representative of the greater population, and

she questions if she wants to be viewed by so many as a monster. Ellen and Phil’s relationship is

a funny one. Phil believes in aliens, UFOs, and spontaneous combustion; in short, Ellen feels she

is much smarter than him. In other words, she notes his science is based on beliefs and hers is

based on facts. But Ellen needs Phil as a sounding board. In many ways, she gets to interview

someone who is removed from the situation and offers her an objective opinion. Tom has very

emotional feelings about this because of the pregnancies they have gone through, and Kate is

driven by the money. Because these two sides are deeply rooted in other concerns, Ellen does not

agree with either side, but still ends up taking the job because she is ready to move forward with
her life. Ellen is affected by the box of bones found in the house. They do not bother her directly,

of course, but their affect on her husband greatly upsets her. When the bones are found, Ellen is

curious about where they came from and who they belonged to, but when Tom starts to feel a

responsibility to the body, it affects their life together. Ellen has a very difficult task in keeping

her husband’s spirits up and stopping him from obsessing about the box of bones. Ellen must

always love her husband and care about his needs, but in the end she realizes he will love her

weather she takes the job or not. The person Ellen has to fight the hardest turns out to be herself.

She is very complex and conflicted throughout most of the play, and in the end she needs to find

resolve in her decision.

Tom (1999)

Tom is in his 60s and married to Ellen. He is an English lecturer with a love for gardening. Tom

being a English teacher is a tool used by Stephenson to show the parallel between Tom and

Ellen. Tom is conflicted because he is going through a major life change. He has just been

forced out of his job. His wife has just received the opportunity for a promotion,

26
but they are still unsure of their decisions, and they might end up uprooting their life and selling

their house. Times are hard for Tom right now. Being forced to retire has made Tom look at his

life and question what is next. He is too young to be done working, but too old to start something

new. Tom also has a fear of being supported by his wife. For many men, the need for being the

primary breadwinner is engrained and important. If he has no job, this cannot happen. Even

though Ellen will make more than enough money for them to live on at her new job, the reality

makes Tom fear the way his life is going. At the time we first see Tom, he and his wife are

having a hard time deciding if Ellen should take the job or not. Tom has issues with some of the
stem-cell research. He tries many different ways to convince her of his point. He tries to talk to

her from a scientific standpoint, but she is much smarter than him when it comes to science. So

then he tries to reach her on a personal level. He talks about the pregnancies they have

miscarried, and he points out he thinks she is messing with the same sort of thing. He loves Ellen

and wants her to be happy, but is very emotionally upset by this argument. In the end, Ellen

decides to take the job, and Tom is happy to see his wife content in her choice. The relationship

Tom has with Kate, however, is very different. Kate is the one trying to get Ellen to take the job.

Tom is consequently at odds with Kate. He feels she has no morals and no concern for how her

knowledge is obtained. This kind of separation is something Tom does not understand. The thing

that really pushes Tom over the edge with Kate is several times she tells Ellen that Tom’s

thoughts on what Ellen does don’t matter. He takes it very personally and thinks she is a young,

ambitious fool. They never come to a common place of respect for each other. Tom and Phil have

a very different relationship as well. Phil is not like the rest of the people in the house. In many

ways, I feel Tom simply appreciates that Phil is different. Tom feels very alone in the argument

over Ellen’s job, and he has no idea how he will make it

27
through. When he meets Phil, he knows he has found someone who can understand where he is

coming from with his concerns. Tom not only needs Phil’s support for the continuing argument

with Kate and his wife, but when a box of bones is found in the house, Phil is the only one who

shares Tom’s spiritual connection with who the person was. Tom is unsure about the way the

remains should be treated. At one point, when Tom and Phil are alone, Phil brings out a candle to

light for her soul. Tom is not sure what he thinks about this ritual, but engages in it with Phil. The

relationship between these two men is one they both need. Tom needs it so he will have someone
to listen to and not judge him. Phil needs it for the same reasons. When Phil speaks his mind in

front of Ellen and Kate, he is met with funny looks and sometimes even mockery. When Phil is

around Tom, he is able to be himself without fear of looking like a fool. Tom is someone looking

for answers. I think that is one of the overall ideas of the play, but with Tom’s life there is no easy

formula to follow. Tom is a reflection of Susannah in many ways. This role reversal is something

that happens with many of the characters in 1999. It will be very important to have versatile

actors to play roles in both time periods.

Kate (1999)

Kate is 28, and she is a scientist who works for the company that wants to hire Ellen. Kate is

driven by her own need to learn and to make money. The pay for the line of work she is in is

attractive to her lifestyle. She is in some ways a reflection of Armstrong because she also has a

thirst for discovery that can never be fulfilled. Her mission is to get Ellen to take the job at the

firm where she works. The person standing in Kate’s way is Tom. They are very different

people. As an English lecturer, Tom deals with theory; Kate deals with facts. Kate does not see

the gray areas in many things. The fact Tom does not like the research that is being done at her

firm is illogical to her. Tom only has personal beliefs to go on, and for Kate that is just not

28
enough. Many times she tells Ellen Tom gets no say in her decision, even though this will uproot

Tom as well. Kate is younger than Ellen, and Ellen at one time was very much like Kate. So

when Kate begins to talk about how science is so important and about her general ambitions,

Ellen excuses many of Kate’s shortcomings because she understands those ambitions as once

residing in herself. Kate’s relationship with Phil is a very strange and short one. Kate views Phil

as a low class, unintelligent human who could never understand the thoughts going on in her own
head. Phil tries many times to have a conversation with Kate on the work she does. When this

happens, Phil tries to talk to Kate on her level, but when he falls short, she does not meet him

halfway at all. In fact she is often downright mean to him. She openly mocks the things he has to

bring to the conversation, and will not give his comments serious thought if she thinks they aren’t

worthwhile. This puts them at an impasse. Phil has lost even before their conversation begins,

because Kate will never think she is wrong. Kate is only in the play a short time, and as far as her

role within the larger plot, I think Kate is there primarily to help the conflict move between Ellen

and Tom. This is a necessary part of the play that will have to be covered by an actor who is

well-trained and knows how to play subtext

Phil (1999)

Phil is one of the most essential components of the 1999 section of the play. He is very different

from the other people who surround him. While Phil is smart, he has much less formal education

than Tom, Ellen or Kate. He is treated as an outsider for a large majority of the play by the

women. Kate is rude to Phil any time he tries to share his thoughts on anything other than what

he is there to do—which is to take measurements of the house. He thinks things through in great

detail with the knowledge he has available to him. He draws many of his thoughts from different

sources like television, tabloids and word-of-mouth. Phil likes to think that the

29
impossible is possible. His relationship with Ellen and Phil is a complicated one. Ellen tries to

find common ground with Phil. He is very interested in the work she does but does not really

understand it. He has an idea of what cloning is and somehow thinks what she is doing is the

same thing. It excites him in a way that is almost frightening to Ellen. There is so much

negativity that goes along with the idea of cloning; it is a stereotype of her work, and she does
not want to be viewed that way. She even takes offence when Phil starts talking about her cloning

humans. He is making judgments about things of which he is not fully aware. When Phil finally

realizes he has made uninformed judgments about her and what she does for a living, he starts to

re-evaluate what he has said. Phil is good at looking back at what he and others have done and

said and then carefully changing or modifying his opinions when he finds them to be incorrect or

incomplete. This is easy for him to do with Ellen because she takes the time to hear what he has

to say and breaks complex ideas down for him in terms he understands and can work with. As

for Kate, she does not have the class and grace Ellen has in regard to Phil. To Kate, Phil is just a

moron who cannot understand the real issue they are talking about. She continues to explain, she

feels there is great importance in his understanding of the work. Phil does not like the fact that

Kate talks down to him and becomes very defensive. For him it is embarrassing he is viewed as

stupid. This is the whole of the relationship with Kate and Phil. The only person we see Phil

really connect with is Tom. Tom is an outsider in the house, too. He and Phil bond over their

mutual exclusion. Tom has more formal education than Phil, but Tom can see Phil is not dumb.

Tom takes the time to listen to everything Phil has to say and really tries to see his point of view.

In return, Phil gives Tom the same respect. The scene that best illustrates this point is the scene

where Tom and Phil light a candle for the soul of the dead girl found in the house. I am not sure

if either man thinks this will do any good, but that really does not matter.

30
Neither of them thinks everything has to be defined; some things can just be. Phil is the most

lighthearted character in the 1999 section of the play. He is there to offer a softer way of looking

at the situation and in many ways provides a calming presence for many of the characters

involved. The actor playing Phil must be charismatic and enjoy every nuance of playing such a
creative role.

31
Chapter 3: Construct a Hypothesis (Script Analysis and Journals)
Act I Prologue pgs. 5 – 6 (Unit 1)

Time of Action:
Time Non-specific
Place Non-specific
Specific Locale On the stage of the theatre
Relationships Ellen’s relation to the painting ―An Experiment on a Bird with an Air
Pump‖

Occupation Scientist

Politics Ellen poses an ethical quandary of men having power of life and death.

Intellect Ellen talks of the process of discovery and is enraptured by the possibilities
of science.

Spirituality Ellen notes of the painting’s ability to show you science where you usually find God.

Background Story No Change

External Action:
Entrances & Exits Rest of 1799 cast is set on stage in painting tableau.

Ellen enters the stage at top of the play.

Dressers enter towards end of French scene to dress Ellen as Susannah.

Properties Not Applicable

Special Activities Not Applicable

Internal Action:
Intentions Ellen analyzes her favorite painting and why she has such passion for it.

Director’s Analysis:
Ellen is talking about being young, eager and ambitious and discovering what she loves about
science. She, like many we discover later in the play, is looking for answers about life, love and
ethics.

32
Act I Prologue pgs. 6 – 7 (Unit 2)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale The home of Dr. Joseph Fenwick
Relationships Joseph Fenwick and Susannah Fenwick, married

Maria and Harriet, sisters and children of the Fenwicks

Maria and Edward (in India), engaged to be married
Thomas Armstrong, apprentice scientist to Joseph

Peter Roget, apprentice scientist to Joseph

Isobel Bridie, maid for the Fenwick household

Occupation Joseph, Armstrong, Roget; scientists

Isobel, maid and nanny

Politics N/A

Intellect Men educationally superior to women.

Spirituality Science replaces a relationship with a spiritual being in the household

Background Story Roget and Armstrong live in the Fenwick home performing various
experiments under the tutelage of Dr. Fenwick. Maria and Edward are
engaged to be married. Harriet harbors a resentment towards Edward.
Armstrong has little for life when it concerns the advancement of science.
Fenwick does not care very much for Armstrong’s presence.

External Action:

Entrances & Exits Isobel, Harriet and Maria exit at the end of the scene.

Properties Air pump, pocket watch

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Character Intentions Fenwick, Armstrong, Roget and Harriet experiment with the outcome of
when you place a bird in an air pump. Maria wants to
save the life of her pet bird. Susannah wants to calm Maria’s
hysterics.

33
Director’s Analysis:
In this scene Dr. Fenwick is performing an experiment on Maria’s pet bird in an air pump. This
sort of experimentation illustrates the quest for knowledge and discovery that is a constant theme
throughout the play. We start to see relationships develop between Fenwick and his daughters,
whom he treats differently. Harriet, who is very much like Fenwick, is intrigued by such
experiments. Maria, on the other hand, is simply concerned for her pet. We discover Fenwick’s
relationship with Armstrong early on in the play through this scene, which result in feelings of
disdain. We see Roget’s compassion for other people’s feelings even in the face of discovery. We
see Susannah take on the role of family mediator by admonishing the children’s behavior and
apologizing for it to their guests.

34
Act I Scene I pgs. 7 -12 (Unit 3)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale The home of Dr. Joseph Fenwick
Relationships See Unit 2

Occupation See Unit 2

Politics There is rioting about the price of fish occurring throughout the town. Intellect Debates
about what is a truly enlightening lecture take place in the scene. Spirituality Topics by Rev.
Jesup are quickly discarded.

Background Story Armstrong has a strong attachment to a previous mentor and his topics of
discussion. Dr. Farleigh requested Fenwick take Armstrong under his
wing. Roget enjoys the compiling and categorizing information into lists.
The riots are a very common occurrence at this time in history. Fenwick
quips about how the riots were about corn last week.

External Action:
Entrances N/A

Properties Roget’s note pad, Susannah’s playing cards, Fenwick’s papers,

Armstrong’s pocket watch

Special Activities Susannah plays card game known as patience

Internal Action:
Intentions Susannah desires attention in any fashion from any of the men because she feels
consistently ignored. Fenwick and Roget are attempting to find a
lecture for New Year’s festivities. Armstrong attempts to leave to attend
one of Farleigh’s scientific demonstrations, but is unable to due to the
riots.

Director’s Analysis:
We see the desire for attention on the part of Susannah. She appeals to all three men in differing
ways to be included in the conversation and more importantly to be treated equally. Fenwick
starts to show some of his strong opinions over matters concerning science and politics. He
shows a general disregard for theology and holds the advancement of science above all things.
We see Roget try to analyze and interpret the ramblings of Dr. Fenwick while simultaneously

35
exploring his own thoughts and opinions. Armstrong, meanwhile, comes off as a confident and
cocky young scientist who has little regard for the disdain shown by those around him.

36
Act I Scene I pgs. 12 – 18 (Unit 4)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships No Change

Occupation No Change
Politics No Change
Intellect With entrance of daughters, intellect shifts. Maria shows classic feminine ambitions of
the time: marriage, children. Harriet, meanwhile, goes
against traditional norms and is intrigued by her father’s line of work,
against the will of her mother.

Spirituality Harriet rejects all established religion. Armstrong agrees with her. No one
corrects her.

Background Story Isobel has been a maid in the household for quite some time. Harriet has been
coerced by her mother to write a play which Maria and Isobel act in. Isobel has a spinal
condition which affects her posture, induces pain in her hips and causes a deformation that
manifests itself as a hump-like feature.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Harriet, Isobel and Maria enter (pg. 12).

Harriet and Maria exit (pg. 18)

Properties Isobel’s ―sheep‖ ears

Special Activities Not Applicable

Internal Action:
Intentions Harriet and Maria intend to inform Fenwick that the rioting has inflicted property
damage to the house. Maria, Isobel and Harriet intend to show
their father the play. Harriet attempts to curtail her mother’s bragging.
Roget asks inciting questions to stimulate Harriet’s desire for knowledge.
Susannah tries to highlight her daughters in order to steer the conversation
towards her.

Director’s Analysis:

We see how different the sisters are, also how differently they are treated by the other members
currently in the household. Although Harriet is forced to write a play by her mother, she is
 37
catering it to her own interests. She writes about the rise of industry in Britain against the
backward ideal of pastoral innocence through untouched nature. In this effort, we note Harriet’s
desire to be recognized by her father intellectually. Fenwick, however, shows no interest in the
play, showcasing the importance he places on science and politics over family.
 38
Act I Scene I pgs. 18 – 22 (Unit 5)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships NC

Occupation NC
Politics Riot finally enters the household itself when the cook brings in an injured rioter.

Intellect Isobel is discovered to be well-educated despite her social class and status when
Fenwick nonchalantly asks Isobel about a word choice in his
guidelines for the Philosophical society which catches everyone else off
guard. Isobel and Roget play a word game to see how many words for
―servant‖ Isobel is aware of. Isobel wins handedly.

Spirituality NC
Background Story Isobel is Scottish and has been a maid in the household for quite a long time.
She is well respected by Fenwick because of her affinity for words. This is not the first time the
riot has reached the inner threshold of the
house as Susannah makes perfectly clear. Isobel also appears to be a little
apprehensive around men.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Harriet enters (pg. 21)

Harriet, Susannah and Fenwick exit (pg. 21)

Armstrong, Isobel, Roget exit (pg. 22)

Properties N/A
Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions To investigate the intelligence of Isobel.

Director’s Analysis:
We gain more knowledge about Isobel in this unit. We quickly gather she’s not your typical
household maid and that her mind is sharp. She is well-respected even by those who have a far
more formal educational upbringing. We start to see an interest from Isobel form in Roget and

39
Armstrong but in different ways. Roget wishes to converse with her as an intellectual equal, but
Armstrong is only interested in using her in his studies due to her deformity. It is this difference
between the two men’s curiosities that set them apart. We see Roget begin to blossom as the
warm man and Armstrong as the cold, calculating scientist.

40
Act I Scene I pgs. 22 – 23 (Unit 6)
Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Non-descript
Specific Locale Non-descript
Relationships Maria and Edward are still engaged.

Occupation NC
Politics India is currently a colony of Britain. The common Indian folk are looked down upon by
the British invaders.

Intellect We begin to see Maria’s insecurities in her own knowledge Spirituality

NC

Background Story Maria and Edward are engaged to be married. Edward is off studying in
India.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Maria enters (pg. 22)

Maria exits (pg. 23)

Properties Maria’s letter

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Maria’s intention in the reading of the letter is to stay connected to Edward,
her fiancé, any way she can.

Director’s Analysis:
We learn that Maria and Edward are engaged to be married and Edward is currently traveling
around India. In his travels, he has become homesick. We know that in his travels he visits
different Indian cultures and is also battling with disease. He has also made a new friend named
Ms. Cholmondley who is from Yorkshire and has so far, not enjoyed their excursions.

41
Act I Scene II pgs. 24 – 29 (Unit 7)

Time of Action:
Time 1999

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

Specific Locale House of Tom and Ellen
Relationships Kate is friend and potential business colleague to Ellen. Phil is
a new acquaintance of Ellen and Kate.

Occupation Ellen is a geneticist.

Kate is the representative of a research firm.

Phil is a handyman.
Politics Dan Quayle is talked negatively in the sense of being cloned.

William Hague, at the time, was a Tory shadow chancellor and him also
being cloned may be scary due to his politics.

Intellect Both Kate and Ellen are extremely educated and work in the science industry. Kate
and Ellen also attempt to bring up the Human Genome
Project, which is what Ellen is currently working on. Phil has far less
formal education and relies on mass media and rumors for most of his
information. He attempts to grasp the full scope of the project but gets
hung up on his own personal experiences.

Spirituality N/A

Background Story Kate is attempting to persuade Ellen to work for her firm. Ellen has
reservations about the research. The job offer is only available for a
limited time. Because of Ellen’s financial situation, she has to sell her
home in Newcastle. Phil has been hired by Ellen to fix up the house. Phil
is clearly a family man and has many questions about his daughter who is
having some kind of issue. Phil believes this to be allergy-related.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Ellen, Kate, Phil enter (pg. 24)

Kate exits (pg. 24)

Properties Kate’s mobile phone. Ellen’s moving boxes. Phil’s tape measure, clipboard
and pencil.

Special Activities Phil is measuring the space.

 42
Internal Action:
Intentions Kate wants Ellen to work for her firm. Ellen wants time to think about her job offer
and wants to be understood by people who are ignorant about her line of
work. Phil wants to complete his work of measuring the house and to gain
knowledge about Ellen’s line of work. He also expects Ellen’s
expertise to diagnose his daughter’s illness.

Director’s Analysis:
This scene introduces the characters from 1999. Kate is a young, ambitious woman working in
the field of genetics. She needs Ellen and her research methods to help the business to continue
growing. Phil, in his mid-to-late 30s, is a handyman getting the house ready to be put on the
market. Phil is treated very differently by the two women; Kate barely gives him the time of day
while Ellen attempts to engage in conversation. Phil is hungry for knowledge and tries to absorb
all presented to him, but his eagerness and lack of education allows for a large amount of
misunderstanding. We learn that while Ellen enjoys her research, she questions the ethics behind
it. Phil also has many reservations considering he is a family man, and strives to be understood
by people who are clearly more knowledgeable.
 43
Act I Scene II pgs. 29 – 33 (Unit 8)

Time of Action:
Time 1999

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

Specific Locale House of Tom and Ellen
Relationships Tom is married to Ellen and a new acquaintance of Phil’s Occupation Tom was an
English Literature lecture. He was recently made redundant. Politics NC

Intellect Tom is educated in English Literature.

Spirituality The discussion of scientific advantage versus holy law is brought forth.
Background Story Tom has recently been made redundant at his university. Tom, until the end
of the scene, has been down in the basement.
External Action:

Entrances and Exits Kate enters (pg. 29)

Tom enters (pg. 33)

All exit (pg. 33)

Properties Kate’s bottle of Jameson, tea cups, tray
Special Activities NC

Internal Action:
Intentions Kate tries to persuade Ellen to accept the job. Ellen and Kate attempt to enlighten
Phil in to the medicinal advances brought about by their
research. Phil fights to comprehend their line of work. Tom informs
every one of the discovery in the basement.

Director’s Analysis:
In Kate’s quest to hire Ellen, the two ladies enter into a discussion surrounding the political and
ethical ramifications with their job of stem cell research. Phil has a very hard time
comprehending some of their viewpoints. When Kate raises the point that you may want to abort
a fetus if you detect severe abnormalities, great umbrage is taken by Phil. Phil has a great
personal attachment to this issue for two reasons; there is a medical condition related to his
daughter that she more than likely has had since birth and because Phil had an uncle whom he
respected and admired that suffered from manic-depression. Phil is very defensive about the

44
issues because of these reasons. This allows us to see Kate take a very cold stance and Ellen the
chance to evaluate the ethics of her research. Tom finds a skeleton in a box in the basement.
 45
Act I Scene II pgs. 33 – 34 (Unit 9)
Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Non-descript
Specific Locale Non-descript
Relationships Maria and Edward are still engaged.

Occupation NC
Politics NC
Intellect We continue to see Maria’s insecurities in her own knowledge Spirituality
NC

Background Story Maria and Edward are engaged to be married. Edward is off studying in
India.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Maria enters (pg. 33)

Maria exits (pg. 34)

Properties Maria’s letter

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Maria’s attempt to understand Edward’s homesickness. Director’s

Analysis:

We see Edward’s homesickness grow more severe in this letter. Maria tries to comprehend
Edward’s feelings. She becomes puzzled as to what Edward’s confusion is when he tries to
recall the landscape of England. This is one of the first times we see Maria and Edward growing
apart and the distance wearing on them.

46
Act I Scene III pgs. 34 – 35 (Unit 10)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Roget shows romantic interests in Isobel

Occupation NC
Politics NC
Intellect NC

Spirituality NC
Background Story NC

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Isobel enters (pg. 34)

Roget enters (pg. 34)

Fenwick and Susannah enter (pg. 35)

Properties Isobel’s rag and table polish. Roget’s book. Susannah’s needlework Special
Activities N/A

Internal Action:

Intentions Roget tries to woo Isobel. Isobel deflects Roget’s advancements. Fenwick
attempts to interfere with Roget’s romantic endeavors.

Director’s Analysis:

This scene presents a new side of Roget. He seems to be more confident in his advancements
toward Isobel. However, when he is met with even the least bit of resistance all his confidence
escapes him. We see Isobel is very content with being romantically alone and is not at all
intrigued by Roget. Fenwick realizes the attempted advances on the part of Roget and is quick to
show his disapproval. Susannah aids her husband in doing so.
 47
Act I Scene III pgs. 35 – 39 (Unit 11)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Susannah and Fenwick’s marriage is beginning to show signs of trouble.
Occupation NC

Politics Fenwick derides the monarchical system present in England and desires the new ideas
of democracy and universal suffrage.

Intellect Fenwick encourages Roget to envision the future of Newcastle through advances in
technology. The common person is still living in an age of
superstition, according to Fenwick.

Spirituality NC
Background Story NC

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Isobel exits (pg. 34)

Susannah exits (pg. 39)

Properties N/A
Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Fenwick educates Roget on the future of society and the world from his eyes. Roget
tries to understand Fenwick’s visions and also to stay out of
the couple’s argument. Susannah fights with Fenwick about her role in
discussions of science and politics.

Director’s Analysis:
Fenwick truly tries to educate and inform Roget regarding the current world systems. It is clear
Fenwick sees potential in Roget and wants to aid Roget in his current view of the world while
Susannah fights desperately to be viewed as an equal. It’s key to understand Fenwick’s vision of
the future in this scene because when we do visit the section of the play set in 1999, the audience
will be looking for examples of Fenwick’s predictions to be true or false. It is also made very
clear that Susannah feels ignored and underappreciated. Susannah finally vocally acknowledges
her frustrations to her husband. She tells him she is ignored and excuses herself from the
conversation brusquely. This shows a lot about Susannah’s character by telling her husband she

48
feels ignored, it shows her strength and passion. By leaving the room in the manner she does,
however, we can still see that she does not want to embarrass her husband in front of company. I
feel the subtext of this is that she wants to out of her current position. However, for her it is an
impossibility at the time because of the surrounding social parameters. This is something that she
is very aware of but does her best to fight against any way.
 49
Act I Scene III pgs. 39 – 40 (Unit 12)

Time of Action:
Time 1799
Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships We start to see a growing mutual respect between Roget and Fenwick.
Occupation NC

Politics NC

Intellect NC

Spirituality Does science require a warm heart?

Background Story Fenwick only has Armstrong there because Farleigh asked him to take him on
for 3 months.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Fenwick and Roget exit (pg. 40)

Properties N/A

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Fenwick coaxes Roget into discussing his feelings on science, politics and life. Roget
examines Fenwick to discover what role emotions and ethics
play in ―modern‖ science.

Director’s Analysis:
The relationship between Fenwick and Roget is a necessary one. This scene sets up the clear,
mutual respect the two hold for each other. This relationship must be clear to serve as a
counterbalance for the relationship between Fenwick and Armstrong. Fenwick must display an
equal amount of admiration for Roget as he displays his disdain for Armstrong. It is this
juxtaposition that makes the play compelling. We also see that Fenwick is starting to realize his
shortcomings with his wife. Although he has not yet fully realized the severity of his wife’s
outburst, he begins to recognize there is an issue.

50
Act I Scene III pg. 40 (Unit 13)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Armstrong’s ―emotions‖ for Isobel being a rapid climb.
Occupation NC

Politics NC

Intellect NC

Spirituality NC
Background Story Armstrong feels bad about inquiring about Isobel’s hump so he tries to
make amends.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Armstrong and Isobel enter (pg. 40) and freeze in a tableau during the next
unit.

Properties Armstrong’s book of sonnets

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Armstrong intends to woo Isobel. Isobel keeps her distance from Armstrong.

Director’s Analysis:

We begin to see a softer side of Armstrong emerge when he apologizes for his aggressive
inquiries regarding Isobel’s condition. He starts to show he has compassion and maybe even a
little passion for Isobel by having listened to her previous conversation and gifts her a book of
sonnets due to her passion for reading. Isobel has her own growth and change in this short unit
as well. At the beginning, she is very resistant to anything dealing with Armstrong. When
Armstrong gives her a gift truly to her liking, she begins to let down some of her defenses.

51
Act I Scene III pgs. 41 – 44 (Unit 14)
Time of Action:
Time 1999

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

Specific Locale In the garden of the house
Relationships Tom and Ellen’s relationship starts to intensify due to Ellen’s
advancements in her career and the ethical implications it
brings.

Occupation NC

Politics Ramifications of Ellen’s work on stem cells and the knowledge that insurance
companies can have once they map the Human Genome.

Intellect Ellen has decided that life begins at the moment of birth and her working with
pre-embryos is not any issue.

Spirituality Tom feels a spiritual connection to the box of bones in the basement. He
acknowledges that they were once a human being and that he has a
responsibility for them. Tom also feels that life begins at the moment of
conception.

Background Story Tom and Ellen have tried to conceive a child for many years. Each
pregnancy, 6 in total, have ended in miscarriages.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Tom enters (pg. 41)

Ellen enters (pg. 41)

Tom and Ellen exit (pg. 44)

Properties Tom’s rose clippings, gloves.

Special Activities Tom is taking rose clippings.

Internal Action:
Intentions Tom explains to Ellen’s the dangers of her research. Ellen retorts that her passion for
the work and the outcomes overshadow any ethical
responsibility.

Director’s Analysis:
The scene explores the different standpoints of Tom and Ellen regarding Ellen’s research. The
arguments not only on the broad political and social levels but Tom brings it into the family by
bringing up their own personal inability to conceive a child. It is also made clear that Tom feels
 52
a strong personal connection to the body found in the basement and he is very unsettled by his
earlier discovery.
 53
Act I Scene III pgs. 45 – 46 (Unit 15)
Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Isobel is brought firmly out of her shell by Armstrong’s advances and she feels
comfortable enough to reciprocate.

Occupation NC

Politics NC
Intellect NC

Spirituality NC
Background Story Isobel reveals her painful past about the only man who has ever attempted to
woo her. He turns out to be an ―old man with the face of a goat‖. This
painful truth is what has led Isobel to willingly accept a life of solitude.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Armstrong exits (pg. 46)

Isobel exits (pg. 46)

Properties N/A
Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Armstrong continues to seduce Isobel. Isobel intends to keep her pride and
self-worth in the face of possible embarrassment.

Director’s Analysis:
Isobel fights very hard to stick to her solitude over the course of scene III. Eventually, the charm
and wiles of Armstrong are too much for her emotional armor and she begins to believe his
affections are true and is honestly excited about the possibility of being loved. Armstrong has
little to no regard for Isobel’s emotional feelings and only cares about his own scientific
ambitions. It is key that the audience does not clue into this fact. Armstrong must appear at all
times to be completely taken by Isobel’s intellect and naïveté. At the end of the Act, we must be
left with some kind of hope for Isobel.

54
Act II Scene I pg. 47 (Unit 16)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Non-descript
Specific Locale Non-descript
Relationships Maria and Edward’s relationship diminishes at the receipt of this letter.
Occupation NC

Politics NC

Intellect Maria starts to show more intelligence and less naivete regarding her relationship
with Edward.

Spirituality NC

Background Story Edward imparts to Maria about one of his winters in England. He recalls
finding two boys frozen together in the fields of Northumbria and the
inability to even pry them apart.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Maria enters (pg. 47)

Maria exits (pg. 47)

Properties Maria’s letter and compact

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Maria fails to comprehend Edward’s homesickness and why his mood has changed
drastically.

Director’s Analysis:
Maria is taken aback by Edward’s change in mood. She cannot understand why now he has a
sudden aversion to returning to England. This is very atypical behavior and casts doubt for Maria
on her future with Edward. When Maria realizes Edward doesn’t remember her eye color, it
creates great emotional turmoil for her. This is a great turning point in the relationship of the two
betrothed.
 55
Act II Scene I pgs. 47 – 48 (Unit 17)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Maria and Edward’s relationship is becoming more distance.
Occupation NC

Politics NC

Intellect NC

Spirituality NC
Background Story Maria and Edward’s relationship problems are revealing themselves to the
rest of the household.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Maria, Harriet and Isobel enter (pg. 47)

Fenwick, Susannah, Roget and Armstrong enter (pg. 48)

Maria and Harriet exit (pg. 48)

Properties Harriet’s Britannian scepter, shield and hat. Maria’s crook Special
Activities N/A

Internal Action:

Intentions Harriet desires a successful rehearsal of the play. Isobel wishes she weren’t in the
play and attempts to comfort Maria. Maria craves empathy for her upsetting letter from Edward.

Director’s Analysis:

The trials Harriet goes through to mount a rehearsal of the play continue to grow as Maria’s
emotions from the previous unit bleed into this scene. In Maria’s attempt to find answers for
Edward’s behavior, she receives nothing but frustration from Harriet and sympathy from Isobel.
This is a reflection of how Isobel’s relationship differs between the two girls.
 56
Act II Scene I pgs. 48 - 52 (Unit 18)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Harriet and Maria are feuding. Harriet and Susannah trade verbal blows as do
Fenwick and Susannah.

Occupation NC

Politics Harriet paints a picture of industry versus a pastoral innocence in her play.
Intellect Harriet’s interest in science and discovery blossom in this scene when she uses
Susannah’s play idea as a platform for expression.

Spirituality Harriet represents the spirit of Britannia and also uses Christ metaphors to get her
point across.

Background Story NC

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Maria and Harriet enter (pg. 49)

Fenwick, Susannah, Maria, Harriet and Roget exit (pg. 52)

Properties N/A
Special Activities Maria, Harriet and Isobel attempt to put on a play.

Internal Action:
Intentions Harriet shows the foolishness of Maria’s relationship. Maria searches for
understanding within her relationship with Edward. Susannah wants to
comfort Maria and understand Harriet. Harriet reveals her lack of interest
in writing and literature to Susannah and verbally shows her interest in her
father’s line of work. Fenwick tries to diffuse the situation without unjust
rage thrown in his direction. Roget and Armstrong try to be entertained by
the play.
Director’s Analysis:

The play-within-a-play occurs within this unit. It is a forum for the argument between science
and the arts. This being one of the major themes of the play. This brings Harriet’s true
ambitions to the forefront, which break from societal norms for women of the time. We see a
complete lack of understanding on Susannah’s part in regards to Harriet. This is also a prime
example of Harriet’s quick temper, Maria’s fragility and Susannah’s familial disconnect.

57
Act II Scene I pg. 53 (Unit 19)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Armstrong and Isobel’s relationship grows even stronger and more
sensual.

Occupation NC

Politics NC
Intellect NC

Spirituality NC
Background Story Armstrong tells a story of his mother dying and how in uncomfortable
situation, he resorts to jokes of an often inappropriate nature.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Isobel and Armstrong exit (pg. 53)

Properties N/A

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Armstrong is ready to take the relationship to the next level. When his advances are
seen as inappropriate, he is forced to change his ambitions to earning her trust. Isobel, wanting
love, has to weigh the balance between genuine affections and pure, animalistic lust.

Director’s Analysis:

We must see Armstrong advance too strongly and have it frighten and offend Isobel. Isobel is
not ready to fully commit to the relationship at this time. Her trust and respect still has to be
earned and is almost completely lost by Armstrong’s lack of compassion. By revealing a gentler
side, Armstrong not only gets himself out of trouble for his previous comment, but solidity’s
some trust and understanding from Isobel.

58
Act II Scene II pgs. 54 – 56 (Unit 20)

Time of Action:
Time 1999

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

Specific Locale House of Tom and Ellen
Relationships A mutual respect begins to blossom between Tom and Phil.
Occupation NC

Politics The Conservative (Tory) party of Great Britain is discussed. Intellect NC

Spirituality Souls, the afterlife and Catholicism are key discussion points in this unit.

Background Story Phil’s mother was Catholic and Phil continues to uphold some of the
Catholic Church’s traditions.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Phil and Tom enter (pg. 54)

Kate and Ellen enter (pg. 56)

Phil exits (pg. 56)

Tom, Kate and Ellen exit (pg. 56)
Properties Phil’s tool bag, candle and lighter. Tom’s box of keepsakes. Special
Activities Ceremonial burning of candle

Internal Action:

Intentions Tom and Phil try to gain understanding of each other and to help the remains found
in the basement find peace. Kate and Ellen strive to find
the meaning behind Phil and Tom’s relationship.

Director’s Analysis:
Tom and Phil need each other. The women in 1999 are a very strong and confident pair as
evidenced at the end of the scene. When the men do not have concrete evidence for their
thoughts and opinions the ladies often disregard their observations. Tom and Phil can discuss
their ideas in an open and free way. When Ellen and Kate discover Tom and Phil burning a
candle for the remain’s soul, they question the reason behind it. After Phil exits Ellen questions
if she has done something to offend Phil showing that she does not have a complete disregard for
someone’s spiritual beliefs.

59
Act II Scene II pgs. 56 – 58 (Unit 21)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Armstrong and Roget begin to see each other as colleagues and explore each
other’s opinions of ethics in regards to their work.

Occupation NC

Politics Armstrong tells Roget about how they illegally obtain cadavers.
Intellect Armstrong’s intellect is not swayed by morality or ethics. Roget is conflicted.

Spirituality NC

Background Story Armstrong has quite a bit of experience examining cadavers. One of the
particular cadavers obtained turned out to be the instructor’s grandfather. Also, Armstrong
seeks out potential cadavers before they are deceased in order to obtain unique specimens.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Armstrong and Roget enter (pg. 56)

Fenwick enters (pg. 58)

Armstrong, Roget and Fenwick exit (pg. 58)

Properties Roget and Armstrong’s Badminton rackets and birdies. Special

Activities They play badminton.

Internal Action:

Intentions Armstrong explains to Roget that when you are dealing with science you cannot be
emotionally conflicted. Roget probes Armstrong for
information as to the nature of Farleigh’s demonstrations.
Director’s Analysis:
How Roget and Armstrong view each other in the scene is very indicative of their relationship.
Armstrong believes he is much smarter and more resolute in his line of work. Because
Armstrong does not think Roget has these qualities, Armstrong views Roget as a lesser scientist.
Roget is intrigued by Farleigh’s demonstrations and while he has a thirst for the knowledge

60
derived from the experiments, he is very uncomfortable with the methods used in obtaining the
bodies. Armstrong views this as a weakness but Roget still has a clear conscience.
 61
Act II Scene II pg. 58 – 59 (Unit 22)
Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Non-descript
Specific Locale Non-descript
Relationships Maria and Edward are rocky at best.

Occupation NC
Politics Maria refers to the riots that have been occurring for the last 6 months.
Intellect Maria acknowledges the fact that she is often thought of as the ―silly‖ of the two
sisters.

Spirituality NC

Background Story Maria has spoken to someone who has recently returned from Lucknow
and has learned that Ms. Cholmondely and Edward have a flourishing
romance. Riots have been occurring these past 6 months.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Maria enters (pg. 58)

Maria exits (pg. 59)

Properties Maria’s letter

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Maria wants to make Edward keenly aware that she has suspicions of his affections
and wants clarification if this is fact or fiction.

Director’s Analysis:
We see the stronger side of Maria in this letter. She has a lot of self-realization which adds to her
strength and confidence. She is not severing ties with Edward yet but wants clarification of
where their relationship is going if at all. Maria does a lot of growing up from the previous letter
to this one.

62
Act II Scene III pgs. 60 – 63 (Unit 22)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Susannah and Fenwick’s unstable relationship is thrust out into the open.
Fenwick finally shows some appreciation for Harriet’s experimentation.

Occupation NC

Politics NC
Intellect Harriet earns some respect for exploration and discovery regardless of her gender.

Spirituality They facetiously discuss making Fenwick a saint due to his standing in the
community.

Background Story The hat Harriet’s been working on for the play-within-a-play is finally
completed and functioning.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits All except Harriet (pg. 60)

Harriet enters (pg. 60)

All exit but Susannah and Fenwick (pg. 63)

Properties Harriet’s hat. Dinnerware and food

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Harriet intends to gain respect from her father. Susannah commands respect from
everyone. Roget becomes a great arbiter between all the
arguments that unfold and encourages Harriet’s discoveries.

Director’s Analysis:
The key to this scene is to see Susannah’s frustration when Harriet receives more praise than she
does. Fenwick must acknowledge the achievements of his daughter and corral his wife. By the
family unit breaking down, uneasiness quickly settles in through all the household. There must
be a strong sense of embarrassment on all accounts for Susannah and Fenwick’s outbursts.
 63
Act II Scene III pgs. 63 – 66 (Unit 23)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Fenwick and Susannah reaching a crossroads in their marital relationship.
Although he views Susannah as ignorant based in his knowledge, he still
loves her.

Occupation NC
Politics NC

Intellect Susannah studied literature and art. She never covered politics and science in her
studies. This causes a disconnect in the relationship and
unfairly paints Susannah ignorant in Fenwick’s eyes.

Spirituality NC
Background Story Susannah was quite young when she married Fenwick. Beauty and charm
drew Fenwick to Susannah; her intellect was not a factor.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits N/A

Properties N/A

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Fenwick endeavors to find a level playing field in expressing his love to Susannah
although she’s not his scientific equal. Susannah expresses her frustration to Fenwick for his
complete dismissal of her, and, while she
grasps her intellectual shortcomings, she is still attempting to illicit any
reaction from her husband.

Director’s Analysis:
This is the largest turning point for Susannah and Fenwick. Until now there has been a large
disregard and disconnect in terms of their relationship. Susannah’s struggles through the entirety
of the play build to this moment. By her erupting in the manner she does, she gets through to
Fenwick for the first time. When she finally has his attention, she uses every moment to regain
her relationship with her husband. Fenwick, in a surprising turn, reveals his deep affection and
true love for Susannah. He acknowledges the fact that when they met she was not his intellectual

64
equal. However, he chose to marry her for her beauty. Now that Susannah has confronted
Fenwick, the dynamic of the relationship changes. Although Susannah is still not his intellectual
equal, Fenwick must recognize her efforts.
 65
Act II Scene III pgs. 66 (Unit 24)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Maria and Harriet’s relationship comes to physical blows over the Edward
situation. Fenwick stands up for Susannah.

Occupation NC

Politics NC
Intellect NC

Spirituality NC
Background Story Harriet’s taunting of Maria has gone too far leading to a physical
altercation.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Harriet, Maria and Isobel enter (pg. 66)

All but Isobel exit (pg. 66)

Properties N/A

Special Activities Stage combat

Internal Action:
Intentions Isobel informs the parents of the children’s activities. Maria fights with her sister to
stop her taunting. Harriet intends to show Maria the
foolishness of her relationship with Edward. Susannah tries to stop the
fighting. Fenwick supports his wife’s actions in household affairs for the
first time.

Director’s Analysis:
The fight between Maria and Harriet has been brewing for the whole play. The sisters are just
too different in nature to tolerate each other daily. However, this fight is beneficial to Fenwick
and Susannah’s relationship. In Susannah’s attempts to deter the girl’s fighting, Fenwick has the
opportunity to stand up for her and agree with her actions instead of undercutting her authority.
This creates a new dynamic in the family, which is needed for the rest of the play.

66
Act II Scene III pgs. 66 – 69 (Unit 25)
Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Isobel and Armstrong are romantically and sensually tied together. Roget
becomes decidedly jealous of Armstrong. Armstrong reveals his false
feelings for Isobel. Roget vocalizes his utter disdain for Armstrong and
his methods.

Occupation NC
Politics NC

Intellect Armstrong is a master manipulator, taking the feelings of the weak and using them
for his own gain.

Spirituality NC

Background Story Armstrong has been plotting the whole play to seduce Isobel. He wants her
to disrobe for him for no other reason than to take a close look at her
spinal deformity.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Armstrong enters (pg. 66)

Roget enters (pg. 67)

Isobel exits (pg. 67)

Isobel enters (pg. 67)
Isobel exits (pg. 69)

Roget and Armstrong exit (p. 69)

Properties Isobel’s table polish and rag, Armstrong’s package for Isobel Special
Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Armstrong continues his pursuit of Isobel. Isobel obliges. Roget fights to disrupt the
relationship. Armstrong finally reveals his true motives behind his pursuit
of Isobel. Roget declares his disdain for Armstrong. Isobel
overhears Armstrong’s confession and is entirely crushed.
 67
Director’s Analysis:
Armstrong drops his mask regarding his intentions and affections of Isobel. By this unveiling, it
completely confirms the suspicions of Armstrong that have been set forth the entire play. We see
a new side of Roget. He not only reveals his true feelings for Isobel, but finally has the
confidence to speak his mind about the disgust he feels for Armstrong. Up until this point,
Armstrong has been Roget’s superior; now, we see a reversal as Roget holds the higher ground.
Isobel is destroyed by Armstrong’s reveal and exits in great haste, unable to control her
emotions.
 68
Act II Scene III pg. 69 (Unit 26)

Time of Action:
Time 1799

Place Non-descript
Specific Locale Non-descript
Relationships Maria calls off the engagement.

Occupation NC
Politics NC
Intellect Maria shows the capability to stand on her own two feet. Spirituality
NC

Background Story Twists and turns of Maria and Edward’s relationship have come to a head.
Maria will no longer stand for Edward’s distance and philandering
anymore.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Maria enters (pg. 69)

Maria exits (pg. 69)

Properties Maria’s letter

Special Activities N/A

Internal Action:
Intentions Maria clarifies where she stands in the relationship and to acknowledge that she’ll
be just fine without him.

Director’s Analysis:
Maria ends the relationship between herself and Edward. This allows us to see a newer,
stronger, more confident and resolute Maria.

69
Act II Scene IV pgs. 70 – 73 (Unit 27)

Time of Action:
Time 1999, New Year’s Eve

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

Specific Locale House of Tom and Ellen
Relationships Ellen and Tom’s relationship has stabilized since the last scene. Phil and Kate
take the stance of ―agree to disagree‖. Tom and Kate’s antagonistic
relationship remains constant.

Occupation Ellen has accepted Kate’s job offer.

Politics NC

Intellect Ellen comes forward about her passion about her line of work, which outweigh her
moral and ethical stance.

Spirituality NC

Background Story We find out Ellen has accepted the position at Kate’s firm since last scene.
Phil’s daughter appears to have taken a turn for the worse as he’s going to visit her in hospital
once finished up at the house.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Tom and Ellen enter (pg. 70)

Kate enters (pg. 71)

Phil enters (pg. 72)

Phil exits (pg. 73)

All exit (pg. 73)

Properties Champagne glasses

Special Activities Toast to the new year

Internal Action:
Intentions Ellen expresses passionate feelings about her line of work. Tom supports Ellen. Phil
expresses apprehensions about the new century. Kate is happy about Ellen’s acceptance.

70
Director’s Analysis:
By Ellen choosing to accept the job, it eases almost every argument in the house. Tom stays true
to his word and supports Ellen regardless of his personal feelings about the line of work. Kate
feels a great sense of accomplishment by having Ellen accept the position. Phil is apprehensive
about what the new century will hold. Phil also reveals he is going to the hospital to visit his
daughter, which insinuate that the outcomes of stem cell research may strike closer to his life
than anyone else’s in the household.

71
Act II Scene IV pg. 73 (Unit 28)

Time of Action:
Time 1799, New Year’s Eve
Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Specific Locale Fenwick home
Relationships Isobel cannot bear the lies surrounding Armstrong’s falsehoods in their
relationship.

Occupation NC

Politics NC
Intellect She is fully aware of the situation and has decided to take the only path she sees
open to her.

Spirituality NC

Background Story Armstrong seduces Isobel falsely. She realizes her falsehoods and has
made the decision to rid herself of life.

External Action:

Entrances and Exits Isobel enters (pg. 73)

Properties Isobel’s letter, locket, and cloth noose

Special Activities Hanging

Internal Action:
Intentions Isobel wants to express her confusion and dismay at her relationship and attempts
suicide.

Director’s Analysis:

Isobel earns some of her self-respect back in this scene. After being duped into a false love by
Armstrong, she feels the only thing she has control of is her own mortality. She is attempting to
regain control of anything. BY taking matters into her own hands she feels she earns back some
of her self respect.

72
Act II Scene V pgs. 74 – 75 (Unit 29)

Time of Action:
Time 1799, New Year’s Eve

Place Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Specific Locale Fenwick home

Relationships Isobel’s relationship with everyone changes dramatically due to her death at the
hand of Armstrong.

Occupation Isobel is no longer the maid for the Fenwick household. Politics
NC

Intellect NC

Spirituality NC

Background Story Isobel attempts to commit suicide because the embarrassment of living
without love is too much to bare.

External Action:
Entrances and Exits Maria enters (pg. 74)

Armstrong enters (pg. 74)

Maria exits (pg. 74)

Fenwick, Harriet, Maria, Susannah, and Roget enter (pg. 74)

All but Armstrong and Roget exit (pg. 75)

Armstrong and Roget exit (pg. 75)

Properties NC

Special Activities Checking for pulse, Roget punches Armstrong in the face
Internal Action:

Intentions Maria notifies everyone of Isobel’s hanging. Armstrong hides his involvement by
ending Isobel’s life, and destroying the note. Susannah, Fenwick and Harriet stand
disbelieving what’s laid out before them.
Roget blames Armstrong for the death without any hard knowledge of
Armstrong committing the deed.

73
Director’s Analysis:
When Isobel is discovered hanging by Maria, Maria lets out a dreadful scream. This alerts
Armstrong to the situation. Armstrong realizes Isobel’s actions are a direct result of his behavior.
For this reason he decides to end her life rather than save it, covering up the actions he took in
previous scenes. Armstrong then finds Isobel’s suicide note which implicates him fully in her
decisions. He decides hiding the note is his best course of action. Upon the rest of the family’s
entrance, there is a moment of shock that sets in. After the Fenwicks remove Isobel’s body,
Roget confronts Armstrong about the fact that his actions led to the end result of Isobel hanging
herself. Roget then physically assaults Armstrong.

74