The Servant in the House

The Servant in the House

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Title: The Servant in the House
Author: Charles Rann Kennedy
Release Date: April 11, 2004 [EBook #11999]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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Produced by Al Haines

THE SERVANT IN THE HOUSE
BY
CHARLES RANN KENNEDY

BOOKS BY CHARLES RANN KENNEDY
SEVEN PLAYS FOR SEVEN PLAYERS Volumes now ready: THE WINTERFEAST THE SERVANT IN THE HOUSE THE IDOL-BREAKER THE RIB OF THE MAN
SHORTER PLAYS FOR SMALL CASTS Volumes now ready: THE TERRIBLE MEEK THE NECESSARY EVIL

1908

TO WALTER HAMPDEN
"There's a lot o' brothers knockin' abaht as people don't know on, eh what? See wot I mean?"

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. . . . If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"
--I. JOHN, ii. 9-11, iv. 20.

"The hunger for brotherhood is at the bottom of the unrest of the modern civilized world."
--GEORGE FREDERICK WATTS.

ORIGINAL CAST OF CHARACTERS
IN
THE SERVANT IN THE HOUSE
BY
CHARLES RANN KENNEDY

AS PRESENTED BY
THE HENRY MILLER ASSOCIATE PLAYERS
AT
THE SAVOY THEATRE. NEW YORK
ON MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1906
A PLAY OF THE PRESENT DAY, IN FIVE ACTS, SCENE INDIVIDABLE SETTING FORTH THE STORY OF ONE MORNING IN THE EARLY SPRING

PERSONS IN THE PLAY
JAMES PONSONBY MAKESHYFTE, D.D., The Most Reverend, The Lord Bishop of Lancashire Mr. ARTHUR LEWIS
THE REVEREND WILLIAM SMYTHE, Vicar, Mr. CHARLES DALTON
AUNTIE, the Vicar's Wife Miss EDITH WYNNE MATTHISON
MARY, their niece Miss MABEL MOORE
MR. ROBERT SMITH, a gentleman of necessary occupation, Mr. TYRONE POWER
ROGERS, a page-boy Mr. GALWEY HERBERT
MANSON, a butler Mr. WALTER HAMPDEN
Time--An early morning in Spring. Place--An English country vicarage.

CHARACTERS REPRESENTED
JAMES PONSONBY MAKESHYFTE, D.D. The Most Reverend the Lord Bishop of Lancashire
THE REVEREND WILLIAM SMYTHE The Vicar
AUNTIE The Vicar's Wife
MARY Their niece
MR. ROBERT SMITH A gentleman of necessary occupation
ROGERS A page-boy
MANSON A butler
TIME: Now PLACE: Here

THE SCENE
The scene, which remains unchanged throughout the play, is a room in the vicarage. Jacobean in character, its oak-panelling and beamed-ceiling, together with some fine pieces of antique furniture, lend it an air of historical interest, whilst in all other respects it speaks of solid comfort, refinement, and unostentatious elegance. Evidently the room of a rich man, who has, however, apparently come to some compromise on the difficult question of his entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven; for the panelled walls possess, among other decorations, a richly ornamented crucifix, a Virgin and Child by an old master, certain saints in ecstasy, and a really remarkable modern oil-painting of the Divine Author of our religion.
The main door of the room is at the back of the stage, somewhere towards the middle; it opens upon a hall, at the further side of which one may perceive, through the open door of another room, a goodly collection of well-bound and learned-looking volumes--the vicar's library. At the present moment these tomes of wisdom are inaccessible, as the library door is blocked up with unsightly mounds of earth, sewer-pipes, and certain workmen's implements. The fact is, the vicarage has been greatly disturbed of late, owing to a defect in the drainage--an unsavory circumstance which receives further and regretful explication in the play itself.
Returning, then, to the room, one may see, in addition to the main door described above, another door, to the right of stage, and near to the audience. The curious may be glad to learn that this leads into a drawing-room, and incidentally affords one more means of communication with the house. Another exit is provided on the opposite side of the stage [left], where a couple of lofty French windows lead out into the garden. Above the drawing-room door is a fine old Jacobean mantel-piece: a fire burns brightly in the grate. To the left of the main door at the back is a long, low, mullioned window, through which one may see a blue sky, a thatched top or two of cottages, and the gray old tower of the church. Through the French windows are seen a gravel-walk, a lawn, trees, and a sun-dial.
Of the essential furniture of the scene, there may be mentioned; sideboard to right of main door;