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Murder With Grace

  • Leon Kaye
  • Full Length Play, Dark Comedy, Victorian (British and American), 19th Century
  • 5M, 5F
  • ISBN: 9780874403329

Two young women plot to kill one of the young women's potential sister in law. The girl is horrible and has a high pitched laugh that can make you shudder.

More information

Description

  • Full Length Play
  • Dark Comedy
  • 105 minutes

  • Time Period: Victorian (British and American), 19th Century
  • Target Audience: Adult, Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18), Appropriate for all audiences, Senior
  • Set Requirements: Interior Set, Bare Stage/Simple Set
  • Cautions: Alcohol

  • Performance Group:
  • Community Theatre, High School/Secondary, Professional Theatre, Reader's Theatre, College Theatre / Student
Set in the early 19th century, Murder with Grace tells the story of Grace, who is horrified when her brother is betrothed to Naomi, a shallow, silly girl whom Grace cannot stand to be around. She is loath to think that Naomi will soon be her sister-in-law, and so she and her good friend Beth devise a plan to manipulate Naomi by convincing her that another, much more affluent, young man named Henry is interested in marrying her. 

They set the plan in motion before they have actually met Henry, and it works too well - when Grace finally meets Henry, she falls head over heels for him! To make matters worse, Henry returns Naomi's attentions! It seems that Grace's only alternative would be to murder the wretched girl - that would not be very mannerly... but what alternative does she have? A dark comedy that will have even the most stoic of audiences in giggles.

Premiere Production: Murder With Grace premiered with Southern Union Community College in Alabama on Feb 26, 2014.
Second production GOOD HOPE Country Day School, Nov 2014.

Characters

  • Casting: 5M, 5F
  • Casting Attributes: Parts for Senior Actors, Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle), Ensemble cast

  • GRACE NEVILLE - Grace, seventeen, cannot withstand impropriety or imperfection. While an idiotic comment may run off others like rain water, it gnaws at Grace, causing her much vexation. Smarter than anyone around her, she feels she can manipulate and outwit all to achieve her goals; peace and tranquility.

  • BETH HOBBS - Taller, prettier, and just as smart as Grace, Beth, nineteen, is Grace's accomplice and even mentor in deception. But Beth is more ruthless and seems to have no conscience.

  • HENRY HUNTINGTON - An enigma, Henry, twenty-five, tall and handsome, seems gallant and sociable. But it is a learned behavior, a mask Henry wears the few times he is in public. His emotions run deeper, and immaturity remains from his lack of interaction. Thus, he gets easily hurt, often walking out of the room or loudly proclaiming his opinion.

  • NAOMI TOURNEAU - Beautiful and thin, Naomi is as shallow as a rain puddle, and not as intelligent. Her interests are; money, jewelry, clothing, and home furnishings.

  • ELEANOR HUNTINGTON - Eleanor, fifteen is the typical gawky, plainlooking, approval-seeking teen. In Grace, she finds a sisterly figure and role model, seeks desperately for Grace's close companionship.

  • COLONEL HUNTINGTON - The Colonel, fifties, has seen everything and nothing could really shock him. Though he looks every bit his age, he relishes the company of young women, complimenting them at every turn.

  • JOHN NEVILLE - John, twenty-one, fair but expressionless, seems to have no emotions at all. He too is not exceptionally bright.

  • MR. NEVILLE - Although an attorney, Mr. Neville, late forties and amiable, does not seem overly educated. The home's patriarch, he seems very comfortable in his position.

  • MRS. NEVILLE - Mrs. Neville, forties, delights in John's future bride probably because he is even more dim-witted, of that is at all possible. She is either elated or wretched with despair. There is no middle ground.

  • CONSTABLE - A very precise, clear thinking man in his fifties. he dislikes the aristocracy, and worst of all -- those who manipulate the system

    • Available Material

    Name Price
    Murder With Grace Script Order Now

    Set in the early 19th century, Murder with Grace tells the story of Grace, who is horrified when her brother is betrothed to Naomi, a shallow, silly girl whom Grace cannot stand to be around. She is loath to think that Naomi will soon be her sister-in-law, and so she and her good friend Beth devise a plan to manipulate Naomi by convincing her that another, much more affluent, young man named Henry is interested in marrying her. They set the plan in motion before they have actually met Henry, and it works too well - when Grace finally meets Henry, she falls head over heels for him! To make matters worse, Henry returns Naomi's attentions! It seems that Grace's only alternative would be to murder the wretched girl - that would not be very mannerly... but what alternative does she have? A dark comedy that will have even the most stoic of audiences in giggles.

    		$24.95

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