A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Shut Up, Martha!

Short Play, Comedy  /  1w, 3m

Cleve Haubold

On a stormy night, a mysterious cloaked figure appears in Benjamin Franklin's print shop to insist Ben print a letter "to save the country." The fun and confusion build until the visitor produces a basket of chocolates and casts off her disguise to reveal herself as Martha Washington. Wild eyed Mart…

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 3m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period

Details

Summary
On a stormy night, a mysterious cloaked figure appears in Benjamin Franklin's print shop to insist Ben print a letter "to save the country." The fun and confusion build until the visitor produces a basket of chocolates and casts off her disguise to reveal herself as Martha Washington. Wild eyed Martha plies the wary Ben with promises and peanut brittle to persuade him to publish her note in which she sees a Tory behind every tree. Ben tries to calm Martha, but she becomes a whirlwind of confusion, when George Washington himself angrily arrives to drag Martha back to Mount Vernon. A mad historical romp which shows how history can repeat itself.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - printer
TIMOTHY - his young printer's devil
MARTHA WASHINGTON - candymaker and social critic
GEORGE WASHINGTON - her husband
  • Time Period 18th Century
  • Setting The back room of Ben Franklin's printshop about 1779.
  • Features Period Costumes

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $65 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Author

Cleve Haubold

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