A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Dark Deeds at Swan's Place (or Never Trust a Tattooed Sailor)

Full-Length Play, Melodrama  /  7w, 7m

Tim Kelly

"A classic melodrama...Plenty here to boo, hiss and sigh about...Sparkling dialogue. Worth seeing." - News Chronicle

Dark Deeds at Swan's Place (or Never Trust a Tattooed Sailor)

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    7w, 7m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller

Details

Summary
This sparkling entertainment is loaded with laughs and seedy jokes. Montague Leech and Carlota Castanet make a tidy profit shanghaiing lads from a disreputable tavern. The owner expires leaving the tavern to his only heir, Bertha Birthright. Montague must get rid of the damsel. Enter Jack Swan, English sailor with a love for the theatre. He offers Bertha protection and the hilarity mounts, especially after gold is discovered. An optional miniature musical revue can easily be added to the plot. Designed for easy rehearsals and no production problems, Dark Deeds can be expanded or shortened to a desired length.
History
DARK DEEDS AT SWAN'S PLACE was first presented at the Old Town Opera House in San Diego, California on May 1, 1981. Directed by Ole Kittleson.
Cast Attributes
MOTHER MCGOOF - holding on to the flickering flame of life
CAPTAIN BERMUDY - treachery on the high seas
CARLOTA CASTANET DE SAN DIEGO - the she-wolf of Monterey
MONTAGUE LEECH - not to be trusted
SOURDOUGH BIRTHRIGHT - felled by the lust for gold
JACK SWAN - from England's shore. Any girl would be proud to have him for a brother.
RAWHIDE - he shames the spirit of the Old West
BILLY - a victim of the devil's brew
TAI PAN - a petal from Peiking
BERTHA - brought up in an orphanage
MARY FAIRWEATHER - a friend indeed
AUGUSTA VAN GUSH - one of the voices of society
LT. LORNE ORDER - three cheers for the red, white, and blue
SUSPICIOUS FEMALE - let no man mock the marriage vow
PREACHER - dearly beloved we are gathered here but not for long
OLIO ENTERTAINERS and TOWNSPEOPLE

LT. LORNE ORDER and the PREACHER can both double either as SOURDOUGH or as CAPTAIN BERMUDA.

  • Setting Monterey, California shortly after statehood.

Media

"A classic melodrama...Plenty here to boo, hiss and sigh about...Sparkling dialogue. Worth seeing." - News Chronicle

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Tim Kelly

Tim Kelly
Kelly was born in Saugus, Massachusetts on October 2, 1932. He graduated from Emerson College with a bachelor's degree and received a masters degree in play-writing from Yale University. His first stage play was Widow's Walk, published in the 1960s. At the same time, three of ...
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