A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Overcoat

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3w, 5m

Nikolai Gogol, Tom Lanter, Frank S. Torok

Adapted by Tom Lanter and Frank S. Torok

A delightful excursion into the mind of Nikolai Gogol as he recreates his famous story. Fun, mime, dance, fantasy, magical dreams, a sympathetic ghost, simple
but ingenious scenery - and the appropriately soaring music of
Tchaikovsky - all combine to create a superbly funny yet moving theatre
piece.

The Overcoat

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature), Theatre for Young Audiences
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences, Children (Age 6 - 10), Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13)

Details

Summary
A delightful excursion into the mind of Nikolai Gogol as he recreates his famous story.  Gogol himself is a principal character, spinning his story from nothing but the rags of a tattered old overcoat, which is pitifully unsuited for the rigors of the Saint Petersburg winters. He creats Akaky Akakieviech - a poor, dedicated copy clerk who becomes obsessed with the idea of having a splendid new overcoat - and then the author steps into the story to become the Chief Clerk, Akaky's boss, Petrovich the tailor, and then the Very Important Person who refuses to help the shivering Akaky when the preciouls garment is stolen.  Fun, mime, dance, fantasy, magical dreams, a sympathetic ghost, simple but ingenious scenery - and the appropriately soaring music of Tchaikovsky - all combine to create a superbly funny yet moving theatre piece.

History

The Overcoat premiered at the Yale School of Drama under the auspices of the Yale Repertory Theatre on May 5, 1973. It was directed by Frank S. Torok.

Cast Attributes
Performing Groups
NIKOLAI GOGOL - A energetic writer in his forties.  He dresses conservatively for the romantic styles of the early 1840's: gray trousers, a quiet plalid vest, an off-white shirt with a starched collar, a cravat, a dark frock coat, and black shoes.  He also wears a tattered and torn overcoat.  The actor who is cast as GOGOL must be capable of doing a varity of characterizations. With minimal added costume pieces, he enters his story and also appears:

As the CHIEF CLERK - A conscientious but congenial office director in his mid-thirties.  He is crisp, efficient.  He wears a clerks's visor. 
As GREGORY PETROVICH - the tailor
And as THE VERY IMPORTANT PERSON, THE DOCTOR, and THE PRIEST

AKAKY AKAKIEVICH - A poor copy clerk in his mid-fifties.  His style of dress is similar to that of GOGOL'S, but his clothes show evidence of long wear; he has no frock coat.  He wears GOGOL'S tattered overcoat.  He later wears a magnificent new overcoat which for purposes of the dramatic action is constructed in three sections.

NENA YEGJOROVNA - AKAKY'S landlady.  She is a wise and warm spinster in her late forties.  She wears a simple neat plaid dress and ballet slippers in the style of the period.

OTHER CHARACTERS - A minimum of THREE MEN and TWO WOMEN are necessary to create all the other characters.  All underdress in basic long-sleeved back leotards and overdress in easily removable basic period costumes. Roles include:
IVAN IVANOVICH YEROSHKIN
THE INVISIBLES
CLERKS ONE, TWO, and THREE
THEIFS ONE, TWO, and THREE
AIDES ONE, TWO, and THREE
MOVING SHADOWS
ANNA BASHMACHKIN
MARIA
ARINA SEMENOVNA WHITETUMKIN
AGAFYA

It is important that all actors in the cast be capable of performing mime.

  • Time Period 19th Century
  • Additional Features Mime, No intermission
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $65 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Author

Nikolai Gogol

Author

Tom Lanter

Author

Frank S. Torok

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