A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Poor Richard

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 3m

Jean Kerr

"A thoroughly delightful evening. . . . Not only steadily funny but remarkably touching." - N.Y. Post.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 3m
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
While a raffishly charming poet is in America to consult with his publisher and to attend the dedication of a hospital wing to the memory of his late wife, his publisher's secretary determines to marry him. Beneath all his charm, the poet is insecure. His public image of having written beautiful and tremendously successful verses on the death of his wife and then turning in sorrow to drink is a facade. He fears that he did not love her at all, and he refuses to attend the dedication. The secretary forces a confrontation with the truth, and from the pages of the loving wife's diary comes the hope of peace at last.
History

Poor Richard premiered on Broadway at the Hellen Hayes Theatre in December 1964 under the direction of Peter Wood.

RICHARD FORD - A British poet in his thirties, temporarily in New York. Physically, he might just as easily be taken for a gardener or a truck driver.
CATHERINE SHAW - An American girl in her early twenties. Newly a secretary.
SYDNEY CARROLL - Editor for a large publishing firm in New York. He is only a few years older than Richard, but he si the kind of man who always seems ten years older than he is.
GINNY BAKER - Richard's sister-in-law. A straight forward girl in her early thirties, impeccably dressed.
JOHN MCFARLAND - A writer for Time magazine in his late twenties, easy and intelligent.
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting An apartment in Greenwich Village.
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Media

REVIEWS

"A thoroughly delightful evening. . . . Not only steadily funny but remarkably touching." - N.Y. Post.

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Author

Jean Kerr

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