A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Ladies First

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  9w

Robert Gerlach, James A. McDonald

Robert Gerlach and James McDonald

In this comedy by the authors of Something's Afoot, Jackie Kennedy is very nervous on an afternoon in January, 1962. She has completed the restoration of the White House and has invited Eleanor, Bess, Mamie, Pat and Lady Bird to give their opinions. And do they ever!

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    9w
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
In this comedy by the authors of Something's Afoot, Jackie Kennedy is very nervous on an afternoon in January, 1962. She has completed the restoration of the White House and has invited Eleanor, Bess, Mamie, Pat and Lady Bird to give their opinions. And do they ever! They criticize the way she runs the White House and take her to task for being uninvolved politically. When Mrs. Roosevelt commands her to head the crusade for women's rights, a hilarious political hurricane ensues. Each discovers something about herself, her relationship with her husband, and how touching and funny it can be to hold the highest non paying job in the U.S.A.
History
Ladies First was first presented by Centenary College on November 13, 1980, at the Matjorie Lyons Playhouse in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was directed by Robert R. Buseick. Staged readings of the play were presented at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.
Keywords

Six First Ladies and three White House employees

MAUREEN - 20, a new maid, recently arrived from Ireland
HANNAH - 55, a White House maid since the Roosevelt administration
MARIE - 28, Jackie's secretary; efficent, ambitious, friendly with Jackie
JACQUELINE (JACKIE ) KENNEDY - 32, determined, born to rule ten years from now; her voice is breathy until she wants to make a point; she is dressed by Chanel
MAMIE EISENHOWER - 65, looks ten years younger; gregarious, with srrong opinions; petite and wears a suit that emphasizes her tiny waist; her hat is pink
BESS TRUMAN - 76, dry, shrewd; wears a small, flowered hat, a good, belted, flowered dress, and sensible shoes
LADY BIRD JOHNSON - 49, small, effusive, with a Texas accent; hatless and her hair is teased; her dress is from Neiman-Marcus
PAT NIXON - 48, sleek, blonde, cool; hatless and wears a becoming American suit
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT - 77, dynamic; wears a dark two-piece dress and a hat, which, like her fox-skins, are all years out-of-date

  • Time Period 1960s
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Physical Comedy
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

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Authors

Author

Robert Gerlach

Author

James A. McDonald

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