A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Little Dog Laughed

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  10w, 5m

Ken Tarpley, Vera Tarpley

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing - especially in the hands of a budding psychoanalyst! Laurie Huntington is nineteen, bright, and impersonally scientific. Her family has its faults, but Laurie can analyze them - to death! She's turned the house into an experimental maze...

The Little Dog Laughed

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    10w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing - especially in the hands of a budding psychoanalyst! Laurie Huntington is nineteen, bright, and impersonally scientific. Her family has its faults, but Laurie can analyze them - to death! She's turned the house into an experimental maze. When Laurie administers one of her ink blot tests to her mother's friends who are important to her father's getting a much needed bank loan, matters explode!
Keywords
Performing Groups
LAURIE HUNTINGTON - a sophomore, home from college.
SIDNEY HUNTINGTON - her father, normally jocular. 
MARTHA HUNTINGTON - her mother, charming but anxious. 
WALLY HUNTINGTON - her brother, content with the world. 
MISS ("GUS") GUSTAVESKY - Martha's part-time helper. 
JOAN WOOD - Wally's one-and-only, 16. 
TED WOOD - her father and Sid's competitor in used cars. 
LILLIAN WOOD - Joan's culture-conscious mother. 
MARK BRADFORD - Joan's cousin and a medical student. 
HORATIO P. HONEYWELL - bird bancier and taxidermist. 

GUESTS AT MARTHA'S TEA (in Act II only):
AMELIA DENNIS - a catty kibitzer. 
CAROLINE BLAKESLY - a foolish matron. 
GRACE SHOENBECK - wife of the department store owner. 
WALOLA BRECKENRIDGE - wife of the bank president.
THERESE BROWN - Walola's maiden sister. 

Extras are optional

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • 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

Ken Tarpley

Author

Vera Tarpley

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