26-27 Proposal: Trelawny of the "Wells"

Trelawny of the Wells

By Arthur Wing Pinero

Directed by Robert Leff

Synopsis

From Wikipedia:

“Trelawny of the "Wells" tells the story of Rose Trelawny, a popular star of melodrama

plays at the Bagnigge-Wells Theatre. Rose gives up the stage when she decides to

marry her sweetheart, Arthur Gower, in order to please his conservative family. She

finds life with Arthur's grandfather and great-aunt, Sir William and Lady Trafalgar,

unbearably dull, and they detest her loud and unrestrained personality. Rose runs back

to the theatre, abandoning Arthur. But her experience of the "real world" has killed her

talent for melodrama, and she cannot recapture the liveliness that had made her a star.

Meanwhile, Arthur has secretly run away to become an actor at the Bristol Old Vic.

The problem is solved when Rose encounters Sir William again, and she reawakens his

memory of admiring the great actor Edmund Kean as a young man. Sir William offers to

help Rose's friend, Tom Wrench, an aspiring playwright who dreams of staging plays in

a more realist style than the melodramas that dominate the stage. Tom stages the play

with Rose as the star, and her newfound seriousness fits his style perfectly. Tom

secretly arranges for Arthur to play the leading male role, and the lovers are re-united

on stage.”

Vision Statement

While looking for a large cast out of copyright play, I remembered TRELAWNY OF THE

‘WELLS” by Arthur Wing Pinero (1855-1934). Fifty years ago, I saw a production on

PBS and forty years ago, I saw a production at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The

characters are memorable and relatable. At the end, this charming play lightened my

mood and I was smiling. I hadn't read the play in years and worried it would be cloaked

in nostalgia for my younger days. The story is straight forward.

My reaction to the play was the same as it was years ago, but I saw things I hadn’t

noticed before. No doubt, the state of the world today and my age influenced my

thoughts/feelings about Pinero’s play.

TRELAWNY OF THE “WELLS” is not message play. At 19, Pinero became a

professional actor. He wrote his first play in 1877. In 1884, retired as an actor. His true

talent was playwriting. Pinero wrote TRELAWNY in 1898, but he set it the early 1860s,

a time of great change in English Theatre. The play is a tribute to his theatrical

ancestors. I am drawn to his play for several reasons.

1. I’ve been involved in theatre for over fifty years. The plays and theatres are

different, but one thing is the same. No matter the what and where, the cast

becomes a “family” of the people who support and love you, and the people you can

confide in and trust. Today, our sense of community is frayed and empathy is just a

word. In Pinero, we see a family of actors who love and care about each other.

2. In today’s world, the arts are dismissed as frivolous and not worthy of respect and

support. In Pinero, there are characters who think this way. They are trapped in a

rigid world of rules with no room for joy. The encounters with theatre folk causes

their dormant love to bloom again.

3. The characters are memorable and relatable to audience members who know little

about the theatre.

4. The audience sees people as actors/ characters working together to put on a show.

TRELAWNY OF THE “WELLS” calls for a large cast: 14 men and 9 women. The

characters range in age from 19 to mid-60s. Some roles are small, so some actors will

play more than one character. This will give people with little to no experience the

opportunity to be in a show. Auditions and casting will be open to all.

The play calls for 4 sets: three interiors and a “bare” stage. Creating four sets is out of

the question. For this production, I envision using furniture, windows, and different set

dressing/props to create the four locations. The set changes will happen in full view. 

Costumes will be the main focus of the production. There are many. This production will

be set in the 1890s. A costume crew is needed. The show can’t be a one person job.

TRELAWNY OF THE “WELLS” will be a large productions with many people with

different talents working together to bring the play to life.

This is not a well-known play. To spark people’s interest, I plan to hold at least two open

readings. Also, the script is available online.

I chose the play because the characters are memorable, they range in age from 19 to

mid-sixties ( there are four mid-sixties characters) and there are good roles for people

with limited experience. 

For the most part, TRELAWNY OF THE “WELLS” is a family friendly play. It will appeal

to high school students and above. Older patrons will love it. The cast is large, so this

will help with ticket sales. If the production is part of the building’s 114th birthday

celebration, will create interest in the show. With help from the Majestic Staff, we will

come up with creative ways to promote the show.

The 1985 OSF production was part of their 50th Anniversary Season. In 2027, our

building will turn 114 and it will be 37 years since the theatre reopened with its original

name. I see our production as part of a celebration and tribute to everyone, onstage

and off stage, who are part of our history.