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The Birthday Party

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Overview

Synopsis

In one of Pinter’s most memorable works, The Birthday Party, Meg and Petey Boles run a boarding house in their small, sleepy seaside town. They have only one lodger: the reclusive, bitter Stanley, hiding away from the world outside. All changes, though, with the arrival of two mysterious visitors, the charming Goldberg and the menacing McCann. Stanley is immediately on edge, suspicious that the men are there for him, but Meg is too delighted by her new guests to pay him any heed. Goldberg convinces Meg to throw Stanley a birthday party, though he insists it isn’t his birthday. As the festivities barrel forward, out of anyone’s control, the celebration turns dark and a game of blindman’s bluff grows violent as Stanley’s past catches up with him, threatening to shatter him inside and out.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1957
Genres
Drama
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
A boarding house in a seaside town, Summer
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Ideal For
Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Small Cast

Characters

Character Portrayals

See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Birthday Party.

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

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