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Overview

Synopsis

A dinner party goes awry before it even starts in Alice Gerstenberg’s one-act comedy Fourteen. In the middle of a blizzard, elegant socialite Mrs. Pringle is hoping to use a dinner party to set up her daughter Elaine with the wealthy Oliver Farnsworth. But when Farnsworth calls to cancel, her plans and her nerves begin to unravel. Determined to have fourteen guests, the exact number that her dinner table can accommodate, Mrs. Pringle scrambles to find a suitable replacement. But each potential guest brings a new problem that throws off her number and threatens to upend the harmonious evening she so carefully arranged. Caught in the middle of it all is the hapless family servant Dunham. Fourteen is a frenetic one-act with a leading role for a strong comedic actress.

Show Information

Book
Alice Gerstenberg
Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
1919
Genres
Comedy, Satire
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
A dining room. New York.
Cast Size
small
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Ensemble Cast, Small Cast, Mostly Female Cast, High School, Includes Adult, Young Adult Characters

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Mrs. Pringle

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Elaine

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Dunham

Supporting

Either Gender

Non-singer

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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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.

Key Terms

    A form of comedy that presents ridiculous extremes in order to make a point about society or human nature.

    In comedy, the character who is usually more serious and sets up their comedy partner for a joke.

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Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Guide Written By:

Kevan Dunkelberg

Kevan Dunkelberg

Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright