The Skin of Our Teeth

Play

Writers: Thornton Wilder

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1942
Genres
Drama, Dark Comedy, Satire, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
various moments in human history, including -- but not limited to -- the ice age and world war i; the home of mr. antrobus in excelsior, new jersey, and the boardwalk at
Cast Size
large
Ideal for
Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, College/University, Diverse Cast, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes adult, young adult, mature adult characters

Synopsis

George and Maggie Antrobus live a seemingly perfect life in suburban Excelsior, New Jersey, along with their children, Henry and Gladys, and their maid, Sabina. Little do they know that the Ice Age is upon them, the Floods are coming, and War is on the horizon. The story of the Antrobus’ journey through time is the story of mankind: surviving disaster by the skin of their teeth. The Antrobus’ weather heat waves and deep freezes, pestilence, plague, dozens of wars and even more depressions, and -- through it all -- they keep moving forward. An allegory for the inspiring journey of the “Ancient and Honorable Order of Mammals, Subdivision Humans”, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Skin of Our Teeth is a moving, hilarious, absurd tribute to the “indestructibility of humanity”.

Lead Characters


The Skin of Our Teeth guide sections