Evento

To Their Appointed End

2017 is the Centenary of Jean Stewart McLean (1917-1963) whose son, Don McLean, is a co-founder of Guilford Center Stage. Other than a previously-performed short skit, the playwright's complete work for the stage consists of these four one-act plays, which have never before been performed. Thus, Guilford Center Stage, whose mission is to present premieres and little-known plays from the past, will be producing these short works to conclude its 3rd season.

The playwright was born in Rahway, New Jersey. Her father was Rector of an Episcopal Church there, and the author's family lived in the Rectory. It is from her experience living in a parish family that the playwright developed the settings, characters and plots for two of these one-acts.

William Stearns, of Brattleboro, Vt., will direct the production. Stearns has acted in and directed previous plays for Center Stage.

The four plays, written in the late 1940's and early 50's, and set in that period:

THE VINE: Our opening play is a drama about an emotionally-disturbed young man who has continued to live in the house where he grew up, kindly allowed to remain as a lodger by the young couple who now own the home. A large vine, which covers the entire living room window, is at the heart of the action.

TO THEIR APPOINTED END is the first of two plays set in a small-town church parish. In this short drama, the wife of the aged Rector is managing a rummage sale in the church basement, and worrying about the possible outcome of the board meeting taking place upstairs. Will her husband be asked to retire?

WHERE THE SAINTS HAVE TROD is the bookend to the previous play. A young Rector and his wife find their new congregation a bit stodgy in this amusing comedy.

HAPPY HOLLIDAYS: Our finale is a brisk comedy about a theatrical couple (the Hollidays) who host a breakfast radio program from their city apartment. Unlike their radio audience, we get to know them off-the-air. The play is based upon a popular radio show out of New York in the early 1950's, "Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick."