The 3 Spirits........Jill Freeman, Donna Rawlins, Jan King, (Guest spirit: Claudia Russell)
Influences
"The Scarlet Letter"
Production History
November 6, 1993 - Norris Theatre for the Performing Arts, Rolling Hills, CA
Playwright Development Project
Staged Reading in sold-out theatre with
audience of 450.
May 18, 1994 - July 20, 1994
Luna Park, Los Angeles
Production in nightclub with cast of 14
Directed by Deborah LaVine
Every performance sold out, run extended several times
April16-18, 1998 - Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Full production with mix of pro and student actors.
June 16 - July 9 - Walsh Theatre at Suffolk University, Boston MA (6/16-6/18)
2000 - Norwood Theatre (6/23-7/9)
Full Production with cast of 14
Endorsed and praised by Nathaniel Hawthorne Society
Many great reviews
September 20-24 - Deutchland Radio
Radio Satellite Broadcast
Radio version of the play broadcast to over
300 stations in Europe.
In the year 1642, the colony of Boston in New England is populated by Puritans, a religious cult who left England in order to live a strict, pious lifestyle. (“Before”)
ACT 1
A young woman in the village, Hester Prynne, has had the misfortune to become pregnant with an illegitimate child while her husband is lost at sea. (“Shame”) As a punishment, the town elders sentence her to a year in jail, and while serving her time, she gives birth to her daughter, Pearl. When she is released from jail, Hester refuses to reveal the identity of the child’s father. (“Interrogation”) This infuriates the town, and she is made to wear a large red “A” (for “adulteress”) on her chest for as long as she lives in the village.
While Hester’s trial is in progress, a stranger is brought to town by a local tribe, who have rescued him from a shipwreck. (“Seen Too Much”) He introduces himself as Dr. Roger Chillingworth, an alchemist and physician. In truth, he is Hester’s lost husband. In order to avoid the shame and stigma attached to being the husband of a “fallen woman”, he pretends not to know Hester, and joins the town fathers as they decide Hester’s fate. (Interrogation, part 2”) Hester is left alone on the town scaffold, and she calms her crying infant by telling her the story of their lives so far. (“The Scarlet Letter”) Chillingworth comes back to the scaffold to confront Hester about her infidelity and to avoid ridicule, he makes her promise not to reveal his identity to the town. When Hester refuses to tell him the name of the child’s father, he becomes obsessed with discovering it on his own. (“My Own Way”)
Thirteen years pass, and the child Pearl has grown to be a wild young teenager (“Thirteen Years”). Her mother has not raised her in the Puritan way, and her actions scandalize the town. Pearl does not understand why she is being persecuted by the Puritans, and she taunts them in the town square and is arrested. (“Sticks and Stones”) When the town elders try to take the child away from Hester, the town’s young minister, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, intervenes on her behalf. (“Kick Her Around”) He convinces the town to let Hester and Pearl return to their cottage in the woods. Dismayed by the town’s behavior, he seeks advice from Chillingworth, and they discuss the mysteries of the human heart. (“The Interior Of A Heart”) Later, when he is alone, Dimmesdale violently whips himself with a scourge as self-imposed penance for his sins - for he is the secret lover Hester is protecting. (“No Redemption”) The minister is revered by the town-he is young, handsome, and his sermons are profound and awe-inspiring. The village women consider him to be the most eligible bachelor in town (“Cute And Holy”).
After another taunting by the town women, Hester tries to teach Pearl how to handle her role as an outcast. They are not aware they are being watched by Dimmesdale, who is moved by the sight of them. Chillingworth happens upon the scene, and begins to suspect that the minister may be Pearl’s father (“Know Your Place”).
The town is worried about the minister, who has been suffering from a strange malady that makes him seem very frail Dr. Chillingworth moves in with Dimmesdale, under the guise of helping him with his sickness.(“Saint On Earth”) In an effort to discover if his hunches are correct, the doctor feeds the minister herbs and mushrooms that he claims are medicines, and he plies the patient with hallucinogens as he examines him psychologically. (“The Cure”) The reverend wanders at night, unable to sleep because of his guilt. (“Only The Night”) One night, when he is wandering through the town square, he stands on the scaffold and has a vision of Hester and Pearl standing with him, and a large red “A” appears in the sky. Dimmesdale collapses from exhaustion and fright, and is found by Chillingworth. The doctor finds something that confirms that his suspicions are correct, but rather than expose Dimmesdale, he decides to wreak a slow and painful revenge(“Revenge”).
ACT 2
The next day, Reverend Dimmesdale is preaching to his congregation, and tells them that he is a sinner, and not worthy to be their spiritual leader. The congregation doesn’t want to hear this, so they decide that he is actually a saint and his physical debilitation is heaven’s way of testing him. (“Confession”) Hester witnesses this, and alone in the chapel, she decides that the only way to save Dimmesdale is to break her promise to Chillingworth and reveal the truth. (“Our Only Escape”)
Hester meets Chillingworth in the woods to implore him to stop the torture. When the old man refuses, she tells him that she can no longer keep his secret, and that she is going to reveal his true identity to the minister.(“Wait”) Hester is moved by how pathetic her former husband has become, and she begs him to forgive Dimmesdale, and save his own soul. (“Interior Of A Heart - reprise”)
Pearl is playing in the woods with her invisible friends, while Hester waits on the path she knows that Dimmesdale uses for his daily walks. Pearl makes her own “A” out of sticks and wears it, and Hester admonishes her and tries to explain what it means. (“A”) The minister arrives, and Pearl runs off to continue playing. Hester and Dimmesdale are alone together for only the second time in their lives, and they realize that they are still very much in love with each other. They decide to run away from the town, and sail back to England on a supply ship that is in the harbor.(“Freedom Is A Place”) Then, Hester reveals to Dimmesdale the shocking truth about Chillingworth. (“He Knows”) Pearl returns, and Hester tries to get her to acknowledge her true father.(“Kiss The Man”) The young girl flies into a rage and refuses to kiss him until he admits that she is his daughter in public.(“Main Street at Noon”)
The next day, while Hester and Dimmesdale are preparing for their voyage, Chillingworth finds out about the couple’s plans to escape, and thwarts them by booking passage for himself on the ship.(“Time To Leave”) The reverend gives his final sermon at the chapel to a rapt congregation. (“Naive”) Chillingworth tells Hester he knows of their plan to escape and she runs to warn Dimmesdale. (“Time To Leave - reprise”) The town is in the midst of a holiday, and all of the parishioners have gathered in the town square. Dimmesdale, having realized that the doctor’s poisons have taken effect, and that there is no chance for escape, makes a public confession to the shocked townspeople. He rips open his shirt to reveal the bloody “A” that he has beaten into his own chest over the years. He entreats his family, Hester and Pearl join him, and overcome by the years of torture and guilt, he dies in their arms(“Revelation”).
Chillingworth is furious that his revenge has been thwarted, for by confessing, the minister saved himself. The old doctor flies into a wild rage, and concocts a pyrotechnic potion that destroys him (“No Redemption - reprise”).
EPILOGUE
Hester and Pearl leave the town, and live in Europe. Many years later, Hester returns, still wearing the Scarlet Letter. She dies peacefully, and is buried in a grave next to Dimmesdale(“After”). Years later, this grave is visited by Pearl, who has grown up to become a beautiful and independent young woman, and who carries on her mother’s revolutionary spirit. (“The Lesson”)
Mark, Great seeing you again. Here's wishing Scarlet Letter many successful productions and all best to you with all your projects. Merry Christmas and Happy 2008
