Play on Words

full length · drama

Daddy Long-Legs : $b A comedy in four acts

20 roles (0M / 0F / 20 any) · approx 172–238 minutes · 19 acts

Royalty-free Public domain — free to read, perform, and adapt. No licence needed.

Characters

Jervis lead 308 speeches
Judy lead 282 speeches
Miss P supporting 162 speeches
Sallie supporting 85 speeches
Julia supporting 85 speeches
Jimmie supporting 77 speeches
Mrs. L minor 58 speeches
Mrs. S minor 52 speeches
Mrs. P minor 39 speeches
Gladiola minor 23 speeches
Freddie minor 21 speeches
Wykoff minor 19 speeches
Griggs minor 16 speeches
Walters minor 15 speeches
Loretta minor 11 speeches
Sadie Kate minor 9 speeches
Carrie minor 4 speeches
Orphans minor 3 speeches
Miss Pritchard minor 3 speeches
Parsons minor 3 speeches

Read the play

The time is late afternoon on an October day. At R. through window, a spot lamp spreads over desk. Practical fire in grate over L.

LIGHTS. Placement. Fixtures NOT ON.

Floods outside window R.

Bunches Amber in arch C.

Spot in window R.1 to hit R.C.

Proc. Spot to hit Briss, R.C.

Proc. Spot to hit chair L. of table.

RISE FULL UP. Briss ENT. DIM. FTS. to 1/2—5 min.

Rise door bell R.

Red 1 5.

Red—Foots.

Amber—Foots.

White—Foots.

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[Illustration: Stage diagram of Act I: The Orphan Asylum]

[Illustration: Stage diagram of Act II: Judy’s Study at College]

[Illustration: Stage diagram of Act III: Sitting Room at Farm House]

[Illustration: Simplified stage diagram of Act III: Sitting Room of Farm House]

[Illustration: Stage diagram of Act IV: Pendleton’s Library]

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THE REJUVENATION OF AUNT MARY.

The famous comedy in three acts, by Anne Warner. 7 males, 6 females. Three interior scenes. Costumes modern. Plays 2¼ hours.

This is a genuinely funny comedy with splendid parts for “Aunt Mary,” “Jack,” her lively nephew; “Lucinda,” a New England ancient maid of all work; “Jack’s” three chums; the Girl “Jack” loves; “Joshua,” Aunt Mary’s hired man, etc.

“Aunt Mary” was played by May Robson in New York and on tour for over two years and it is sure to be a big success wherever produced. We strongly recommend it. Price, 60 Cents.

MRS. BUMSTEAD-LEIGH.

A pleasing comedy, in three acts, by Harry James Smith, author of “The Tailor-Made Man.” 6 males, 6 females. One interior scene. Costumes modern. Plays 2¼ hours.

Mr. Smith chose for his initial comedy the complications arising from the endeavors of a social climber to land herself in the altitude peopled by hyphenated names—a theme permitting innumerable complications, according to the spirit of the writer.

This most successful comedy was toured for several seasons by Mrs. Fiske with enormous success. Price, 60 Cents.

MRS. TEMPLE’S TELEGRAM.

A most successful farce in three acts, by Frank Wyatt and William Morris. 5 males, 4 females. One interior scene stands throughout the three acts. Costumes modern. Plays 2½ hours.

“Mrs. Temple’s Telegram” is a sprightly farce in which there is an abundance of fun without any taint of impropriety or any element of offence. As noticed by Sir Walter Scott, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

There is not a dull moment in the entire farce, and from the time the curtain rises until it makes the final drop the fun is fast and furious. A very exceptional farce. Price, 60 Cents.

THE NEW CO-ED.

A comedy in four acts, by Marie Doran, author of “Tempest and Sunshine,” etc. Characters, 4 males, 7 females, though any number of boys and girls can be introduced in the action of the play. One interior and one exterior scene, but can be easily played in one interior scene. Costumes modern. Time, about 2 hours.

The theme of this play is the coming of a new student to the college, her reception by the scholars, her trials and final triumph.

There are three especially good girls’ parts, Letty, Madge and Estelle, but the others have plenty to do. “Punch” Doolittle and George Washington Watts, a gentleman of color, are two particularly good comedy characters. We can strongly recommend “The New Co-Ed” to high schools and amateurs. Price, 30 Cents.

(The Above Are Subject to Royalty When Produced)

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SAMUEL FRENCH, 28-30 West 38th Street, New York City New and Explicit Descriptive Catalogue Mailed Free on Request

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Transcriber’s Notes

This file uses _underscores_ to indicate italic text. Stage directions are spaced inconsistently in the original printed text (e.g., “R. I. E.” vs. “R.I.E.”) and are reproduced here as they appear in print. On p. 25, a stage direction has an orphan embrace Judy before she has entered; on p. 104 there appears to be a missing or misattributed line, as Jervis is given two lines in a row (beginning “And I thought...” and “The same idea...”). As the correction is not clear in either case, the passages have been left as printed.

One line and one stage direction in Act 1 reference a character named “Codman,” who does not appear elsewhere in the play but appears to be one of the Trustees; this is possibly intended to be Wykoff.

Below is a list of itemized changes from the original text. Other minor inconsistencies, such as differences in hyphenation (e.g. “armchair” vs. “arm-chair”, “carefree” vs. “care-free”), have been left as printed.

• p. 6: Removed italics from mistakenly italicized line (Say ye knocked this off...) • p. 9: Corrected “flambuoyant” to “flamboyant” (Examines a flamboyant watch...) • p. 10: Corrected “today” to “to-day” (...in this institution to-day) • p. 11: Added missing period in “R. I. E.” (Exits R. I. E.) • p. 13: Corrected “today” to “to-day” (...Jervis Pendleton with us to-day) • p. 23: Corrected “tres” to “très” (Tu es enfant très bon...) • p. 26: Corrected “Lippet” to “Lippett” (This won’t do, Mrs. Lippett!...) • p. 26: Supply missing period after “...upsetting the tea by bumping into Jervis.” • p. 69: Corrected “Mrs. Pritchard” to “Miss Pritchard” in stage direction. • p. 105: Corrected “imposisble” to “impossible” (Of course I know it’s impossible...) • p. 105: Corrected “he” to “be” (She should be here now...) • p. 116: Corrected “Lippet” to “Lippett” (...as Mrs. Lippett turns on bracket lights.) • p. 119: Supply missing comma after “At L. of cupboard an armchair,” • p. 119: Corrected “Sllie” to “Sallie” (...writing materials on table for Sallie.) • p. 124: Corrected “ink-spot” to “inkspot” (...to conceal inkspot)

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.

Monologues from this play