A Play in One Act by Stephen Evans
In July of 1872, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s house in Concord, Massachusetts, caught fire. His many friends and admirers raised money for repairs, and to send him on a journey across the ocean while those repairs were being made.
At the time of this voyage, Emerson was one the most famous Americans, and likely the most famous American intellectual since Benjamin Franklin. No longer capable of traveling alone, his daughter accompanied him and managed the trip. Monuments imagines Emerson on that voyage, sailing down the Nile, struggling with memory yet suffused in Memories.
This volume contains the extended version of the play, which incorporates the three one act plays from Experience into one continuous narrative. In this version, Emerson, guided by his first wife Ellen, travels back through the often tragic memories of his life in Concord, encountering his second wife Lidian, his protege Henry David Thoreau, and a young Louisa May Alcott.
The running time for the extended version is 70-80 minutes without intermission.
Publisher’s Note: The shorter (30 minute) version of the play is available in Generations.
ISBN: 978-1953725370
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Character Breakdown
Monuments is a play in one act. The original version has three characters who may be played by two actors. The extended version has one additional character.
WALDO Ralph Waldo Emerson, age 69
NELLY Emerson’s Daughter Ellen, age 33, referred to as Nelly
ELLEN Emerson’s first wife, Ellen, age 21
LIDIAN Emerson’s second wife, Ellen, age 70
HENRY Henry Thoreau, age 25
LOUISA Louisa May Alcott, age 21
SCENE A boat on the Nile River.
TIME 1873
Rights and Permissions
For production permissions and rights, email: info at timebeingmedia.com
