The Spider
by Fulton Oursler, Lowell Brentano

The Spider Book Cover — The Spider Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

Present Day Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes

Synopsis

A magician and his assistant are doing a trick on the stage.

Suddenly the lights go out.

When they go on again, a man, Carrington, is found murdered in the audience.

Other characters in the play pop out of the audience: doctors and policemen.

Carrington turns out to be an unsavory character and head of a narcotic ring.

Suspicion falls on the magician, his assistant and others.

Theatrical devices abound.

House lights go on and off and at last the guilty scoundrel is discovered in the audience.

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Alexander a slight, boyish figure. He stands rigidly erect, as if in a cataleptic condition. The voice and manner of his speaking are in the themselves weird and uncanny. There is a slow and terror-stricken rhythm in his tone, and that contracts against the calm and strong poise of Chatrand.	male	—	a slight, boyish figure. He stands rigidly erect, as if in a cataleptic condition. The voice and manner of his speaking are in the themselves weird and uncanny. There is a slow and terror-stricken rhythm in his tone, and that contracts against the calm and strong poise of Chatrand.
John Carrington a man who advertises his prosperity and his importance. About him here is a slightly belligerent air. He is perhaps 55, red-faced, and grey-haired, with a well trimmed, iron grew mustache.	male	—	a man who advertises his prosperity and his importance. About him here is a slightly belligerent air. He is perhaps 55, red-faced, and grey-haired, with a well trimmed, iron grew mustache.
Beverly Lane truly beautiful and about her there is an air of wistful sadness. She is not more than 20 years old. She is soft and gentle, and evidently timid of the arrogant man who is her escort. Upon her features there is written a genuine refinement and intelligence.	female	—	truly beautiful and about her there is an air of wistful sadness. She is not more than 20 years old. She is soft and gentle, and evidently timid of the arrogant man who is her escort. Upon her features there is written a genuine refinement and intelligence.
Doctor Blackstone middle-aged physician of distinguished appearance.	—	—	middle-aged physician of distinguished appearance.
Mrs. Wimbleton buxom, flightly, talkative. About 35 or 30.	—	—	buxom, flightly, talkative. About 35 or 30.
Maloney a stage electrician. Age 30.	—	—	a stage electrician. Age 30.
Mr. Young an alert theatre manager. Age 40.	—	—	an alert theatre manager. Age 40.
Sergeant Schmidt rather stout and of German extraction. Age 35.	—	—	rather stout and of German extraction. Age 35.
Inspector Riley a big, dominating plain-clothes officer. Age 50.	—	—	a big, dominating plain-clothes officer. Age 50.
Estelle a beautiful French girl.	—	—	a beautiful French girl.
Tommy a man of Japanese descent	—	—	a man of Japanese descent
Monsieur Chatrand tall, good-looking, rather foreign in appearance, and suave in manner. 30-35.	—	30-35	tall, good-looking, rather foreign in appearance, and suave in manner. 30-35.