Patterns
by Rod Serling, James Reach

Highlights

Female

Male

Present Day Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle) Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Synopsis

This play is principally concerned with the struggles of an idealistic young executive to resist the corrosive pressures of the world of the giant corporations.

Fred Staples has been brought into Ramsey and Company by its efficient, tough and predatory president, who is grooming him for one of the top spots, but he rebels when he learns Ramsey has all along been preparing him to replace Andy Sloane.

Sloane is old and ill, and Ramsey has been carrying out a cold-blooded campaign to force his resignation.

Sloane is stricken by a heart attack and dies.

It is then that Staples storms into Ramsey's office for the showdown.

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Miss Lanier a woman in her forties, smartly but conservatively dressed, icily efficient.	female	—	a woman in her forties, smartly but conservatively dressed, icily efficient.
Smith a thin, worried-looking man of about forty.	—	—	a thin, worried-looking man of about forty.
Gordon a well-dressed man in his late thirties with a salesman's personality.	male	—	a well-dressed man in his late thirties with a salesman's personality.
Ann a pretty girl of nineteen, the carefree, talkative type.	—	—	a pretty girl of nineteen, the carefree, talkative type.
Jameson an executive in his forties.	male	—	an executive in his forties.
Marge a woman of about thirty, the typical professional secretary ties to one oman by a hond of innate loyalty, habit and deep-rooted affection that is as sexless as the woman herself.	female	—	a woman of about thirty, the typical professional secretary ties to one oman by a hond of innate loyalty, habit and deep-rooted affection that is as sexless as the woman herself.
Ramsey a man in his early sixties; he is tough, icy, predatory but honest.	male	—	a man in his early sixties; he is tough, icy, predatory but honest.
Sloane a battered, dying, yet strangely resilient kind of man in his late sixties.	male	—	a battered, dying, yet strangely resilient kind of man in his late sixties.
Fred a good-looking young man in his early thirties; he is intelligent and dynamic, though extremely sensitive.	male	—	a good-looking young man in his early thirties; he is intelligent and dynamic, though extremely sensitive.
Fran in her late twenties, well-groomed, an attractive, hungering kind of woman whose appetite is that of the competitive American wife; a very aware person.	female	—	in her late twenties, well-groomed, an attractive, hungering kind of woman whose appetite is that of the competitive American wife; a very aware person.
Miss Hill a young woman in her twenties, an efficient looking career girl type.	female	—	a young woman in her twenties, an efficient looking career girl type.
Paul a nice-looking, clean-cut boy of fourteen.	—	—	a nice-looking, clean-cut boy of fourteen.
Miss Stevens in her mid-twenties, very chic and well-poised.	female	—	in her mid-twenties, very chic and well-poised.