The Happy Journey To Trenton And Camden
by Thornton Wilder

Name: The Happy Journey To Trenton And Camden
Brand: Thornton Wilder
SKU: 9780573622113
Rating: 3.2 (82 reviews)

The Happy Journey To Trenton And Camden Cover

The Happy Journey To Trenton And Camden Book Cover — The Happy Journey To Trenton And Camden Cover

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

Male

One Act 30 mins 1930s Ensemble Cast Bare Stage/Simple Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes American Comedy

Synopsis

A father, mother and two of their three surviving children drive from Newark, New Jersey to Camden to visit their married daughter, who has recently lost her baby in childbirth.

Their journey is punctuated by talk, laughter, memories (some mundane, some happy, some painful), and appreciation of the Now - ham and eggs, flowers, family, sunsets and the joy of being alive.

In this family drama, nothing much happens-and yet everything important happens.

As Ma Kirby says, "There's nothin' like bein' liked by your family."

Themes One-act plays

Press Reviews

"My earlier one-act plays, before Our Town, were free of scenery too and things went back and forth in time...In my plays I attempted to raise ordinary daily conversation between ordinary people to the level of the universal human experience."
— Thornton Wilder, from an interview with Bob McCoy, 1974

"It should constantly be borne in mind that the purpose of this play is the portrayal of the character of Ma Kirby, the author at one time having even considered entitling the play The Portrait of a Lady. Accordingly, the director should constantly keep in mind that Ma Kirby's humor, strength and humanity constitute the unifying element throughout. This aspect should always rise above the merely humorous characteristic details of the play."
— Thornton Wilder, "Notes for the Producer," 1931

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Ma Mrs. Kate Kirby	—	—	Mrs. Kate Kirby
Arthur 13, her son	female	—	13, her son
Caroline 15, her daughter	female	—	15, her daughter
Pa	—	—	—
Beulah 22, the Kirbys' married daughter who lives in Camden, New JerseyNote: This play can be also cast using 1 boy, 1 girl, 2 male adults and 2 female adults.	female	—	22, the Kirbys' married daughter who lives in Camden, New JerseyNote: This play can be also cast using 1 boy, 1 girl, 2 male adults and 2 female adults.
The Stage Manager	—	—	—