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Overview
Synopsis
Sweet and Twenty is the product of playwright Floyd Dell's momentary heartache, after being stood up by his latest love interest at the time of writing.
The young woman and the young man meet in the cherry orchard of a property each is involved in potentially purchasing. After realizing that both of them are single, the young man impetuously declares his love for her. Although she initially resists, their mutual attraction is clear and the couple embrace. Upon realizing that there is nothing in the way of marrying each other, they take a step back and begin to question the institution of marriage and their own compatibility. He declares himself a socialist, but she is not. She enjoys dancing but he does not, and has no interest in learning. Could a marriage work between them? Ultimately, they decide they cannot be married with these differences standing in their way and, in spite of their deep attraction to each other, they try to say goodbye. However, their farewell is interrupted by an eccentric real estate agent who reveals that the young woman’s uncle and the young man’s aunt have engineered the couple’s spontaneous rendezvous in the hope that they will fall in love and marry. But is this real estate agent who he says he is and why is he so vehemently against the idea of marriage himself?
Sweet and Twenty is a fun and witty examination of the institution of marriage and Floyd Dell’s final play to be performed by the Provincetown Players.
Show Information
- Book
- Floyd Dell
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1918
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- The cherry orchard of a country estate, 1918
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Community Theatre, College/University, Mostly Male Cast, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Sweet and Twenty was first produced by the Provincetown Players, New York City on January 25, 1918.
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
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Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher