Arthur and Esther
by Ross Howard
Full Length Play, Dark Comedy / 1m, 1f
A play of two worlds. This elemental and affecting two-hander explores love, its loss, and the lives we inherit and impose on others.
Read more +Arthur and Esther
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Cast Size
1m, 1fDuration
75 MinutesSubgenre
Romantic ComedySuggested Use
- Monologues
- Competition or audition material
Target Audience
- Adult
- Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Additional Info
In the wake of public spending cuts, Arthur wrestles with the methods set out in Montgomery Swank’s "28 Ways to Terminate Your Existence and Questions You May Have", the one book he has salvaged from the closure of his beloved library.
In the wake of her own death, his wife Esther reconciles the ghosts of the past with a hope for the future.
A play of two worlds. This elemental and affecting two-hander explores love, its loss, and the lives we inherit and impose on others.
British playwright Ross Howard is an Edward F. Albee Foundation Fellow.
Reviews
REVIEWS
"Howard's script sprints along with observation and humor.... this is a special script..." - Las Vegas Review Journal
“ ….full of both outrageous dark comedy and deep sincerity….an ultimately compelling night of theatre” - nytheatre.com
"Their story is tragic, but is told with warmth and hope. The language is poetic with hauntingly beautiful rhythms that capture the spectator's imagination with vivid imagery." - Theatre Is Easy
Videos
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Trailer
Considerations
Performing Groups
- College Theatre / Student
- Community Theatre
- Professional Theatre
- Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
Cautions
- Mild Adult Themes
License details
- Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
Production
Details
- Time Period: Present Day
- Duration: 75 Minutes
- Setting:
A low lit, empty library in the north-west of England and a brightly lit area somewhere in the afterlife.
- Additional Features: No intermission
Casting
1m, 1fARTHUR HUEY – Long-serving community librarian. Mid 50s.
ESTHER HUEY – His wife in life. Now deceased and eternally youthful. Mid 20s.
Resources
Scripts
More
Authors
Ross Howard
Ross Howard's work has been seen in London (Theatre 503, Old Vic Tunnels, Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Riverside Studios, Menier Gallery, Old Red Lion, Park Theatre, Finborough Theatre, Canal Cafe Theatre, Southwark Playhouse), Cork (Cork Arts Centre), Las Vegas (Onyx Theatre, Las Vegas Little Theatre, Nevada Conservator ...
View full profileFirst performed at The Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre, New York.
**A US version of the script is available to perform. **
Community Experiences