Five Little Plays

Sutro, Alfred, 1863-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 134K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Five Little Plays by Alfred Sutro. Author: Sutro, Alfred, 1863-1933. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Dec 29, 2004

Editor's review

Five Little Plays is a collection of five short plays by the British playwright Alfred Sutro, a body of stage texts within early twentieth-century English literature. Sutro is known for neatly structured social comedies with witty dialogue; the short-play form concentrates conflict and clarifies relationships among characters, making the collection suitable for observing the life, etiquette, and gender roles of the middle and upper classes of the time. These plays are short, with limited casts, and can serve both as material for close reading of English dramatic texts and as texts for enthusiasts to attempt readings or small-scale staging. Note that the works carry the vocabulary and social attitudes of their era, and some scenes may seem lightweight or conservative today; read them in light of their period. Overall, this is not a work of grand narrative but one that succeeds through witty dialogue and stage rhythm; it suits reading one piece at a time in spare moments and serves as an introductory sample of the early twentieth-century English short play.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in early twentieth-century English drama and the short-play form
Learners wishing to practice close reading and oral reading in English with short plays
Theater group members looking for short, small-cast texts for modest staging
Drama students studying Sutro's plays or the social comedy of the period

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot conflict or long-form narrative
Beginners unfamiliar with early twentieth-century social attitudes and vocabulary
Classroom users needing detailed stage notes and teaching guides, who will need supplementary materials

Reading tips

Read one or two plays at a time: first go through the plot, then revisit the wit and character relationships in the dialogue.
Try reading aloud in roles to experience the stage rhythm and the subtext in the dialogue.
Note the etiquette expressions and social attitudes of the time as you read, and understand them in contrast with today.
Choose one play for a small staging or script analysis, focusing on how the conflict is set up and resolved within a short length.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Are these five short plays suitable for staging directly?

They can be used as texts for small-scale staging. The plays have limited casts, concentrated settings, and short lengths, making them convenient for theater groups to try. Note, however, that the works carry early twentieth-century vocabulary and social attitudes; when staging, appropriate explanation or adjustment is advisable so that unfamiliarity with the context does not hinder the audience's understanding.

Is the English difficult to read?

The plays are mainly dialogue, and the sentences are usually not long, but they contain early twentieth-century social expressions and subtle wit that may feel unfamiliar to non-native readers. An intermediate or better English reading level is advisable, or read one play first to get used to the style before gradually proceeding to the rest.

What subjects do these plays mainly deal with?

They belong to the vein of social comedy, revolving around interpersonal relationships, etiquette, and everyday conflicts in middle- and upper-class society, and succeeding through witty dialogue and stage rhythm. The specific plots vary from play to play; as you read, note how the characters set up and resolve conflicts within a short length.

Is it suitable for classroom teaching?

It can serve as supplementary material for close reading of dramatic texts or English reading aloud, but the book itself contains no teaching guide or stage notes. For classroom use, teachers are advised to supply background on the author, the context of the period, and explanations of language difficulties, and to select pieces of suitable length and difficulty.

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About the author

Sutro, Alfred, 1863-1933 Author

Alfred Sutro (1863–1933) was a British playwright known for his neatly structured comedies and social satires, marked by witty dialogue. Two of his works are held here: Five Little Plays and Mollentrave on Women: A Comedy in Three Acts, both dramatic works. The former is a collection of short plays, while the latter is a three-act comedy centred on women, showing his skill in exploring marriage, love and gender through conversation and stagecraft. His plays typically combine a light comic framework with observation of human foibles, and their lively language and brisk pacing suit the stage. Because public information is limited, details of his life and the full range of his work cannot be described in depth; nonetheless, the available works suggest a close connection with the tradition of the early twentieth-century British commercial theatre and some influence on later comic writing.