Dinny and the Witches

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Dinny and the Witches is a satirical comedy written by William Gibson [1] in 1948, revised in 1961. It is a parody of the Cold War and nuclear scares of the 1960s, although the actual play takes place in the early 1950s in New York City, namely in Central Park. [2] The show includes some singing, but not enough to warrant it musical status. [3]

Contents

Plot

In the very beginning of the play comes the curtain call, where characters enter "in order of their disappearance." (The audience is told that, in light of recent military developments - the invention of the nuclear weapon - the cast may not make it to the end of the performance.)

The play begins when three Shakespearean witches who run the world, Zenobia, Ulga, and Luella, try to take the life of a young musician Dinny. However, Dinny accidentally takes control of the world by playing his trumpet, which seduces the witches and stops the clock of time. A jump 100 years forward in time finds the world in turmoil. Finally, the witches manage to trick Dinny into agreeing to hand over the deed to the world while telling him that they will make his love, Amy, a perfect woman. Perfection, in the form of the seven deadly sins, kills her and the second act ends in Dinny's agony at seeing his dead lover on the ground.

The third act begins with Amy's burial. After paying his last respects, Dinny is surprised to see the three witches emerge from Amy's grave. Finally, the witches retrieve the deed to the world and try to kill Dinny, but only succeed in turning back time to 100 years ago, the beginning of the play. The future unfolds in a final singing number, with Dinny and Amy arguing lovingly over the life of their future baby.

List of characters, in order of their disappearance

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References

  1. ↑ Beye, Holly (1959-12-27). "Writer in Defense of "Dinny and the Witches" -- Note on Theatre Parties". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  2. ↑ Dietz, Dan (2010-03-10). Off Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007: Casts, Credits, Songs, Critical Reception and Performance Data of More Than 1,800 Shows. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN   978-0-7864-5731-1.
  3. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1959-12-14). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 12.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
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