SEEKING MISTER HYDE
by David Bareford
It’s late October of 1885. Author Robert Louis Stevenson’s health is failing and his work on his latest novel has stalled. Because his finances are in near-ruin, Stevenson agrees to write a “Gothic shilling-shocker” for his publisher despite an impossibly short deadline. When he is visited by a mysterious and sinister figure in the theatre of his imagination (Edward Hyde), Stevenson becomes increasingly obsessed by the notion of evil that can live under a veneer of respectability. Though his wife Fanny and his lifelong friends (William Henley, Charles Baxter, and Katharine de Mattos) try to support him, he gives himself over to his shadow self, spiraling downward into temptation, selfishness, and addiction before finding his way back to reconciliation and emerging with the manuscript Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
- Cast Size; 4M 4W
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
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About the Playwright
David Bareford is a playwright, theatrical violence designer, and director. He is the Resident Playwright of Love Street Playhouse in Woodland, Washington but he is also a proud ex-patriate of Chicago professional theatre and his work has been seen across the country. His plays span many genres and styles, but nearly always include some historical element — even in his time at Northwestern College he was a double major in Theatre and History. He is the co-author of the book Theatrical Violence Design: Safety, Illusion, and Story in Stage Combat Choreography soon available through Routledge Press. He is also a professional American Sign Language interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and on the rare times when he’s not working, he can be found in his woodshop, crafting furniture using traditional hand tools.
Review Seeking Mister Hyde.