Synopsis
The Rope Dancers
Published by Samuel French Inc
5 Male 4 Female
In soaring, poetic language, this tells the story of an Irish American couple at the turn of the century whose daughter has been born with six fingers on her left hand and who later becomes the victim of an ailment that appears to be St. Vitus' Dance
Because the husband was once an alcoholic roisterer, the mother is convinced that the child's plight is their punishment from God. Believing that the guilt is partially her own, she has become embittered, resentful and ingrown
Ultimately, this situation is resolved in tragedy, illustrating the torments, repressions and denials of human beings caught in a cosmic maelstrom they can neither understand nor resist
"All gold ... [that] makes the theatre a palace of truth again" ~ N.Y. Times