UTC
Topsy and Eva: A Comedy with Music
Catherine Chisholm Cushing
Unpublished Typescript with Revisions, 1923

ACT 1.

Outside Uncle Tom's Cabin on the Shelby plantation in Kentucky.

An afternoon in October, in the 50's.



ACT 2.

Courtyard of the St. Clare home. 6 mo. later.

(Act 2. all in one scene, in courtyard but same continuity.) *



ACT 3.

The cotton fields of the Shelby plantation.

Early evening three days later.




[ii]

CAST

WHITE

  

Mrs. Shelby.......... A Southern gentlewoman
Mr. George Shelby.......... Her son.
Mr. Augustine St. Clare.......... A gentleman of New Orleans.
Miss Mariette Ames.......... His ward from the North.
Eva St. Clare.......... " daughter
Miss Ophelia St. Clare.......... " cousin from Vermont
Mr. Marks.......... " lawyer.
Simon Legree.......... A Slave-trader

and

Young ladies and gentlemen of New Orleans.



BLACK

  

Uncle Tom.......... Mrs. Shelby's beloved servant
Chloe.......... His wife
Pol' Maria.......... Their little girl
"Geegee".......... A young mulatto
Eliza.......... His wife
Harry.......... Their little boy
Topsy.......... Nobody's chile.

and

Slaves, pickaninnies.

[iii]

DESCRIPTIVE CAST

  WHITE

Mrs. Shelby..........A beautiful Southern woman of much charm but not much brain...aged about 42 but should appear younger. Cultivated, sympathetic and with a sense of humor. No song.

Mr. George Shelby..........A handsome young Southerner of 22 or 23. Cultured, charming, but spoiled and somewhat indolent...later he finds himself and shows force of character. (Tenor or baritone)

Mr. Augustine St. Clare..........A handsome man in the early 40's. Charming cultivated, proud, with an elegance of dress and manner characteristic of the really exclusive French Huguenot of Louisiana. He should be of medium height, slight and preferably dark.

Mariette Ames..........A dashing, wide-awake Northern girl of seventeen. She is quick, independent and with a keen sense of humor...in contrast to the languid spoiled air of her fiance, George Shelby. (Soprano)

Eva St. Clare..........A beautiful, dainty, refined little Southern girl of about 10. (Soprano)

Miss Ophelia..........A tall, gaunt Vermont spinster of 45. (No song)

Mr. Marks..........A short, thickset Southerner. Clever but of "the people." (Low comedy. One comedy song if desired)

Simon Legree..........A savage. Coarse, lowborn, fat and drunk.



  BLACK

Uncle Tom..........A sympathetic lovable negro, about 60. (One or two songs)

Chloe..........A sympathetic old negress about Tom's age. (No songs, unless a DUET WITH TOM might be considered effective)

Pol' Maria..........A negro girl of 10 or 12. Only a line or two. She is just one of the "picks."

"Geegee"..........handsome young mulatto (very light). Good singer and dancer, especially [illegible]

[iv]

Eliza..........A lovely, almost-white quadroon. Should have a sweet voice and MUST BE GOOD DANCER.

Harry..........An adorable little almost-white chap of 5 or 6. (Should dance a little...song if arranged)

Topsy..........An imp. Full of pranks...without education and an' all 'round pest.

Banjo players..........Male quartette and Specialty dancers, selected for their especial work.