“Hour Glass”

Barnes, David-Matthew (American playwright, director, writer, 1970-____), “Hour Glass,”

a 20-minute drama in English, set in the formal dining room of the Caulwells’ home, somewhere in Connecticut, U.S.A., Saturday evening, on the brink of spring, present,

1m1f

; • © 2004 by David-Matthew Barnes; • in David-Matthew Barnes’ Hour Glass (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.: The Author, 2004); • script/rights available from DNPAC Productions, Attention: Nick A. Moreno, Literary Manager, 2221 West Giddings Street, Chicago, Illinois 60625, U.S.A., telephone 773-784-0344, fax 773-784-4530, e-mail nmoreno@davidmatthewbarnes.com; contact David-Matthew Barnes at www.davidmatthewbarnes.com. • Cited by Nick A. Moreno, Literary Manager, via ftp February 26, 2004; Barnes says,

§ Dramatis Personae Hayden Caulwell (m), 42, husband of 22 years, a concert pianist, cunning, charismatic, particular; Persephone Caulwell (f), 42, wife of 22 years, an advertising executive, fierce, passionate, destructive.

§ Synopsis “Hayden and Persephone Caulwell have been married for twenty-two years. He is a concert pianist. She is an advertising executive. Their daughter, Melina, is a freshman at Yale. Constantly referred to as “the perfect couple,” Hayden and Persephone have found themselves hiding from their family and friends the discord in their marriage. For two years, Hayden has been having a heated affair with his tour manager, Claudia. Persephone is contemplating having an affair with a graduate student, Victor, who is an intern in her office. To celebrate his upcoming European tour, Hayden suggests to his wife that they host a dinner party. He invites Claudia. She invites Victor. During the evening, Hayden realizes that his wife is madly attracted to Victor. Persephone realizes that Claudia is a threat to her marriage. After the guests have left, Hayden and Persephone engage in a volatile confrontation, as years of secrets and emotions begin to surface. Realizing that their marriage has ended, husband and wife lash out at each other until the dining room—and their lives—are left in shards.

§ Comment “With a shock twist of an ending, the final moments of ‘Hour Glass’ will leave audiences riveted. Inspired equally by the short story ‘Bliss,’ by Katherine Mansfield, and the Greek myth of Persephone, "Hour Glass" is a thought-provoking play that is certain to become a contemporary classic.” • Contains mild language and adult themes.

§ Themes divorce, Greek mythology, high society, infidelity, marriage, murder.



See also David-Matthew Barnes'

• "Are You All Right in There?," a 23-minute teenage comedy-drama in English, set in the upstairs master bathroom of an American home, almost midnight, Friday, in spring, 1995, 1m2f
• "Baby in the Basement," a 15-minute drama in English, set in the basement of an old, abandoned warehouse in an unnamed American city, a night in March, present, 1m1f
• "Clean," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set at a bus stop in Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A., a Wednesday afternoon, 2002, 2f
• "False Hopes," a 20-minute drama in English, set in the break room of a corporate office, 2001, 3f
• "I Ate Lunch Alone Today," a 25-minute comedy-drama in English, set in a modest one-bedroom apartment, New York City, April, 2002, 2m2f
• "Number 76," a 10-minute teenage Latino drama in English, set on a bus stop on a city street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., a Sunday night in the middle of October, 1999, 1m1f
• "Stronger Than This," a 20-minute drama in English, set in a modest apartment in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., a rainy night in March, present, 2m1f
• "Threnody," a 23-minute drama in English, set in a farm house in Central California, summer, 1989, 1m1f
• "Unrequited," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set in a high school supply room, during a high school dance, 2001, 1m1f
• "Wendy's Hurricane," a 15-minute drama in English, set in a studio apartment near a university in the city of Chicago, middle of January, present, 1m1f

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