William Congreve

Congreve's Comedy of Manners: a Play in Five Acts William Congreve

This play distills the essence of Congreve into one stageworthy play. William Congreve wrote four comedies: "The Way of the World" is his acknowledged masterpiece; "Love for Love" is less brilliant but easier to perform; "The Old Bachelor" and "The Double Dealer," his early dramas, contain very good material but are rarely read let alone performed. Frank Morlock builds his own adaptation of Congreve's dramas on the general plot of "Love for Love," and interweaves characters and dialogue from the other plays into and around it. In the process some characters are blended with other characters, and acquire clever dialogue found elsewhere. Almost every line in this drama is Congreve's. The result is a lively play that keeps Congreve's best comedic work fresh and vital for a new audience.