THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
The action of the play takes place
primarily in the Usher Mansion, a
rapidly deteriorating Boston area
estate built in the late 1700's.
Scenically, we are principally
concerned with what can most accurately
be called a Sitting Room in the
mansion. The room is ill-kept and
dark, with serviceable, decaying
furniture, bookshelves, lamps, etc.
There are at least two entrances, one
from the Library, another from the
foyer. Each passageway leads to all
other parts of the house.
The time is the mid-1930's.
At rise, however, we are not in the
mansion, we are in a small
Interrogation Room at police
headquarters, where DETECTIVE
SHAUGHNESSY, a mature, no nonsense man,
is questioning JAMES BROOKFIELD, a man
in his thirties, who is dressed
somewhat formally, but who is, at this
moment, unkempt and in distress.
The Interrogation Room (which is
actually two Interrogation Rooms) may
be represented merely by an old wooden
chair, a table and telephone, which, at
first sight, appear to be part of the
mansion. As the story unfolds, though,
it becomes clear that this furniture
is of another place, as is Shaughnessy,
though he will relate with James (and
with Fiona, later) as the story is
told. Shaughnessy, then, will appear
to be in the Sitting Room as the story
progresses, but will be unseen there by
everyone. When the play switches to
"Interrogation Room Mode," the light
change is abrupt and instantaneous.
Wherever the actors happen to be at the
moment, when the lights change, those
who are in the Interrogation Room are,
in fact, in the Interrogation Room,
while other actors onstage disappear in
the darkness that remains. The light
changes back to the Sitting Room should
be swift, though perhaps not so abrupt.
On occasion, Shaughnessy will speak
with characters in the Interrogation
Mode as the Sitting Room action
progresses, with no lighting
adjustment. These exchanges will be
swift and incidental.
Costuming this piece is challenging.
Every effort should be made to move the
story swiftly, accommodating costume
adjustments only when and if they are
necessary.
At rise, Shaughnessy is active,
anxious, and driven. He is first
generation American, but the trace of
his mother's brogue will remain with
him throughout his life. James is
stunned and somewhat inarticulate at
the start.
SHAUGHNESSY
Are you comfortable, Brookfield? Anything I can get for you
before we begin?
JAMES
No, detective, no.
SHAUGHNESSY
I don't know if they told you when they brought you in...My
name is Shaughnessy. Michael, if you need to know, but I
don't like people gettin' all chummy with me.
JAMES
I...wish I could convince you how...pointless this
investigation is...
SHAUGHNESSY
Pointless, is it? I get dragged out of a warm bed at two
a.m. in the morning and you're tellin' me I'm on a pointless
errand? Let me tell you somethin', lad.
The Boston Police Department learned a long time ago you pull
Michael Shaughnessy away from the toasty left thigh of Mrs.
Shaughnessy after eleven p.m. for a pointless errand at your
own peril.
JAMES
The story you want me to tell you is better left untold, if
only I could...
SHAUGHNESSY
Well, if I'm not dealin' with a deaf man. Haven't I been
transpicuous enough for you this morning, Mr. Brookfield?
Let me try some plain English. I will decide whether your
story is better left untold. That's me. Michael
Shaughnessy. And I will make that decision after you tell me
your damn story and not before! It's my hope and the hope of
the Boston Police Department that your story will provide us
with a reasonable explanation for the two charred bodies on
slabs in the morgue next door.
JAMES
(rises)
No one needs to know what happened at that house!
SHAUGHNESSY
I need to know, Brookfield. The City of Boston needs to
know. God help me, I always knew nothin' good would come out
of that house. Usher. The whole family. So-called. Nobody
ever knew what they were up to. All that money. Kept to
themself. Anti-social. Goddamn spooky is what they were,
you ask me. And now here we find you weepin' in the cold in
the middle of the night like a little baby outside
this...conflagration. Two dead. Suspicious circumstances.
What you need to know is that right now there's not a person
in the world more important to you than I am. So do your
damnedest not to annoy me anymore, all right? I don't intend
to spend the rest of this night arguing with you over the
merits of your testimony. You will tell me what happened up
there. You will tell me the truth. And you'll tell me right
now! From the beginning!
(Shaughnessy sits)
And remember, I'm Irish. I love a good story!
JAMES
(as he speaks, he moves into
the principal area of the
Sitting Room)
Well, I arrived at the Usher house three weeks ago.
Three weeks ago tonight, in fact...I had been invited, but
I...for reasons I....I was early...
MADELINE USHER appears in the sitting
room. She is in her mid-thirties,
though she may appear older, more
weathered. She was certainly once a
beauty but, at this point, time and
circumstance have served to check her
youthful attractiveness. She wears
formal dress which is at least twenty
years out of date, and which, perhaps,
belonged to her mother. 