y separately published work icon Pandora's Daughter single work   drama   - Three acts
Issue Details: First known date: 1964... 1964 Pandora's Daughter
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Felicity, who has just finished school, lives in a 'Time-warp' house with her father and aunt. Her mother has lived overseas for ten years. The father is in line for a job appointment to London and his daughter will be required to be hostess, even though she would prefer to go to university — which father thinks would be wasted on a woman. (The play is set in 1959 and echoes the social mores of the time). Is the boss's son who has arrived and taken an interest in Felicity his father's son?' (Source: Helen Haenke Plays Table - Fryer Library, University of Queensland)

Notes

  • Characters

    Felicity Ryder: 18, unconsciously pretty, introspective.

    Ethel Ryder: Felicity's aunt, 50ish.

    Sam Ryder: Felicity's father, a little younger than Ethel.

    Colin Bakeney: 28, son of Sam's employer.

    Dora Ryder: Felicity's mother, right side of 40.

    Set

    The scene is the living-room of Sam's house. It is an old home, with its Victorian furniture and furnishings perpetuated. The walls, curtains and venetian  blinds are a serviceable and unattractive deep green. There is a Victorian lounge-suite, beautifully preserved, of couch, grandfather and grandmother chairs, and six hollow-backed upright ones. Ideally these would be covered in black horsehair; otherwise something serviceable, colourless and unattractive. An oval table. Something large against one wall - say, a bookcase full of bound editions or a fireplace and over-mantel. Opposite wall, onto street, has french-doors. The back of the room is arched into the hall - a wide arch. You can see the stairs going up right, the door to the study near the stair-foot, but the front door is behind the archway. There is a door and kitchen. Two small half-tables - one with telephone near dining-room door, against archway; the other somewhere near french doors. Possibly a couple of large gloomy paintings, executed by Sam's mother. But don't overdo them, or the bric-a-brac.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1964
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Helen Haenke Collection Helen Haenke , 1955-1989 14265233 1955 archive

    The University of Queensland's Fryer Library holds a substantial collection of Helen Haenke's literary works. The collection includes plays, short stories, novels, poems, and prose, all in manuscript form. Several of these works were published, but only the manuscript and electronic text versions are included in the collection. 

    1955-1989
      1964 .
      Extent: 47l.p.
      (Manuscript) assertion
      Note/s:
      • The Helen Haenke Collection at the University of Queensland's Fryer Library holds one copy of 'Pandora's Daughter'. The script has been typed with a typewriter onto thin white paper, apart from the second page of the manuscript which is handwritten on pale brown paper—it may only be brown with age. The first page of the script states that the play is by 'Epimethea', but this has been crossed out with pen and the author's name has been hand written underneath. The second page of the script, which is entirely hand written, details the characters and a description of the scene. There is also a small drawing of a bird's eye view of the stage. Towards the bottom of the page 'Pandora's Daughter' and 'A Little Show of Loving' are written in lead pencil. The third page of the script has the same character list as the second page, but with less description. It also has the same scene description as the second page but with more information. There is a larger and more comprehensive drawing of a bird's eye view of the stage. Throughout the script, several pieces of yellow paper have been taped in to make alterations.

Last amended 4 Apr 2019 16:07:04
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