Trifles by Susan Glaspell, a Concrete Timbre & d'moiselles production in NYC

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I'm not supposed to be here.
I'm an actor representing Susan Glaspell.

I have no place in this play. I, Susan Glaspell, wrote this play in 1916.

I wrote it about something that happened in 1900,

something I covered in my career as journalist before I was a Pulitzer prize winning playwright.

You'll recall that in 1916, women in this country did not have the right to vote.

Yet, here I was writing this little play.

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I hope you like this little play, Trifles.

It is the first play I ever wrote.

The play takes place in the kitchen of a very old farmhouse around 1900.

You'll see mister Henderson with the notebook, played by Seth. He's the county attorney.

Mister and missus Hale, they are neighbors, played by James and Sally.

Leading them is mister Peters, played by David, who is also the sheriff.

When I'm not in a play, my name is Melinda.

In addition to playing Susan Glaspell, I also play the sheriff's wife in Trifles.

And you can now call me, missus Peters.

[Atttorney] There's air through there. There's a high tide right there, which is invisible to the

eye. You alright, missus Peters?
[Mrs. Peters] Oh, yes. We have ice and I've broken it.

[Sheriff] It should be warmer inside.

This feels good.

Step up to the fire, ladies.
[Mrs. Peters] Oh, I'm not cold.

[Sherriff]now, mister Hale, before we move things about, you explained to mister Henderson just what

you saw when you came here yesterday morning.

[Henderson] By the way, has anything been moved?

Are things just as you left them yesterday? It's just the same.

[Hale] When I dropped below zero last night, I thought I'd better send Frank out this

morning to make a fire for us. No use to get pneumonia with a big case on. But I told him not

to touch anything except the stove, and you know Frank.

Somebody should have been left here yesterday. Oh, yesterday.

When I had to send Frank out to Morris Center for that man

who went crazy, I want you to know I had my hands full yesterday.

I knew you could get back from Omaha by today, and as long as I went over

everything here myself. Well, mister Hale, tell just what happened when you came

here yesterday morning. Well, Harry and I was headed to town with a load of

potatoes. We come a long road from my place, and when we got here, I

said I'm gonna go see if I can't get John Wright to go in with me on a party telephone.

I spoke to Wright about it before, but he put me off saying folks talk

too much anyway, and all he asked was peace and quiet.

I guess you know about how much he talked himself. But I thought maybe if I talked about it

before his wife, though I said to Harry, I didn't know what his wife wanted made much difference

to John. Let let let's talk about that later, mister. I do wanna talk about

it, but tell now just what happened when you got to the house. No. No.

I didn't see or hear anything. I I knocked at the door, and it was still it was all quiet inside.

I knew they must be up. It was past 08:00, so I knocked again.

And I thought I heard somebody say, come in. Mhmm. I wasn't sure. I'm not

sure yet, but I opened the door this door, and there in that rocker said missus Wright.

[Henderson] What was she doing?
[Hale] She's rocking back and forth.

She had her apron in her hand and was kinda pleading at it. Mhmm. How'd

she look? Well, she looked queer.
[Henderson] How do you mean queer?

Well, as if she didn't know what she's gonna do next. It it kinda done up.

[Henderson] How did she seem to feel about your coming?
[hale] I don't think she minded one

way or another. She didn't pay much attention. I I said, how do, missus Wright? It's cold, ain't

it? She said, is it? And just went on and pleating at her apron.

Well, I was surprised. She didn't ask me to come up to the stove or to sit down, but just

sat there rocking back and forth, not looking at me. So I said I'd come to see

if John wanted to put in a telephone, and then she laughed. Now I I guess you'd call it a laugh.

I thought of Harry and the team outside, so I said a little sharp. Can't

I see John? No, she said. Kinda dull like. Why ain't he at home? Says

I. Yes, says she. He's at home. Well, then why can't I see him? I

asked her out of patience. Because he's dead, says she.

Dead, says I. And she just nodded her head, not getting a bit excited, but

roping back and forth. Well well, where is he? I says. And not knowing what

to say, she just pointed upstairs. Well, like that, I got up with the idea of going up there. I I

walked from there to here, and then I said, well, well, what did he die

of? He died of a rope around his neck, said she.

Just went on a pleating in her apron. Well, I thought I might need help. I went out and

called Harry. We went upstairs, and and there he was just a black. [Henderson]I think I'd rather you

point that upstairs when we get up there. Alright. Just go on now with the rest of

your story. [Hale] Well, my first thought was to get that rope off. It looked up.

But, Harry, he went up to him and he said, no. He's dead alright, and we'd

better not touch anything. So we come back downstairs, and she was still sitting that same

way. I said, is, has anybody been notified, missus Wright? No. She said, unconcerned.

Well, now who did this? Harry said, to missus Wright. I don't know, she says. You

don't know, says Harry. No, says she. Well, weren't you sleeping in the bed with him, says Harry?

Yes, says she. But I was on the inside. You mean somebody put a rope around his neck

and strangled him, and you didn't wake up, Harry said? I didn't wake up, she

said after him. But we must have looked as if we didn't see how that could be.

For for after a minute, she said, I sleep sound. Well, Harry was gonna ask her more

questions, but I said maybe we ought to let her tell her story first to the sheriff or

the coroner. Mhmm. So Harry went fast as he could to Rivers' place where there's a

telephone. Okay. [Henderson] And what did missus Wright do when she knew you'd gone for

the coroner? [Hale]Well well, she moved from that chair to this one right here, and

she just kinda sat there with her hands held together looking down. Mhmm. Now I got

the feeling that I'd make some conversation, so I said I'd come

see if John wanted to put in a telephone. Then she laughed,

Then she stopped. And she looked at me scared.

I don't know. Now maybe it wasn't scared. I I wouldn't like to say it was.

But soon Harry got back, and then doctor Lloyd came and and then you, mister

Peters. And I guess that's all I know that you don't.

[Henderson] Well, I guess we'll go upstairs and then out to the barn and around there.

You're convinced there was nothing important here? Nothing that would point to any motive?

[Sheriff] Nothing here but kitchen things.

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Here's a nice mess.
[Peters] Oh, her fruit. It did freeze.

She worried about that when it grew so cold. She said her fire would go

out and the jars would break. [Sheriff] Well, can you beat the women, help her murder

and worrying about her preserves? Well, I guess before we're through, she may have something

more important than preserves to worry about. [Hale] Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.

[Henderson] And yet, for all their troubles and worries, what will we do with other ladies?

Dirty towels. Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies? There's a great deal of work

to be done on the farm. Well, to be sure. And yet I know of some Dixon County

farmhouses which do not have such roller towels. [Hale] Well, those towels get dirty awful quick.

Men's hands are not awful as as clean as they might be.

[Henderson] Loyal to your sex, I see. But you and missus Reitwood neighbors, I suppose you

were friends too? [Hale] I did not see much of her in late years. I've not been in this house

in my life. [Henderson] And why was that? You didn't like her? [Hale] Oh,

I liked her all well enough. Farmers wise have got their hands full, mister Henderson, and then

Yes. Never seemed a very cheerful person.

No. Not cheerful. I shouldn't say she had the home making instinct.

[Hale] Well, I don't know. It's not dirty.
[henderson] You mean they didn't get on very well?

[hale] No. I don't mean anything. I just

I don't think it plays me any cheerful in her jaw rack.

[henderson]I'd like to talk to that later. I wanna go upstairs and get the light of things up there.

I suppose anything missus Peters does will be alright. She was to take in some

clothes for her, you know, and a few little things. We left in such a

hurry yesterday. Yes. But I'd like to see what you take, missus Peters, so I

can keep an eye out for anything that might be of use to us. Yes, missus Peters.

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[Peters] Well, I would hate to have men coming into my kitchen, snooping around and criticizing.

Of course. It's no more than their duty. Duty's alright, but I'll guess that Deputy Sheriff that

came out to make the fire, he might have got a little of this on.

Wish I thought of that sooner. Seems mean to talk about her and not having

things slipped up when she had to come home in such a hurry.

She had bread set. Shame about her fruit.

I wonder if it's all gone. No. I think maybe there's some luck, missus Peters.

Look here. It's cherries too.

I declare I believe it's the old one.

She's gonna feel awful bad after all her hard work and the hot weather. I

remember the afternoon I put up my chairs.

Well, I really must get those things from the front room closet. Are you coming

with me, missus Hale? You can help me carry them.

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My, it's cold in there. Right. It's close.

I think maybe that's why she kept so much to herself. You know, she didn't

even belong to the lady's aid. I suppose she thought she couldn't do her apartment.

When you don't enjoy things when you feel shabby.

She used to wear pretty clothes we lied with

back when she was Minnie Foster when the town girls sang in the choir.

Oh, my. That was thirty years ago. This all you was to take it? Well, she said she wanted an apron.

Funny thing to want because there isn't much to get you dirty in jail, Vivint's nose.

She said it was in the top drawer of that cabinet.

Yes. Here it is. And the little shawl that always hung behind the door.

Yes. There it is. Missus Peters. Yes, missus hale.

Do you think she did it? Oh, I don't know. Well, I don't think she did.

Asking about her apron and her little shawl and worrying about her fruit.

Mister Peters says it looks bad for her. Mister Henderson can be all sarcastic in

his speech, and he'll make fun of her saying she didn't wake up. Well, I

hope I guess John Wright didn't wake up when they threw that rope under his

neck. No. It's strange. They must have done it awful crafty and still.

They say it's such a funny way to kill a man making it all up like that. That's what

mister Hale says. He says there was a gun in the house, and that's what he can't understand.

[Peters] Mister Henderson said on the way over that what was needed for the case was a motive,

Something to show anger or sudden emotion.

[hale] Well, I don't see any signs of anger around here.

I wonder how the men are getting on upstairs. You know, it seems kind of a sneaky.

Locking her up and down and coming in here and trying to get her old house to turn against her. But,

[Peters] missus Hale, the law is the law.
[hale] I suppose it is, mister Peters.

You know, you better lose somebody to think till you won't feel it and go

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She was piecing a quilt. Oh, it's a mock camera pattern.

It's pretty, ain't it? I wonder, is she gonna quilt it or just knot it? They wonder if she was gonna

quilt it or just knot it.

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Frank's fire didn't do very much good up there, did he?

[Henderson] Let's get out to the barn and get that cleared up.

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[hale] I don't see this entrance so strange or taking up my time with

little things or waiting for them to get the evidence.

See something to laugh about. Of course. They have awful important things on their minds.

Missus Peevers, look at this. This is the part she was working on. And look

at the cellar. See, all the rest is nice and even. And look at this

here. It's all over the place. Why? It's as if she didn't know what she was up.

[Peters] Oh, what are you doing, missus Hale? Oh, I'm just fixing a stitcher too that's

not sewing very good. Bad sewing always make me fidgety.

I don't think we ought to touch things. Oh, I'll just finish up this little one here.

Missus Peters. Yes, missus Hailey. What does she thought she was so gross about? Oh, I don't know.

I don't know that she was nervous. I sometimes sew awful queer when I'm just tired.

Well, I really must get these things wrapped up. They may be through sooner than we think.

I wonder where I can find some paper and string.

In the cabin yet? [Peters] Why, here's a birdcage.

Did she have a bird, missus Hale? Why, I don't know what she did.

You know, there was a man who asked her to sell the canaries real cheap.

I don't know what she She took one. Maybe she did. She used to seem real pretty herself.

Seems strange to think of a bird here. But she must have

had one, or why would she have a cage? I wonder where it went.

Cat thought it meant it? No. She didn't have a cat. She's got that feeling

about cats some people have, being afraid of them. My cat got into her room

and she got real upset and asked me to take it out. My sister Bessie

was just like that. It was queried it.

Well, look at this door. It's broke. One hinges pulled apart.

It looks as if somebody been rough with it. Why, yes. The whole time, mister Hale?

Always should be able to find any evidence that'd be about it. I don't like this place.

Well, I sure am also glad you came with me, missus Hale. If you'd want

some for me sitting here alone. It would, wouldn't it?

I tell you what I do wish though, missus Peters.

I wish I had come out here sometime when she was here.

I wish I had. Of course, you were awful busy with your house and your children.

I could have come. I stayed away because I weren't cheerful. And that's why I ought to have clung.

I don't like this place.

Maybe because it's down in the highland, you don't see the milk.

I don't know what it is, but it's a known surprise. You know, it's

nice. But I sure wish I'd come see many foster sometime. I could see now

Oh, and you must have reproach yourself, missus Hale.

We often don't know how things are with other folks till something comes up. Not having children.

It makes less work, but it makes them all quiet. How's it right? No white

work and no coming in when they come in. Did you know John Wright, missus

Peterson? Not to know him. I've seen him in town a few times.

They say he was a good man. Good. Yes.

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Well, he ate his dance and he didn't drink. He kept his word as good as well with most, I guess, but

he was a hard man,

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low. Tell you what,

why don't you take that quilt in with the lingo? I take up her mind.

I think that's a nice idea, missus Hale.

There couldn't possibly be any objection to it, could there?

What just what would I take? I wonder if all her patches are in here and her things. Well,

here's some red. I bet some of her summer things are in here.

What a pretty box. Looks like something somebody might

have given you. I bet her scissors are in here.

Oh, now there's something wrapped up in a piece of silk. Oh, that's not her scissors.

Oh, missus Peters's. It's the bird. But missus Peters's neck.

Look at its neck. It's all other side too. Somebody wrung its neck.

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[Henderson] Well, ladies, have we decided if she was going to quilt it or knot it?

[Peters] The way you think she was going to knot it?
[Henderson] Well, that's interesting.

I'm sure. Does the bird flow?

[Hale] Cat died. Is there a cat?
[Peters] Well, not now. They're superstitious,

you know. They leave.

[Henderson] No sign of anyone having come from the outside, their own rope.

Let's get upstairs again and go over it piece by piece.

It would have had to have been someone who knew exactly

exactly She was gonna bury it.

It was pretty bugs.
[Peters] When I was a girl, my kitten,

there was a boy took a hatchet. And before my eyes and before I could

get there, if they hadn't held me back, I would have hurt him.

I wonder what it would feel like. Never had any any children in the house.

[Hale] Right when we left this bird, the thing inside,

she used to say, you killed that tooth. We don't know who killed the bird.

I mean, John right. It was an awful thing that happened here

that night, missus Hale. Killing a man while he slept.

Slipping a rope around his neck that choked the life out of him.

[Hale] His neck choked the life out of him?

We don't know who killed him. We don't know.

If there have been years and years of nothing and then a bird to send to you,

they also I know what stillness is.

[Peters] And we homesteaded in the Dakotas after my first baby died, and he was just two years old

and me with no other then.

[Hale] I assume these folks are gonna be through fond of the evidence.

[Peters] I know what stillness is.

The law has got to punish crime, missus Hale.

[Hale] I wish you would know Mimi Foster, but she wore a wet dress with grooves and stood

up on that choir and said, I

I wish I could come over and see what's on Johnson. That was a crime.

I just don't understand it. We musn't take on.

[Hale] Oh. [scoffs] She might have needed help. I know how things can be for women.

I tell you, it’s queer, Mrs. Peters.

We live close together and we live far apart. We all go through

the same things—it’s alljust a different kind of the same thing.

If I was you, I wouldn’t tell her her fruit was gone.

Tell her it ain’t. Tell her it’s all right. Take this in to show it to her.

She—she may never know whether it was broke or not.

[Peters] My, it's a good thing the men wouldn't hear. And they just laugh,

getting all stirred up about a little thing like a dead canary.

As if that could have anything to do with well, wouldn't they just laugh?

[Hale] Maybe they would. Maybe they would. No, Peters. It's all perfectly clear

except a reason for doing it.

[Henderson] But you know women and juries. There was some definite

thing, something to show, some

connection to this strange way of doing it.

[Sheriff] Well, I've got the team hooked up.

Pretty cold out there. Yeah. I'm gonna stay back here a while myself. You can

send Frank back for me, can't you? I wanna go over everything. I'm not satisfied we can't do better.

[Sheriff] You wanna see what missus Peters is gonna take in?

[Henderson] No. They're not very dangerous things the ladies have picked out, and

missus Peters doesn't need supervising. For that matter, a sheriff's wife is married to the law.

You ever think of it that way, missus Peters?
[peters] Not just that way.

Married to the law.

[Sheriff] George, I just want you to come here for a minute. We ought to take a look at the windows.

[henderson] Oh. Windows. We'll be right out, mister Hale.

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Well, Henry, at least we found out

She was not going to quilt it. She was going to,

what is it called ladies? We call it knotting, mister Henderson.

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