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.