The Straw by Eugene O'Neill — Read

Characters Bill Carmody Mary } Nora } _his children_ Tom } Billy } Doctor Gaynor Fred Nicholls Eileen Carmody, _Bill's eldest child_ Stephen Murray Miss Howard, _a nurse in training_ Miss Gilpin, _superintendent of the Infirmary_ Doctor Stanton, _of the Hill Farm Sanatorium_ Doctor Simms, _his assistant_ Mr. Sloan Peters, _a patient_ Mrs. Turner, _matron of the Sanatorium_ Miss Bailey } Mrs. Abner } _Patients_ Flynn } Other Patients of the Sanatorium Mrs. Brennan

_The kitchen of the Carmody home on the outskirts of a manufacturing town in Connecticut. On the left, forward, the sink. Farther back, two windows looking out on the yard. In the left corner, rear, the icebox. Immediately to the right of it, in the rear wall, a window opening on the side porch. To the right of this, a china cupboard, and a door leading into the hall where the main front entrance to the house and the stairs to the floor above are situated. On the right, to the rear, a door opening on to the dining room. Further forward, the kitchen range with scuttle, wood box, etc. In the centre of the room, a table with a red and white cloth. Four cane-bottomed chairs are pushed under the table. In front of the stove, two battered wicker rocking chairs. The floor is partly covered by linoleum strips. The walls are papered a light cheerful colour. Several old framed picture-supplement prints hang from nails. Everything has a clean, neatly-kept appearance.