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| The Invention of Love
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 | Alfred Edward Housman, 50-70’s. Erudite, witty, passionate, Housman is the driving force of the play. With his entry into the afterlife, he is liberated from the confines of his mortal life. The confinements of his passions that he maintained so artfully during his life are now released and he can express himself naturally and with a new sense of freedom. As in Shakespeare’s ages of man, he has returned to his youth with an exuberance and spirit that are newly rediscovered. He also struggles with his internal conflicts that spill out of him uncontrollably – he has no choice but to exorcise his demons and his foibles. But, it is not torturous quite the opposite. He revels in his new freedom and reclaiming the love that eluded him. |
| Alfred Edward Housman, 20’s, The younger Housman is a maelstrom of ideas and emotions. Like his contemporaries, he is a young man learning the world and charting new territory on the landscape of the human condition. He is discovering his intellect, sensuality, and connections with others. He is out to prove himself, as competitive as his fellows. Yet, he has doubts about himself – his intelligence, his chance for success and most of all, his attraction to his friend. |
| Moses Jackson, 20’s. He could be described as a golden boy. He has an innate and natural confidence in himself, not showy or egocentric. It’s just he has no other way to conceive of himself. He is handsome, loyal, trusting, energetic, nonjudgmental, talented, physical and unreserved. He invites competition, but doesn’t gloat in his achievement. He has a genuine affection for Housman and is truly clueless to his friend’s true feelings. |
| Alfred William Pollard, 20’s. Friend to Housman and Jackson, Pollard is a smart, ambitious and social young man. He prides himself on his wit and sense of humor and has a competitive edge when it comes to his intellect. |
| Charon/Boatman, 30’s-50’s, ferryman of the Underworld, the mythic figure is more of a working stiff with an acerbic sense of humor seasoned from years of ferrying souls from their mortal to immortal lives. Charon lets most comments roll off the back, but can lose patience. |
| Chamberlain, 20’s, He is a fellow clerk with Housman at the Patent Office. He is worldly and witty with a keen judgment of people. Unlike his colleague, he is comfortable with himself and his true nature. |
| Katharine Housman, 20’s-30’s, Kate is Housman’s sister. She is smart, genuine and sympathetic. She takes care of the Housman family. In a different era she would have received more education and possibly been a scholar herself. |
| Oscar Wilde, 30’s-40’s. Brilliant, charming, devilishly humorous celebrity who reveled in his fame and expository wit. He defined a new age and knew it. He also understood the nature of man with ease and comfort. As a true aesthete, he is highly emotional and can leap from despair to delight with agility. |
| Mark Pattison, 30’s-50’s, Rector of Lincoln College, was a true classical scholar, who lived entirely in the things of the intellect. He writes of himself: "All my energy was directed upon one end--to improve myself, to form my own mind, to sound things thoroughly, to free myself from the bondage of unreason... If there is anything of interest in my story, it is as a story of mental development." He is skeptical of youth and their commitment to learning. |
| Walter Pater, 30’s-50’s, critic, essayist, Oxford scholar, was one of the early founders of the aesthetic movement, the belief and pursuit of beauty. The richness of his literary style is reflected in his desire to "burn with a hard, gem-like flame" and to live in harmony with the highest. He had considerable impact on one of the movement's leading proponents, Oscar Wilde, a former student of his at Oxford. He is more open-minded and appreciative of the modern than some of his fellow intellectuals. |
| John Ruskin, 30’s-60’s, art critic and Oxford professor, was one of the founders of the arts and crafts movement. He wrote over 250 works, which tended to connect art history to topics ranging from science, literary criticism, environmental conditions, and mythology. He is very opinionated and curmudgeon-like as he believes he invented opinion. |
| Benjamin Jowett, 30’s-50’s. Theologian, tutor, university reformer, master of Balliol college (Oxford), Jowett is most known for his writings on Plato. He is widely respected by his students, many who were prominent members of society. He is remembered a moralist who used the ancient texts as basis for modern study. He was not always attentive to details as the older Housman notes that Jowett mispronounced a Greek word in a lecture. |
| Henry Labouchere, 30’s-50’s. He is a prominent Liberal Member of Parliament and successful journalist. He is known for his sardonic wit, rebellious nature and fearlessness. |
| Frank Harris, 30’s-50’s. Prodigy newspaper editor and writer, colorful and entertaining, Harris embellished his early success with newspapers into writing. He lives to exaggerate in all elements of his life. |
| W.T. Stead, 30’s-50’s. Self-made, enthusiastic and sensational journalist and editor and imperialistic dreamer, he took on numerous campaigns to advance his ideas and prominence. He was one of the first to use the power of the press to make policy, most notably on child prostitution that led to the enactment of new laws. Later on, he sailed on the Titantic to visit America. While the ship sank he sat quietly reading a book in the First Class Smoking Room. |
| Jerome K. Jerome, 30’s-40’s. Though poor as a child, Jerome grew up to be a well-known humourist and newspaper editor. His humor was more wholesome and homespun. He is most remembered for his book “Three Men in a Boat” in which he wrote: I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. |
Performance Dates: January 27 - February 18
All roles are volunteer positions.
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