The Skin of Our Teeth

The third act takes place in the Antrobus’s living room, but the walls are now leaning haphazardly, and some of the flats are missing. A bugle sounds, and offstage, “some red Roman fire is burning” (91). Sabina enters, dirty and dressed like one of the women that famously followed the Napoleonic armies at wartime. She calls for Maggie and Gladys, announcing that the war has ended. When she receives no response, she wonders if they’re alive, noting that she saw George, and he will be returning this afternoon. He told her, “Now that the war’s over, we’ll all have to settle down and be perfect” (92). Mr. Fitzpatrick, trailed by the rest of the company, steps onstage and tells Sabina/Miss Somerset that he needs to interrupt her momentarily. The actor who plays George enters, and at Mr. Fitzpatrick’s request, explains that seven cast members have become very sick and been sent to the hospital. Although there aren’t enough understudies to cover that many sick actors, some of the crew members have agreed to step in, introducing Mr. Tremayne (his dresser and a former actor), Hester (the wardrobe mistress), Ivy (Miss Somerset’s maid), and Fred Bailey (the usher captain).