Trifles

Characters

Mrs. Peters

Mrs. Hale

Mrs. Wright

Sheriff Peters

Scene: Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters bringing Mrs. Wright her personal belongings.

Time Period of the Play

Mrs. Hale: Minnie how yer’ holding up?

Mrs. Wright: Alright I guess, how is my fruit?

Mrs. Peters: (nervously digging in her bag) Oh they are just fine, here we brought you one of you jars of cherries.

Mrs. Hale: Minnie (in a low tense manner), Mrs. Peters and I thought it was a good idea to bring some of the quilt boxes you were piecing together, you know to keep your mind off all this for a while, but as we gathered your sewing material we found-we found…

Mrs. Peters: This (pulling the dead bird from Mrs. Hale’s bag) poor dead bird!

Mrs. Wright: (Oblivious to the dead bird) Ah, my fruit! My apron, where is my apron?

Mrs. Hale: (In an elevated voice) The bird Minnie, what happened to the bird?

Mrs. Wright: (Raising a brow) The bird died, died like Mr. Wright. (Shivering) I’m cold and I just want to go back home.

Mrs. Peters: Mrs. Wright it will all be over soon, just tell the Sheriff everything that happened and you’ll be home in two shakes of a lambs tale.

Mrs. Wright: There is nothing to tell I was asleep and when I awoke he was just lying there, dead.

Mrs. Hale: Minnie there is no evidence of someone breaking into the house.

Mrs. Wright: I’m a heavy sleeper.

Mrs. Peters: (Looking down at the dead bird) Mrs. Wright this bird has had the life choked out of him, if I were to show this to Mr. Peters they’ll be sure to find you guilty.

Mrs. Wright: Guilty of what? I did everything for Mr. Wright, I loved him with all my heart, and I tried to give him children without any luck. (With tears in her eyes) He would beat me and ravage me. I still loved him. That bird was like my child, it brought me joy. We would sing together that little bird and I.

Mrs. Hale: (With a look of disgust) Minnie, if I would have…

Mrs. Wright: One night he was angry with me because I hadn’t cleaned, he pulled the bird out of his cage and- and (starting to cry) twisted its little neck. He said that women need to be disciplined and he pulled me into our room and ravaged my body (she then opened her blouse revealing bruises upon bruises).

Mrs. Peters: We should call upon Mr. Peters.

Mrs. Wright: No!

Mrs. Hale: But Minnie…

Mrs. Wright: I tied the rope around his neck as he slept, I was gentle. I loved him so (sobbing) but, I just couldn’t take the pain, so I knotted it and I pulled and pulled until he lay sound. (Wipes tears from her face) Did you bring my shawl too?

Sheriff Peters enters.

Sheriff: Even sitting in a jailhouse you can all talk it up some.

Mrs. Peters: Henry, Mrs. Wright, Minnie was only defending herself from her husband.

Sheriff: Excuse me?

Mrs. Hale: Minnie, show him your bruises.

Mrs. Wright reopens her blouse and shows the Sheriff.

Sheriff: Did John do this to you?

Mrs. Wright: (Nodding) Yes.

Sheriff: When Mrs. Wright?

Mrs. Wright: Last night.

Sheriff: Looks to me Mr. Wright got what he deserved.

Current Times

Mrs. Hale: Minnie how are ya feeling girl?

Mrs. Wright: Alright I guess. Did you bring my things?

Mrs. Peters: (Digging in her bag) Yeah, and your fruit was all in tip top condition.

Mrs. Hale: Listen,