The Voice of the Turtle (play)
Encyclopedia
The Voice of the Turtle is a comedic
Broadway
play
by John William Van Druten
dealing with the challenges of the single life in New York City
during World War II
. Controversial in its time, The Voice of the Turtle explores the sexual struggles of Sally Middleton, a young woman attempting to reconcile her childhood teachings on the importance of chastity
with her newfound affection for Bill Page. The play derives its name from a verse in the Song of Solomon
in the Bible
, which reads "The voice of the turtle [as in turtle dove
] is heard in our land." (2:10-13) On December 8, 1943 the show opened at the Morosco Theatre
and ran for 1,557 performances, making it the 48th longest-running show and the 9th longest-running play in Broadway history. In 1947 the stage play was adapted into a film of the same name starring Ronald Reagan
, Eleanor Parker
, Eve Arden
, and Wayne Morris.
for life in the big city, the married Broadway
producer
she has been seeing is quick to dump
her when he begins to feel she is ruining their relationship by falling in love with him. Heartbroken
, Sally confides her uncertainties in her friend Olive Lashbrooke, a promiscuous
, worldly girl, questioning the practicality of the lessons in chasteness she received as a child and wondering if she is alone in her passion, or if other women share these sensations.
Unbeknownst to Sally, Olive has a date planned with Bill Page, a Sergeant
in the United States Army
who happens to be on leave
for the weekend, and she has arranged for him to meet her at Sally's new apartment. At the last minute, however, Olive is asked on a date by another man, and she decides to stand up Bill for what she considers to be the better offer. Bill, still bitter over a love affair gone wrong from five years past, finds himself yet again hurt by love, and to make matters worse he has no hotel reservation, nor is there a nearby friend with whom he can stay. Devoid of any alternative, the two strangers find themselves bound together in Sally's apartment for the weekend, where they are forced to confront their fears of fidelity
and their ever-growing interest in one another.
at the Morosco Theatre
on December 8, 1943 where the show ran until October 13, 1947 when it briefly transferred to the Martin Beck Theatre. On November 25, 1947 the play transferred once more to the Hudson Theatre
, where it ran until its closing on January 3, 1948. Altogether, The Voice of the Turtle ran for 1,557 performances, making it the 48th longest-running show and the 9th longest-running play in the history of Broadway. Written and staged by John William Van Druten
, the show was produced
by Alfred De Liagre, Jr. with Alexander Haas in charge of conducting
and music arrangement. The opening night cast includes Margaret Sullavan
as Sally Middleton, Elliott Nugent
as Bill Page, and Audrey Christie as Olive Lashbrooke.
Comedy (theater)
Comedy is a word that Greeks and Romans confined to descriptions of stage-plays with happy endings. In the Middle Ages, the term expanded to include narrative poems with happy endings and a lighter tone. In this sense Dante used the term in the title of his poem, La Divina Commedia...
Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by John William Van Druten
John William Van Druten
John William Van Druten was an English playwright and theatre director, known professionally as John Van Druten. He began his career in London, and later moved to America becoming a U.S. citizen...
dealing with the challenges of the single life in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Controversial in its time, The Voice of the Turtle explores the sexual struggles of Sally Middleton, a young woman attempting to reconcile her childhood teachings on the importance of chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
with her newfound affection for Bill Page. The play derives its name from a verse in the Song of Solomon
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, which reads "The voice of the turtle [as in turtle dove
Turtle Dove
The European Turtle Dove , also known as Turtle Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes the doves and pigeons.-Distribution & Status:...
] is heard in our land." (2:10-13) On December 8, 1943 the show opened at the Morosco Theatre
Morosco Theatre
The Morosco Theatre was a legitimate theatre located at 217 West 45th Street in the heart of the theater district in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States....
and ran for 1,557 performances, making it the 48th longest-running show and the 9th longest-running play in Broadway history. In 1947 the stage play was adapted into a film of the same name starring Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Jean Parker is an American screen actress. Her versatility led to her being dubbed Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland.- Early life :...
, Eve Arden
Eve Arden
Eve Arden was an American actress. Her almost 60-year career crossed most media frontiers with supporting and leading roles, but she may be best-remembered for playing the sardonic but engaging title character, a high school teacher, on Our Miss Brooks, and as the Rydell High School principal in...
, and Wayne Morris.
Plot synopsis
The story begins on a Friday afternoon in early April as aspiring actress Sally Middleton has just finished moving into her new apartment in the East Sixties. Even though she has just left her home in Joplin, MissouriJoplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
for life in the big city, the married Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
she has been seeing is quick to dump
Relationship breakup
A relationship breakup, often referred to simply as a breakup, is the termination of a usually intimate relationship by any means other than death. The act is commonly termed "dumping [someone]" in slang when it is initiated by one partner...
her when he begins to feel she is ruining their relationship by falling in love with him. Heartbroken
Broken heart
A broken heart is a common metaphor used to describe the intense emotional pain or suffering one feels after losing a loved one, whether through death, divorce, breakup, physical separation or romantic rejection....
, Sally confides her uncertainties in her friend Olive Lashbrooke, a promiscuous
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
, worldly girl, questioning the practicality of the lessons in chasteness she received as a child and wondering if she is alone in her passion, or if other women share these sensations.
Unbeknownst to Sally, Olive has a date planned with Bill Page, a Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who happens to be on leave
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
for the weekend, and she has arranged for him to meet her at Sally's new apartment. At the last minute, however, Olive is asked on a date by another man, and she decides to stand up Bill for what she considers to be the better offer. Bill, still bitter over a love affair gone wrong from five years past, finds himself yet again hurt by love, and to make matters worse he has no hotel reservation, nor is there a nearby friend with whom he can stay. Devoid of any alternative, the two strangers find themselves bound together in Sally's apartment for the weekend, where they are forced to confront their fears of fidelity
Fidelity
"Fidelity" is the quality of being faithful or loyal. Its original meaning regarded duty to a lord or a king, in a broader sense than the related concept of fealty. Both derive from the Latin word fidēlis, meaning "faithful or loyal"....
and their ever-growing interest in one another.
Original Broadway production
The Voice of the Turtle debuted on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Morosco Theatre
Morosco Theatre
The Morosco Theatre was a legitimate theatre located at 217 West 45th Street in the heart of the theater district in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States....
on December 8, 1943 where the show ran until October 13, 1947 when it briefly transferred to the Martin Beck Theatre. On November 25, 1947 the play transferred once more to the Hudson Theatre
Hudson Theatre
The Hudson Theatre is a former Broadway theater located at 141 West 44th Street, in midtown Manhattan, New York. Today the Hudson functions as a conference center and television studio. It is owned by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.-History:...
, where it ran until its closing on January 3, 1948. Altogether, The Voice of the Turtle ran for 1,557 performances, making it the 48th longest-running show and the 9th longest-running play in the history of Broadway. Written and staged by John William Van Druten
John William Van Druten
John William Van Druten was an English playwright and theatre director, known professionally as John Van Druten. He began his career in London, and later moved to America becoming a U.S. citizen...
, the show was produced
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
by Alfred De Liagre, Jr. with Alexander Haas in charge of conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and music arrangement. The opening night cast includes Margaret Sullavan
Margaret Sullavan
Margaret Brooke Sullavan was an American stage and film actress. Sullavan started her career on the stage in 1929. In 1933 she caught the attention of movie director John M. Stahl and had her debut on the screen that same year in Only Yesterday...
as Sally Middleton, Elliott Nugent
Elliott Nugent
Elliott Nugent was an American actor, writer, and film director. He successfully made the transition from silent film to sound. He directed The Cat and the Canary , starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard...
as Bill Page, and Audrey Christie as Olive Lashbrooke.