The Octette Bridge Club

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The Octette Bridge Club is a melodrama by P.J. (Philip James) Barry. Set in Providence, Rhode Island from 1934 to 1944, the play centers around eight elderly sisters who meet every other Friday to play bridge and socialize. It debuted in March 1985 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City.

[edit] Summary

The Octette Bridge Club is in two acts. Act One, set in 1934, begins with the group being photographed for a local newspaper feature. Act Two takes place a decade later on Halloween, when each sister assumes the role of her costume. The bridge club meets in the living room of Ann Conroy.

[edit] The characters

Martha McDermitt. The widowed eldest sister known for her sense of repsonsibilty and stern personality.
Mary Margaret Donovan. Never married, Mary lives with younger sister Alice and her husband. Quiet and kind. In Act Two, Mary is wheelchair-bound and has a slight speech impediment from a stroke.
Nora Hiller. Easy-going, but devoted to her husband and children.
Connie Emerson. The wise-cracker of the group. Has bad back problems in act II. A big supporter of Betsy.
Alice Monahan. Married, but has no children. Older sister Mary lives with the couple.
Ann Conroy. A no-nonsense schoolteacher who hosts the bridge nights.
Lil Carmody. A free-spirit who plays piano for the sisters' Halloween costume contest.
Betsy Bailey. The youngest sister, Betsy is struggling to find her own identity. Married with two children.