Hello Readers,
I am Hinaba Sarvaiya, this blog is based on the one act played by Joe Corrie. We Know that the one act play means to perform in 20-40 minute play in one setting. Here I write a detailed one act play Tell It Not In Gath which is more informatics with small dialogues but is like a comedy in a satirical way.
About Author:-
According to T.S Eliot Joe Corrie is as
"The greatest Scot poet since Burns"
"Joe Corrie is a man with a gift of a vision of Beauty. He is set in the hard reality of a miner's life, lived in a Miner's row and vision and reality are in surging conflict."
-Mac Donald
Joe Corrie was born on 13 May 1894 to a collier father and a land-working mother. He was a Minerpoet, Scottish playwright and radical activist. He spent his first few years in Slamannan, south of Falkirk, before moving to Cardenden, in Fife, with his parents and his three younger siblings. At the age of fourteen, Joe left school and followed in his father’s footsteps, down the pits of Cardenden and Lochgelly. He worked there until the death of his father, in 1915, before moving to the mining village of Mauchline, for three years. Back in Cardenden, in 1918, 1918, Corrie made the acquaintance of Andrew Doig, a well-read pit electrician who became Joe’s mentor and encouraged him in writing.
In 1919, Corrie began to write poetry in a minute notebook, which has been preserved by the National Library of Scotland. On the first pages of his modest manuscript, Corrie wrote a dedication to Andrew Doig, ‘in testimony of my admiration and joy which I have derived during the course of many pleasant conversations’. The following twenty poems reflect Corrie’s themes, emotions, and politics as a young working-class writer.
Strongly influenced by Robert Burns, Corrie’s early pieces celebrate the common man against figures of temporal and spiritual authorities. His poems are inspired by the mining Communities of west Fife and explore Socialist themes.
He has extensive works of more than 75 published plays, six collections of poems, one collection of short stories, one novel and many unpublished songs and recordings.
Published works are The Poacher 1926, In Time O' Strife, poems are Hypocracy, The Image of God and The Road the Fiddler Went, The Miner 1921. His performances are Hogmanay, The Shillin-a-Week Man; both plays raised money to feed the miners during the General Strike.
He died on 13 Nov 1968 in Edinburgh his name is remembered in the corrie centre at Cardenden.
Meaning of the Gath:-
According to Collins Dictionary,
Old Testament
one of the five cities of the Philistines, from which Goliath came (I Samuel 17:4) and near which Saul fell in battle (II Samuel 1:20)
Philistines means:-
If you call someone a philistine, you mean that they do not care about or understand good art, music, or literature, and do not think that they are important.
Spiritual Meaning of Gath:-
A group of thoughts in the consciousness of man that believe in trial and look upon all experiences from the standpoint of seeming trial and suffering.
Trial meaning is the process in court of law where a judge listens to evidence and decides if somebody is guilty of a crime or not.
In the play Joe Corrie tells the story of Christian man who believes that the Christianity faith make a good man in the society but in the play mining people come and make atmosphere is bad to play a gambling of football coupon that why the all churchwarden come to the rectory and to discuss the problem of gambling. But in play it shows the other side of people that actually the gambling activities are not done only for mining people but also connected with the high reputed people. They won twenty thousand pounds for a football coupon at a time when they were not guilty of their crime. That is why the corrie says that the Tell It Not in Gath.
Settings of the Play:-
Tell It Not in Gath as a comedy play. Joe Corrie's short play. The play started in the small room where Arther Wesley and Marjory sit. The Scene setting as a room of the rectory at little Padley. It is a larger room, with typical but rather shabby furniture. In a room set on an oblong table, a sheet of record books, dark table cloth, inkstand, blotter bookcase is like a small bureau where Arther sits doing the works of Church.
In the fireplace there is a sofa, small table, bookstande and on the wall dimd the pictures of the parents of the Rev. Arthur Wesley. In the picture Arthur's father is depicted as on elderly bearded man in clerical garb. And his mother was portrayed as an elderly woman with greying hair and resigned expression.
Tell It Not in Gath Characters:-
Rev. Arthur Wesley:-
He was a man of nearly sixty. He was reactor of little padley Church. He worked to convert sinners to the Christian faith in the right proper way. He is ready to meet mining people and make a friend. He changes their bad habits and changes their hearts. He was a busy man his whole time in seeing the church and doing the work of church things. No time to waste all other things which are not connected to the Church. When play Started at that time he was an unhappy and discontented face because of things abouts the mining people who come and stay in the surrounding of Church and their doing a bad atmosphere because of their gambling habits . His biggest problem was to find a solution and how to stop. He asked other charchearden to discuss this problem and find a solution. In this play Arthur Wesley presented a vital role.
Marjory:-
Marjory presented the vital role in the play. She was the wife of Arthur Wesley. She is a few years younger than her husband. She lived in Little Padley Church. She crafts Knitting and sells her craft in Church Bazaar.
Miss Oliver:-
She was a slim spinster unmarried girl of thirty five years. She is also a member of the Church and she comes to the reactor to discuss the gambling problem of the Church. Wearing a homemade woollen dress. She feels peace when she comes to the rectory.
Miss Crundle:-
Miss Crundle was a stouter and ruddier lady. She wears a tweed costume, collar, tie and brogue shoes in the meeting. When she comes to the rectory feels blessed and calm. She put on a badminton tournament and joined the meeting at the rectory to find the solution of gambling.
Joseph Devinish:-
He was a dapper little man of fifty five years. He joined a meeting at the rectory. He was wearing a wing collar and bow tie with his smart suit. He sings in the choir and at local concerts. He always brings down the houses with 'Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes'. He was a businessman. He does choir practise every Sunday and sings in a choir in Church.
Sam Marden:-
Sam Marden was a hypocritical man in the play. He played a vital role in the play. When met, arrange in the rectory at times his appearance shows as a showcased man. He is dressed in heavy clothes with a stout gold watch chain. His trousers are rather baggy and his boots so heavy. He was a grocer man but might be taken for a farmer. He presented as an air of being the most important person in the rectory. His motto is "Never Absent, Never Late" . He is always looking at his gold watch so he is a punctual man. He was a chairman of the community council, district council and also churchwarden of Pedley Church. In the play he introduces me as Sam Marden. At the end of the play he won the twenty thousand pounds in football coupon. This news given by marjory at that time he became so hypocritical as to say that I give to church in one thousand pounds but one condition is that at times Arthur announced to the press that Sam Marden gave the thousand pounds for the welfare of the Church. He says that, "God works in a mysterious way his wonders to perform" here Sam Marden thinks that he was the most fortunate man in the world.
About the Play:-
Tell It Not In Gath short or comedy play by Joe Corrie. The play started with Arthur sitting in an armchair and reading a book. He is a man of nearly sixty with an unhappy and discontented face. His wife Marjory sits on the safe. She works as a knitter. She is some years younger than her husband. A few moments later Arthur heard the sound of the clock striking the hour seven. He talked on the telephone to arrange the meeting in the rectory. Marjory refused to not arrange the meeting here without her knowing. First to ask her to arrange the meeting here not without informing Arthur not to arrange a meeting in the rectory.
At that time both make some arguments with their right or reputation in the society. Marjory refused to talk about the rectory life she lived in the rectory. Marjory tells Arthur that she spent all the time cleaning the rector. She says that she cannot afford a searvet to help her. Arthur can afford to have a gardener. Arthur says that if people saw me doing gardening what they think about me. Marjory also gives what people think about when she worked as a housekeeper. This type of conversion happens then Arthur tells that holding a meeting with some of his chief parishioners to discuss the rampant betting now on amongst the mining families in the area. The meeting agenda is to discuss the scourge of gambling which has contaminated the villages in the coming of these miners.
Sam Marden, Miss Oliver, Miss Crundle, and Joseph Devinish all come to the rectory. All are members of the Padley Church and also a churchwarden. First they meet each other and greet everyone. Marjory asked one by one and did their formal greeting. Arthur tells the marjory to sit in another room then the meeting starts. All are sitting at a round table. Arthur started to meet with a formal tone to speak on behalf of the community council about this gambling. Marden first admired the place because the area became a business centre. They make more development here than miner people come and do such work here. A new coal mine was sunk at the bottom of padley hill and a new house was built for the four hundred miners who lived beside us. It makes them proud. But the big problem is their habit of gambling. Sam also says that the miner and their wives and their families use it as a place of betting on things called football coupons. This thing makes a bad atmosphere for Christianity and over faith. That is why we found some solution to stop the gambling in Little Padley Church and the atmosphere became peaceful and calm. Marden says that gambling is dangerous as well as serious and it's our duty as members of this church and churchwarden to put a stop to its root and branch.
Joseph Devinish gave suggestions that he read in a newspaper that to stop gambling at means to take action against these people and be arrested for such a thing like gambling. When the police report to the police they take action of this kind of activity. But the first question happened to who made a complaint against the miners or their bad habits of gambling. All tells that Sam Marden is the best person to write a complaint against the gambling but he ignored that he did not become an opponent of miner people because he made a complaint at that time this effect happer in his business he lost his business.
Sam Marden tells that the Arthur Wesley is best person to write complaint against the miners because he not lost anything because he works also surrounding of the Church that why is best person to make report against the miners. But Arthur gives the appropriate answer that the people trying to make friends with new mining people may persuade them to come to church. Make root to believe in Christian faith and I am the person to give the right way of their life. They forget their sin and become a purest soul. When Arther makes a complaint to the police gambling activities, will they not respect it?
At the biggest argument at time marjory comes to the room disturbing the members. But she says that Sam Marden's wife called her and tells the good news that Sam Marden won twenty thousand pounds on football coupons. This news was given by Old John who is the Sexton. This news hered at times Marden did not believe that he won the twenty thousand pounds in football coupons but he was so excited to become the richest person in Padley Church. His nature of hypocrisy was showing that to Arthur that "a man who with twenty thousand pounds in bank they can do anything, say anything and care nothing for anybody" all members of church who angry for this kind of activity done by Sam Marden and actually is very shameful things for every body who is churchwarden. Miss Crundle announces that mr. Marden was a horrible man.
At times Sam Marden is ready to give a one thousand pounds for welfare of the church but makes a one condition that is to announce in means reported in the press and tells that Sam Marden wants to leave little Padley with the folk blessing for his generosity. All the members are angry and tell Sam Marden to go to the rectory. All members do not think about this further and they think that to stop the meeting here because they can't get any solutions to stop the roots or branch of the gambling.
All have stopped meeting and going home without finding any solutions. Meeting ended in the unhappiest way. They all say goodnight and leave the rectory. End of the play changed the scene. Climax happens. Marjory comes to tell Arthur that she made a mistake to tell the truth. Sam Marden did not win the twenty thousand pounds in football coupons but actually I won this lottery. I tell the old John to fill the lottery coupons. We are lucky to win the twenty thousand pounds in football coupons and we have lived freely and far from the Little Padley Church. Marjory is so happy to win the twenty thousand pounds and here the play ends with another climax.
Start of the play we see the unhappy faces of Arthur Wesley and his wife but in the play we see that the unhappy faces became happy faces at the end of the play. Joe Corrie makes some satirical form within the comedy scene. He portrays the social problem of gambling, money is the biggest thing for everyone's lives, money gives the happiness of our life but actually the question is whether money gives the happiness of life or not? Joe Corrie presented the situation of Miner people who find the employee of the development area and they come to stay there. But how we think about miners who are always connected with bad habits and we try to purify them. This is all thought told by the superior people. Superior people always think that miners learn moral and good things which are made by well suited and highly reputed people and convert sinners into good souls and purify them. All the things Joe Corrie's presented in the comedy play Tell It Not In Gath. This play is short and very interesting dialogue makes a good impact and is easy to understand.
Important Quotations Of The Play:-
"I am the Rector and my word must be Law"
-Arthur Wesley
"I do a lot for you, and your Church "
-Marjory
"I do all the drudgery (પરિશ્રમ) of this big house and spend half my time on cold stone floors"
-Marjory
"God works in a mysterious way his wonders to perform"
-Sam Marden
"It seems that it's always those who don't deserve good fortune that get it"
-Miss Crundle
"They Way of the person is hard, where is the hope? Where can one find real faith?"
