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Scene Study prepares you to perform key scenes for your theater class or audition. We've got all the information you need for a great performance.

Excerpt from Act 2 Dialogue: Rummy Mitchens, Snobby Price, Peter Shirley, Jenny Hill

 

PRICE

Wot! Oh Rummy, Rummy! Respectable married woman, Rummy, gittin rescued by the Salvation Army by pretendin to be a bad un. Same old game!

RUMMY

What am I to do? I can’t starve. Them Salvation lasses is dear good girls; but the better you are, the worse they likes to think you were before they rescued you.

Read the full dialogue.
 

 

Understanding the Given Circumstances

  • In London’s East End of 1906, a cold January wind blows through the courtyard of the West Ham shelter of the Salvation Army, an old warehouse surrounded by factories and working-class slums.
  • Major Barbara Undershaft, the daughter of a wealthy arms manufacturer, runs the shelter, whose mission is to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and save souls for God.
  • Jenny Hill works at the shelter, assisting Major Barbara by handing out meals and welcoming newcomers.
  • It is lunchtime at the shelter, where free meals consist of bread with margarine and syrup and a mug of diluted milk. 
  • A regular at the shelter, elderly Rummy Mitchens (initially known as The Woman) sits at a table eating her lunch.
  • Young and unemployed, workman Snobby Price (initially known as The Man) finishes his lunch and walks around to get warm, occasionally breaking into a dance.

 

Blocking and Movement

In theater, blocking is the process of planning the actors’ physical movements and positions. Be sure to show respect and establish trust when working with scene partners. As you prepare to block this scene, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Shaw gives a detailed description of the West Ham shelter. For your scene, what furniture and hand props are needed? How will you use props and furniture to illustrate your physical state and mood? 
  • During the scene, Jenny Hill leads Peter Shirley through the yard gate of the shelter. Is the gate upstage or downstage? Without scenery, where is the entrance to the shelter?
  • What costume pieces and gestures can help convey the cold? Are you wearing a coat, scarf, hat, and/or gloves? Are you pulling your coat tight around your body? Pulling your hat low over your ears? Rubbing your cold hands together? How does your physicality reflect your character’s experience of being exposed to the elements?
  • Elderly and “hard-worn,” Rummy feels at ease in the courtyard and curious about Snobby. How does her movement and line delivery reflect this?
  • How does Snobby’s pride and self-justification manifest in his physicality and gift of gab?
  • Does the interaction between Rummy and Snobby change when they realize they are both gaming the system? How do they ingratiate themselves for free meals?
  • How does Peter Shirley’s physicality and tempo of his line delivery show exhaustion, hunger, and age? Does he want charity, respect, or a job?
  • Jenny is young and dedicated. How does her movement reflect this? How and when does she show her exhaustion?

 

Meaning in Heightened Language

In Major Barbara, Shaw employs heightened language, grammar, and dialect to differentiate class status. Andrew Undershaft, Major Barbara, her family, and the fiancés use sophisticated language, impeccable grammar, and crisp English diction as members of the upper class. When talking about principles or visions for the future, they also use poetic imagery, alliteration, and literary references to add grandeur or emphasis to their speech. In contrast, the characters at the Salvation Army speak simply, often with questionable grammar, slang, and a Cockney dialect synonymous with the working class of London’s East End.

As you prepare your scene, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • To help you with the Cockney dialect, first read your lines slowly out loud exactly as Shaw spelled the words. Look up any slang you don’t understand. Pay particular attention to the dropped endings of words and the dropped “h” at the beginning of words.
  • Snobby has the thickest Cockney accent of all the characters. Is his accent a lack of education, local pride, or laziness?
  • Rummy’s accent is definitely present but less pronounced than Snobby’s. What might Rummy’s accent say about her life before we meet her?
  • Although Peter Shirley is working class, he doesn’t have a Cockney accent; rather, he just has an occasional lapse in grammar. Is this likely the result of more education than the other characters or something he taught himself? What might this indicate about his character and work ethic?
  • Jenny uses simple language but speaks proper English without an accent. How does this allow her to be successful with both classes? 

 

Full Act 2 Dialogue: Rummy Mitchens, Snobby Price, Peter Shirley, Jenny Hill

 

THE WOMAN

Feel better otter your meal, sir?

THE MAN

No. Call that a meal! Good enough for you, props; but wot is it to me, an intelligent workin man.

THE WOMAN

Workin man! Wot are you?

THE MAN

Painter.

THE WOMAN

[sceptically] Yus, I dessay.

THE MAN

Yus, you dessay! I know. Every loafer that can’t do nothink calls isself a painter. Well, I’m a real painter: grainer, finisher, thirty-eight bob a week when I can get it.

THE WOMAN

Then why don’t you go and get it?

THE MAN

I’ll tell you why. Fust: I’m intelligent—fffff! it’s rotten cold here [he dances a step or two]—yes: intelligent beyond the station o life into which it has pleased the capitalists to call me; and they don’t like a man that sees through em. Second, an intelligent bein needs a doo share of appiness; so I drink somethink cruel when I get the chawnce. Third, I stand by my class and do as little as I can so’s to leave arf the job for me fellow workers. Fourth, I’m fly enough to know wots inside the law and wots outside it; and inside it I do as the capitalists do: pinch wot I can lay me ands on. In a proper state of society I am sober, industrious and honest: in Rome, so to speak, I do as the Romans do. Wots the consequence? When trade is bad—and it’s rotten bad just now—and the employers az to sack arf their men, they generally start on me.

THE WOMAN

What’s your name?

THE MAN

Price. Bronterre O’Brien Price. Usually called Snobby Price, for short.

THE WOMAN

Snobby’s a carpenter, ain’t it? You said you was a painter.

PRICE

Not that kind of snob, but the genteel sort. I’m too uppish, owing to my intelligence, and my father being a Chartist and a reading, thinking man: a stationer, too. I’m none of your common hewers of wood and drawers of water; and don’t you forget it. [He returns to his seat at the table, and takes up his mug]. Wots YOUR name?

THE WOMAN

Rummy Mitchens, sir.

PRICE

[quaffing the remains of his milk to her] Your elth, Miss Mitchens.

RUMMY

[correcting him] Missis Mitchens.

PRICE

Wot! Oh Rummy, Rummy! Respectable married woman, Rummy, gittin rescued by the Salvation Army by pretendin to be a bad un. Same old game!

RUMMY

What am I to do? I can’t starve. Them Salvation lasses is dear good girls; but the better you are, the worse they likes to think you were before they rescued you. Why shouldn’t they av a bit o credit, poor loves? They’re worn to rags by their work. And where would they get the money to rescue us if we was to let on we’re no worse than other people? You know what ladies and gentlemen are.

PRICE

Thievin swine! Wish I ad their job, Rummy, all the same. Wot does Rummy stand for? Pet name props?

RUMMY

Short for Romola.

PRICE

For wot!?

RUMMY

Romola. It was out of a new book. Somebody me mother wanted me to grow up like.

PRICE

We’re companions in misfortune, Rummy. Both on us got names that nobody cawnt pronounce. Consequently I’m Snobby and you’re Rummy because Bill and Sally wasn’t good enough for our parents. Such is life!

RUMMY

Who saved you, Mr. Price? Was it Major Barbara?

PRICE

No, I come here on my own. I’m goin to be Bronterre O’Brien Price, the converted painter. I know wot they like. I’ll tell em how I blasphemed and gambled and wopped my poor old mother—

RUMMY

[shocked] Used you to beat your mother?

PRICE

Not likely. She used to beat me. No matter: you come and listen to the converted painter, and you’ll hear how she was a pious woman that taught me me prayers at er knee, an how I used to come home drunk and drag her out o bed be er snow white airs, an lam into er with the poker.

RUMMY

That’s what’s so unfair to us women. Your confessions is just as big lies as ours: you don’t tell what you really done no more than us; but you men can tell your lies right out at the meetins and be made much of for it; while the sort o confessions we az to make az to be wispered to one lady at a time. It ain’t right, spite of all their piety.

PRICE

Right! Do you spose the Army’d be allowed if it went and did right? Not much. It combs our air and makes us good little blokes to be robbed and put upon. But I’ll play the game as good as any of em. I’ll see somebody struck by lightnin, or hear a voice sayin “Snobby Price: where will you spend eternity?” I’ll ave a time of it, I tell you.

RUMMY

You won’t be let drink, though.

PRICE

I’ll take it out in gorspellin, then. I don’t want to drink if I can get fun enough any other way.

(Jenny Hill, a pale, overwrought, pretty Salvation lass of 18, comes in through the yard gate, leading Peter Shirley, a half hardened, half worn-out elderly man, weak with hunger.)

JENNY

[supporting him] Come! pluck up. I’ll get you something to eat. You’ll be all right then.

PRICE

[rising and hurrying officiously to take the old man off Jenny’s hands] Poor old man! Cheer up, brother: you’ll find rest and peace and appiness ere. Hurry up with the food, miss: e’s fair done. [Jenny hurries into the shelter]. Ere, buck up, daddy! She’s fetchin y’a thick slice o breadn treacle, an a mug o skyblue. [He seats him at the corner of the table].

RUMMY

[gaily] Keep up your old art! Never say die! 

SHIRLEY

I’m not an old man. I’m ony 46. I’m as good as ever I was. The grey patch come in my hair before I was thirty. All it wants is three pennorth o hair dye: am I to be turned on the streets to starve for it? Holy God! I’ve worked ten to twelve hours a day since I was thirteen, and paid my way all through; and now am I to be thrown into the gutter and my job given to a young man that can do it no better than me because I’ve black hair that goes white at the first change? 

PRICE

[cheerfully] No good jawrin about it. You’re ony a jumped-up, jerked-off, orspittle-turned-out incurable of an ole workin man: who cares about you? Eh? Make the thievin swine give you a meal: they’ve stole many a one from you. Get a bit o your own back. [Jenny returns with the usual meal]. There you are, brother. Awsk a blessin an tuck that into you. 

SHIRLEY

[looking at it ravenously but not touching it, and crying like a child] I never took anything before. 

JENNY

[petting him] Come, come! the Lord sends it to you: he wasn’t above taking bread from his friends; and why should you be? Besides, when we find you a job you can pay us for it if you like. 

SHIRLEY

[eagerly] Yes, yes: that’s true. I can pay you back: it’s only a loan. [Shivering] Oh Lord! oh Lord! [He turns to the table and attacks the meal ravenously]. 

JENNY

Well, Rummy, are you more comfortable now? 

RUMMY

God bless you, lovey! You’ve fed my body and saved my soul, haven’t you? [Jenny, touched, kisses her] Sit down and rest a bit: you must be ready to drop. 

JENNY

I’ve been going hard since morning. But there’s more work than we can do. I mustn’t stop. 

RUMMY

Try a prayer for just two minutes. You’ll work all the better after. 

JENNY

[her eyes lighting up] Oh isn’t it wonderful how a few minutes prayer revives you! I was quite lightheaded at twelve o’clock, I was so tired; but Major Barbara just sent me to pray for five minutes; and I was able to go on as if I had only just begun. [To Price] Did you have a piece of bread?

PRICE

[with unction] Yes, miss; but I’ve got the piece that I value more; and that’s the peace that passeth hall hannerstennin.

RUMMY

[fervently] Glory Hallelujah! 

JENNY

That makes me so happy. When you say that, I feel wicked for loitering here. I must get to work again.

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