Ancient History

by David Ives

Ruth and Jack, both in their mid-thirties, believe themselves perfectly suited to each other. But when Ruth suddenly mentions marriage, a subtle but ominous change is felt in their relationship. As it happens, Ruth is Jewish. Jack is a lapsed Catholic who scorns religion; she is career oriented and bent on success, he is a poorly paid teacher who is happy to settle for what he has; she fears her stern parents would never accept her marrying a non-Jewish man; he has already been through one failed marriage and is wary of repeating his mistake. And while the mood at first is light-hearted and filled with brightly humorous lines, it is also punctuated by the random ringing of an unseen phone - at which times the protagonists quickly vary the mood and express their secret feelings and recriminations in brief, often caustic, monologues. Later, no holds are barred, and the irreconcilable differences between which were largely sublimated in the beginning now burst forth in full fury, leading to a monumental explosion and, apparently, Ruth and Jack's acceptance of the sobering truth that there is more that divides them than unites them.

Genres: Plays, Theatre

72 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 1990

About the author

A contemporary American playwright whose plays often consist of one act and are generally comedies. They are notable for their verbal dexterity, theatrical invention, and quirky humor.

He earned his MFA in Playwriting from The Yale School of Drama. A Guggenheim Fellow in playwriting, David is probably best known for his evening of one-act comedies called "All In the Timing". The show won the Outer Critics Circle Playwriting Award, ran for two years Off-Broadway, and in the 1995-96 season was the most-performed play in the country after Shakespeare productions.

Reviews

[Ted Zayka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one act play contains a great balance of comedy and tragedy, largely intertwined. There are some very tender, heartbreaking moments, and anyone been involved in a relationship can relate to Ives' play. It's very honest, and written in a way that is real, and hits home. It's worth a read, even if you aren't a student of the stage.

[Andy Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easily a 3.5 ⭐️ read, but the ending for this needed to be less ambiguous in order to earn a 4-star rating. Definitely worth the time spent reading it with my “gewiya.”

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before All in the Timing, David Ives wrote this. I'd've loved to see this performed.