The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest is a 1934 two-act play by American playwright Robert E. Sherwood. It is a melodrama, with a large cast and one setting. The story takes place inside a cafe called the Black Mesa Bar-B-Q and Filling Station, on a lonely crossroads in eastern Arizona. The family who runs it, their employees, and some customers are taken hostage by a criminal gang which just pulled off a bloody jail break in Oklahoma City. The action all occurs in the course of one afternoon and evening in 1934. The title comes from the nearby petrified forest, where the drifting protagonist feels he belongs. The original play was produced by Gilbert Miller and Leslie Howard, in association with Arthur Hopkins. It was staged by Hopkins, had sets by Raymond Sovey, and starred Leslie Howard, with Peggy Conklin and Humphrey Bogart. It ran on Broadway from January thru June 1935, with four of the original cast then reprising their roles in the 1936 film version. The play had one minor revival on Broadway in 1943, and was adapted for television in 1955. This was the breakthrough role for Bogart, and thereafter he abandoned Broadway for the movies. The play was listed among the ten best of the season by critic Burns Mantle, but wasn't on the shortlist of four plays recommended for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Characters Listed in order of appearance within their scope. Leads Boze Hertzlinger is a young man, an ex-college football halfback, recently hired at the cafe. Gramp Maple is a garrulous old-timer who owns the business, but whose son Jason runs it. Gabrielle Maple called "Gabby", is Gramp's granddaughter who dreams of studying art in Paris. Alan Squier is 33, a drifter, a former writer from New England whose muse went silent. Duke Mantee is 35, a dangerous criminal on the lam with his gang, based on John Dillinger. Supporting Telegraph Lineman called Nick, is a young man, thin and outspoken, an admirer of Russia. Jason Maple runs the Black Mesa Bar-B-Q, a Great War veteran whose French war bride left him. Mr. Chisholm is 45, a wealthy banker from Dayton, Ohio, fussy but with a dry wit. Mrs. Chisholm is 35, attractive, stylish, and blasé, whom her husband calls "Edith". Jackie is "a short, chubby, cherubic gangster. He carries a sub-machine-gun and wears a cheery smile". Pyles is the getaway driver for Duke's gang, a tall, slender black man.