a play by Braddon Mendelson

Provenance had two successful runs in 2024:
Curtain Call Performing Arts, Canyon Country, California
and The MAIN Theatre, Newhall, California

This intriguing play brings to life centuries-old tales imbued in the essence of an antique Louis XV handcrafted game table, as we trace its journey across the ages, revealing profound connections to those whose paths it crossed.

When two roommates learn the identity of the artisan who crafted an 18th century French game table, we travel backward through time to experience the stories of those who possessed it. From ordinary citizens to the rich and powerful, from presidents to prime ministers, their very essences coalesce into this arcane objet d’art.

In 1763, the mysterious cabinetmaker who brought the table into the world ponders its fate, wondering if its resilience and beauty will last over time and if the human spirit is equally robust.

Thought-provoking and poignant, Provenance promises an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Photos from the September 2024 Productions

DETAILS

8 Actors portray 24 Characters

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
(8 Actors portray 24 Characters)
ACTOR 1
Lisette (25), Kylie’s younger sister/roommate (2022)
Alice Simms (60), Ambassador Simms’s widow (1990)
Alice Simms (35), Ambassador Simms’s wife (1968)
ACTOR 2
Kylie (30), Lisette’s older sister/roommate (2022)
Minnie Abelson (25), the Abelsons’ daughter (1968)
Sally Hemings (16), Jefferson’s slave/handmaiden (1789)
ACTOR 3
Maureen Simms (70), Ambassador Simms’s daughter (2020)
Maureen Simms (40), Ambassador Simms’s daughter (1990)
Mama Abelson (40), wife of Papa Abelson (1940)
ACTOR 4
College Kid (20s), a college sophomore (2022/20)
Soldier’s Voice (offstage) (1863)
Apprentice (20-30), asst to Van Risenburgh (1763)
ACTOR 5
Ambassador Simms (40), an American diplomat (1968)
Thomas Jefferson (80), retired US president (1820)
Thomas Jefferson (39), US ambassador to France (1789) 
ACTOR 6
Philmore Jr. (60s), a street merchant (1925)
Philmore Sr. (40s), an emancipated slave (1863)
Woodcutter (any), a cutter-downer of trees (1759)
ACTOR 7
Charles de Gaulle (78), president of France (1968)
Old Quinn (70), a slaveholder (1863)
Young Quinn (30), a slaveholder (1820)
ACTOR 8
Papa Abelson (50), furniture store owner (1940)
Papa Abelson (35), furniture store owner (1925)
Bernard Van Risenburgh (63), 18th cent. cabinetmaker (1763)

Contemporary through 18th Century

An open stage with an 18th century French game table in the center represents all the scenes and their respective time periods

No set to build. 

Contemporary Costumes, Period Costumes

No Intermission

100 Minutes

Braddon's Plays

Braddon Mendelson | Encounter New Plays From an Award-Winning Playwright 

Get Some Good News

Keep up with Braddon's playwriting journey.

Sign up for his newlsetter.