The Scarecrow

(or The Glass of Truth).

   Percy Mac-Kaye's four-act drama (labeled a "tragedy of the ludicrous") opened on 17 January 1911 at the Garrick Theatre for 23 performances, having been performed at the Harvard University Dramatic Club in 1909. Despite its brief run, the play, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Feathertop," became a staple of little theatres and academic drama groups and was revived off-Broadway* in 1953. Set in 17th-century Massachusetts, The Scarecrow focuses on a witch seeking revenge. She transforms a scarecrow into a man she calls Lord Ravensbane and sends him to the house of Merton, a man who had betrayed her love. Ravensbane courts Merton's niece, Rachel, who is loved by Richard Talbot. Talbot exposes Ravensbane, who has developed a compassionate heart. To undo the witch's plans, Ravensbane destroys a brimstone-burning pipe and dies performing this selfless act. A 1972 public television* version of The Scarecrow starred Gene Wilder* and Blythe Danner.*