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S-4
A Short Play
By Jim Dalglish
On December 17, 1927 the USS Paulding rammed the USS S-4 Submarine a quarter mile off Woods End Light near Provincetown, Massachusetts. The submarine sank to the ocean floor in 100 feet of water.
Of the 42 mean on board, 6 fled into the torpedo room and managed to survive for four days as emergency crews tried to rescue them. This is the story of the last hours of the S-4.
Characters
Seaman Buster Harris - Large, powerful man in his mid forties.
Signalman Dewey Victor Haney - Young sailor - early 20s.
Setting
Iron hull of the inside of a US submarine, circa 1927 - six to ten feet across and 6 feet high. NOTE: the “hull” need only be a piece of wall that resembles iron.
Tony Travostino and Michael Eisenstein
Time
December 18, 1927
Length
15 mins.
Type
Short play; Two-hander
Themes
Duty; loyalty; overcoming fear; male camaraderie; gays in the military; male intimacy
Acting Class Scenes
Entire play: dialog between two males.
Script Completed
2005
Production History
Fall Playwrights Festival, Provincetown Theater, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 10/30/08 - 11/02/08
Short Play Marathon, Culture Park, New Bedford, Massachusetts 11/2005
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