The Thirteenth Chair: A Play in Three Acts

In the elegant Italian‑room of a wealthy New York townhouse, the evening begins with a tender moment between William Crosby and his lover Helen O’Neill. Their affection is interrupted by the matriarch, Mrs. Crosby, whose sharp wit and easy charm keep the household buzzing with gossip and hidden resentments. As the family gathers around a grand dining table, hints of social ambition and forbidden romance surface, suggesting that not everything is as polished as the décor.

The convivial atmosphere soon darkens when the celebrated detective Inspector Donohue arrives, summoned by an unsettling discovery. With a cast that includes a stern sergeant, a nervous maid, and a host of relatives each nursing their own secrets, the stage is set for a classic puzzle of motives and alibis. Listeners are drawn into the tension between love, money, and the looming question of who might be responsible for a sudden, shocking act.