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Cover of Please pass the cream: A comedy

Please pass the cream: A comedy

Written by Charles Nevers Holmes

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Comedy playsHusband and wifeManners and customs

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About this book

"Please Pass the Cream: A Comedy" by Charles Nevers Holmes is a humorous play written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around the everyday life of a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Clark, highlighting their domestic squabbles and the contrasting personalities that create comical tension. The central theme of the play revolves around the couple's lighthearted bickering over trivial matters, deeply infused with dialogue showcasing their misunderstandings and differing social perspectives. The play unfolds during a breakfast scene where Mrs. Clark criticizes her husband for his poor grammar and table manners, while Mr. Clark playfully defends his habits, insisting that the cream pitcher holds milk, not cream. This comedic argument escalates into absurd levels, featuring Mr. Clark's stubbornness and Mrs. Clark's insistence on social proprieties. Their banter culminates in a chaotic series of misunderstandings that comically reflect the dynamics of their relationship, ultimately ending with Mrs. Clark regretting the destruction of a cherished cream pitcher. The dialogue-driven format provides a light and entertaining look at the challenges and quirks of marital life.

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Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in Please pass the cream: A comedy, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 1 hours
  • intermediate
  • humorous
  • lighthearted
  • domestic

Charles Nevers Holmes's "Please Pass the Cream: A Comedy" is a delightful early 20th-century one-act play that humorously skewers the everyday squabbles of married life. Centered around Mr. and Mrs. Clark during a breakfast scene, the play escalates a trivial argument about the contents of a cream pitcher into an absurd reflection of their contrasting personalities and social perspectives. Mrs. Clark, a stickler for grammar and decorum, confronts her husband's casual habits, while Mr. Clark stubbornly defends his views, insisting on calling cream "milk." This witty, dialogue-driven piece highlights the comedic potential in marital misunderstandings and the inherent challenges of communication, culminating in a regrettable incident involving a cherished household item.

“"Please pass the cream... or is it milk, dear?"”

Key themes

Marital Dynamics and Communication
The central theme explores the intricacies, challenges, and comedic aspects of communication within a marriage. It highlights how trivial disagreements can become battlegrounds for deeper personality clashes and how couples navigate their differing perspectives and habits. The play uses their bickering to reflect the blend of affection, exasperation, and endurance that often characterizes long-term relationships.
The Absurdity of Trivial Conflicts
The play masterfully highlights how minor disagreements can escalate into disproportionately large conflicts, revealing the inherent absurdity and humor in human stubbornness. It suggests that often, the 'point' of an argument becomes less important than the act of arguing itself, or the assertion of one's will.
Social Propriety vs. Personal Freedom
This theme examines the tension between adhering to societal norms and expectations (represented by Mrs. Clark's concern for grammar and manners) and the desire for individual expression and freedom from such constraints (represented by Mr. Clark's casualness and stubbornness). The play playfully critiques both rigid adherence to rules and defiant disregard for them.

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How does the play use a trivial argument to reveal deeper aspects of Mr. and Mrs. Clark's relationship and personalities?

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