On the Verge; or, The Geography of Yearning is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It premiered in 1985 at Baltimore's Center Stage. The original cast consisted of Libby Boone, Susan Barnes, Paddi Edwards, and James McDonnell. The script makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. The cast consist of three lady explorers and eight diverse beings they encounter on their travels, which include different times as well as different locations. The aforementioned eight beings are intended to be played by a single actor. The play is published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc., and continues to be performed.
Plot
The basic plot of the play follows the adventures of three Victorian women explorers into what they believe to be Terra Incognita, a new, unexplored land. The three are from very different exploration backgrounds but all exhibit their own form of independence. From the world in general and specifically men. The three together discuss many aspects of their pasts in exploring, with Mary and Fanny frequently trying to outdo each other. As the ladies progress on their travels it becomes apparent that they are not on an ordinary journey. Mary reaches the conclusion at the end of the first act that the three of them are in fact traveling forward through time and that, while doing so, they are beginning to absorb knowledge from the future. Alex dubs this phenomenon osmosing and from that point forward in the play, the ladies actively, and often fruitlessly try to osmose what the things they are encountering are, e.g. In the scene where Alex first encounters Cool Whip she takes several guesses at the item's identity: "(Osmoses) 'Mo hair'. No. 'Jello mold'. No. (Tastes) Noxzema! Yes! Heaven!"
Characters
Mary
Often construed as the main lady explorer of the expedition, Mary Baltimore constantly cites her favorite periodical (the fictional newspaper The Boston Geo) as a source of wisdom. She remains unmarried, and considers exploration her unequivocal calling. Consequently, she shuns intimate relationships (although there are subtle hints that she is a lesbian). As a result, her pent-up sexual inclinations show themselves in her work, which tends to focus on the mating behaviors of the various peoples she encounters. Mary is the oldest member of the lady explorers' expedition. She is utterly devoted to studying and experiencing the future, both from an objective and subjective perspective. Her exploration "métier" is Africa.
Alex
Alexandra Cafuffle is the youngest of the group, and she allows her age to make up a considerable amount of her personality. She is typically forgetful, and tends to daydream. Upon encountering a new word (a frequent occurrence in their journey), she plays with it, trying to find rhymes and alternative meanings, to the endless irritation of her comrades. Alexandra is reasonably obsessed with Tibet and cites her adventures there often. She is rather inexperienced with jungles, the terrain that the ladies find themselves in upon reaching Terra Incognita, and curses the landscape to no end. Alexandra wishes to find the most enjoyable era for herself and settle down. Any new discovery enthralls her.
Fanny
Fanny Cranberry is the most conservative of the group in all aspects: socially, politically, and morally. She is the only married member of the group. While Fanny's relationship with her husband Grover is very obviously not one of head-over-heels love, the two have a very intimate relationship nonetheless. Fanny generally disapproves of everything she sees and hears in the future, finding it immoral. Some examples of this are her distaste for the music of the 1950s and the growing trend of women to wear trousers, something that she and Mary disagree with Alex on. Her sensual side is brought out in the second act and she gradually warms up to the future. Fanny counters Mary's Geo references with those of her tabloids, which she writes for and reads religiously. Fanny is the second oldest member of the expedition.
Grover et al. The fact that one actor plays eight different characters is probably the "gimmick" of the show, an extra detail added by the author to make circumstances more interesting (There is a fifteen-second costume change at one point in the show). Almost no background is given for any of these characters, so the actor is able to take considerable artistic license with them. The nature of the characters themselves allow for more than enough over-the-top acting.