The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University

Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

Music by Frederick Loewe
Directed by Quin Gresham

Dramaturgical Packet by Emmeline McCabe

mccabe.emmeline@gmail.com
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Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………... 2

Glossary…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

The U.S. in 1947: Recovering from The Great War……………………………………… 9

18th Century Scotland………….….…………………………………………………………….... 10

The Pride of Scotland: A Brief Look at the Clan System………………………………. 11

The Clans of Brigadoon…………………………………………………………………………... 12

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………... 13
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Introduction
When people are unsure of themselves or the state of the world, they often seek
an escape. The picturesque scenery of the Scottish Highlands is the perfect place for this.
In Lerner and Loewe’s musical Brigadoon, Tommy Albright, an American looking to get
away from his life (and fiancé) in the States, finds a magical disappearing village while
out hunting with his cynical friend Jeff. Tommy finds love and purpose in a town
completely unlike his home across the ocean.
Brigadoon is a classic golden-age musical with a story that stretches across
centuries. It is lush with old Scottish culture that contrasts with the jaded spirit of Post-
World War II America. It is a look back at a time and place where love and loyalty
among a tight-knit, Highland community was a high priority. The following packet gives
what I hope to be a suffice amount of information to help bring that story to life.

Emmeline McCabe
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Glossary

Page # Location on Page Recited by Term & Definition

1 Middle Chorus Brae

(Chiefly Scotland) a hillside especially along
a river (“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster.”)

2 Middle Tommy Auchintoul

A town in the Scottish Highlands running
along a river called The Kyle of Sutherland. It
is about 46 miles north of Inverness, the
main hub the Highlands (“Auchintoul,
Highland.”)

2 Bottom Tommy Braemore

A town in the Scottish Highlands, about six
miles northeast of Auchintoul (“Braemore,
Lairg.”)

6 Middle Chorus Sable

Black or dark brown color (“Dictionary by
Merriam-Webster”)

7 Top Jeff Rand McNally

Full name is Rand McNally & Company, it is
a company created by William Rand and
Andrew McNally in 1856. It is a publisher of
maps, atlases, globes, etc.. Rand McNally is
still in operation and one of the world’s
leading mapmakers. It is most likely that the
map Tommy and Jeff are using is from this
company (The Editors of Encyclopædia
Britannica)

9 Middle Girl (Alto) Mills

A building or machine used for grinding
grains, usually to make flour. (“Dictionary by
Merriam-Webster”)

10 Bottom Townsfolk Glen

A secluded, narrow valley (“Dictionary by
Merriam-Webster”)

10 Bottom Townsfolk Bairn

(Chiefly Scotland) child (“Dictionary by
Merriam-Webster”)
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11 Middle Girls Ken

Range of perception or vision, so in this lyric
they’re basically saying “Don’t you see? Don’t
you know?” (“Dictionary by Merriam-
Webster”)

17 Middle Harry School in Edinburgh

He is talking about the University of
Edinburgh, a prestigious school founded in
1583. Edinburgh is in the Lowlands of
Scotland, so not only did Charlie go to a well
regarded school (Charles Darwin would
attend it later) but he was also able to travel
very far for it which indicates that he is much
wealthier than Harry (“University of
Edinburgh”)

14 Middle Archie Bonnie

The less common spelling of bonny, which is
a chiefly British saying. It means attractive,
fair, excellent (“Dictionary by Merriam-
Webster”)

26 Bottom Archie A thistle

The national flower of Scotland, these plants
are everywhere. They are characterized by
prickly thorns and bright purple color
(“Thistle”)

27 Middle Angus A bottle o’ claret

Claret, originating from the Latin word for
clear, was used as a name for light colored
Bordeaux wine starting in the 14th/15th
centuries. By the 18th century, people used it
in reference to all Bordeaux’s whether they
were light or dark (“Ask Dr. Vinny”)

28 Middle Angus Dram

A small amount of something to drink
(“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster”)

32 Middle Stage Fishmonger

Direction (Chiefly British) a fish dealer (“Dictionary by
Merriam-Webster”)

36 Bottom Fiona The heather

Heather is a very common plant in Scotland.
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It is usually purple or lilac in color but

sometimes white heather can be found. It is
an old Scottish tradition to put a sprig of
white heather in the bride’s bouquet to give
her good luck (“Scottish Wedding
Traditions”)

42 Middle Meg A gypsy

Also known as Highland travellers, the first
recording of them coming to Scotland was in
the 15th Century (in this recording they were
called “Egyptians”). They are a nomadic
group of people whose history and culture
date back centuries. As in many European
countries, they were often discriminated
against at there were several times that the
Scottish government tried to expel them
from the country (“Gypsies in Scotland”)

43 Top Meg Braw

(Chiefly Scottland) good, fine, well-dressed
(“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster”)

43 Middle Jeff Robust

Having or exhibiting strength or vigorous
health (“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster”)

46 Middle Meg The lowlands

Region of Scotland, it is everything Southeast
of line drawn from Dumbarton to
Stonehaven (The Editors of Encyclopædia
Britannica)

48 Middle Stage A red union suit

Direction Common underwear, just the classic red
long-johns. They were invented in the mid-
1800s for women as an alternative to to
constricting Victorian garments, so it’s likely
that they would not have these in Brigadoon
(Kleinmann)

55 Middle Jeff Disregard all that rubbish about

Scottish frugality.
A pervading stereotype about Scottish people
is that they’re penny-pinchers. This shows up
a lot in portrayals of Scottish people. There is
even a German word, Schottenpreise,
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meaning cheap/low price, that literally

translates to “Scotsmen price”. It’s a deeply
rooted stereotype (“All National
Stereotypes”)

56 Top Tommy Loch Lomond

The biggest lake in Scotland, it sits in
Trossachs National Park which is known for
its inspiring romantic sights (“Loch Lomond
& the Trossachs National Park.”)

59 Bottom Jeff Haig and Haig

One of the oldest Scotch whiskies in the
world, this distillery was created by John
Haig in Cameronbridge Scotland in 1824
(“Haig Dimple Scotch Whiskey.”)

61 Top Fiona The dominie

(chiefly Scotland) schoolmaster (“Dictionary
by Merriam-Webster”)

61 Bottom Jeff Three-corned hat

He means a three cornered hat, also known
as a tricorn or cocked hat which was very
popular menswear in the 1700s. This is
either a typo or Jeff being Jeff, most likely a
typo (“Tricorn Hat History”)

63 Top Tommy/ New York

Mr. During the 1740s, there was a lot of unrest in
Lundie NYC: class and ethnic conflicts, plus civil
disputes indicative of the Revolution to
come. It was a big enough city that it’s most
likely the people of Brigadoon have heard
about it. Also the American Revolution is
around thirty years away in the time of
Brigadoon, so their understanding of
America is most likely that it is a restless,
young country in general (Lankevich)

65 Top Mr. Two hundred years ago...takin’ the

Lundie Scottish folk away from the teachin’s
of God
Witch hunts in Scotland actually primarily
occurred between 1550 and 1700. A law was
created in 1563 making witchcraft illegal,
and for years people were accused and
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executed. The last recorded execution was in

1727 and the law was abolished in 1736.
Often, accusations would flare up when there
was a time of crisis (“The Witch Hunt”).
There was in fact a crisis in Scotland in 1745,
two years before time of Brigadoon: the
Scottish Jacobite Rebellion to claim the
British throne, led by Prince Charles Edward.
The rebellion concluded on April 29 1746 in
brutal defeat at the Battle of Culloden. While
this isn’t exactly witches, it was certainly a
stressful thing occurring in the Highlands
and is significant that such an important
battle for their people recently ended like
WWII just ended for Tom and Jeff (Morrill)

70 Top Stage The present kirk

Direction the national church of Scotland as
distinguished from the Church of England or
the Episcopal Church in Scotland, also used
to describe the congregation building of the
Scottish church (“Dictionary by Merriam-
Webster”)

71 Middle Mr. Calamitous

Lundie Being, causing, or accompanied by a
disastrous event marked by great loss
(“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster”)

71 Middle Mr. Accordin’ to the laws of Scotland...by

Lundie sincere mutual consent
He’s talking about an irregular marriage,
which was in fact legitimate in Scotland but
not England. An irregular marriage is one
that doesn’t take place in a church or with a
minister. There are a few ways this can
occur, one of which is just two people vowing
in front of a witness that they’re married.
This was usually frowned upon, but since
they don’t have another choice in Brigadoon
the townsfolk are most likely very
understanding of this unconventional
marriage (“Marriage”)

73 Middle Men Dervish

a member of a Muslim religious order noted
for devotional exercises (such as bodily
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movements leading to a trance) (“Dictionary

by Merriam-Webster”)

75 Top Stage Dirk

Direction A long, straight bladed dagger (“Dictionary
by Merriam-Webster”)

82 Bottom Tommy The lea

Grassland, pasture (“Dictionary by Merriam-
Webster”)

88 Top Stage The Piobrochead

Direction The piobaireachd, literally translated to pipe
playing or pipe music, is a classification of
Scottish Highland bagpipe music that tends
to be slow (“What is Piobaireachd?”). There
isn’t an actual Scottish dance called the
Piobrochead, but there is record of women
doing a dance at the end of a funeral during
the 1700s (Rogers).
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The U.S. in 1947: Recovering from The Great War

For the United States, World War II concluded with the surrender of Japan on
August 10, 1945. Millions had died around the world due to the war (Royde-Smith and
Hughes). The years following the final surrenders would be ones of recovery, both
emotional and physical.
In 1947, America was a hotbed of conflict. With the war ended, many factory
workers who made supplies for the war were laid off. The economy took a quick
downturn. This, combined with the general lack of respect for labourers, led to many
strikes and fights for unionization. Congress was often in disagreement with President
Truman about the best way to solve this, so the federal government was often at a
standstill (“The Post-War Years.”). The civil rights movement was also in its early
moments. On top of all that, the U.S. was in conflict with the Soviet Union and the Cold
War was looming close on the horizon .
The 1950s would be a time of economic prosperity for the U.S., but in 1947
everything was going quite poorly. The transition period was rough on many Americans,
so it is no wonder that Tom and Jeff decide to take a vacation in the Highlands. In the
U.S. there were food and supply shortages, fewer jobs, a stagnant government, and
frequent protests (“Overview of the Post-War Era”). It was a bustling place packed with
many unhappy citizens. By comparison, the solitary act of hunting in Scotland was
heaven.

Further Resources:
The History Learning Site, 1945-1950
This site is more focused on world politics, not just U.S., but it hits all the
important details of what was going on at the time. Url:
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-
cold-war/1945-1950/

What Happened in 1947

This lays out many pop culture, economic, and political stats of the year. Mostly
centers on U.S., but has many details about U.K. and other worldwide issues. Url:
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1947.html

Daily Life in 1940s New York

This contains a brief description of life in NYC in the 40s, as well as several great
photos documenting daily life in the city during the decade. Url:
https://mymodernmet.com/daily-life-new-york-1940s/
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18th Century Scotland

Scotland is an old country with a diverse past and rich culture. During the 18th
century, many tragedies occured for the Highland people, as well as big changes to the
fabric of their way of life. From a deadly rebellion to a disastrous harvest crisis to
economic reform, there was no rest for Scotland in the 1700s.
The century started off with a big change when Scotland went from a somewhat
independent nation, to being a full member of the United Kingdom. They had been
under the same monarch since 1603, but the Act of Union in 1707 brought the country
much closer to the English government. It was mutually beneficial in terms of economy,
for example: Scotland got the perks of economic security England could provide, and
with the union Scotland could help take on some of England’s national debt (“Act of
Union”). This change also had a large impact on Scottish identity and nationality
(Tuckett 140).
Very close to the time period of Brigadoon, Scotland experienced an economic
depression as a result of bad harvest. The depression took place between 1738-41 due to
a drop in temperatures some years before which impacted the agricultural market
severely. There are records of lower agricultural output and higher mortality rates in the
Lowlands during these years. Unfortunately, there isn’t sufficient documentation of
population changes in the Highlands at the time, but since agriculture was a major
source of income for people in the area this most likely affected them (Rössner). While it
isn’t the most major point of history in 18th century Scotland, it’s proximity in time to
the story of Brigadoon is significant enough to make note of it.
The most significant and well known event to occur in the 1700s was the Jacobite
Rebellion of 1745. The Jacobites movement began in the late 1600s and its main goal
was to reinstate James II and his descendants as the rulers of the British monarchy. The
Jacobites had multiple risings over the years, the biggest ones bing in 1715 and 1745. In
the later years the group was led by Prince Charles Edward. Their defeat at the Battle of
Culloden in 1745 was what brought the movement to its end (Morrill). Many
Highlanders were involved in the Jacobite Rebellion. In fact, their common dress, such
as the tartan, were used as a sort of uniform for the Jacobite army. In some ways, Prince
Charles wore and used their clothing as “a propaganda tool” to keep the faith of people
from that region (Tuckett 144).

Further Resources:
Scotland in the 18th Century
This contains an interactive timeline for the entire history of Scotland, as well as
a detailed list of major events to occur in Scotland during the 18th Century. Url:
http://www.scotland.org.uk/table/history-timeline/scotland-in-the-eighteenth-
century/
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The Pride of Scotland: A Brief Look at the Clan System

The clan system of Scotland is an old tradition that had very significant cultural
power in the Highlands for many centuries. The word clan comes from the Gaelic word
“clann”, meaning children. It is a system structured around families and devout loyalty.
Each clan is headed by a chief who acts as their protector and strict leader (“The
Highland Clans of Scotland”). Each family had their own tartan plaid, flower, badge, and
crest to represent themselves and show pride for their kin. Together, these large families
lived, thrived, and survived in picturesque Scotland; at certain times, survived being the
keyword (Lewis).
The structures of the clan system are based on loyalty, with family at the top of
the list. Clans also have allieships with other clans, and will help their allies with rival
disputes. These disputes could range anywhere from cattle raiding to murder. A good
(and rather grisly) example of one of these arguments is the Glen Coe Massacre of 1692,
which resulted in the deaths of 37 members of the MacDonald clan at the hands of the
Campbells. After the fact, 40 more MacDonald women and children died of
hypothermia (Riding 13). To this day, an old hotel in Glen Coe has a sign that proclaims
“No Campbells,” which is also a good example of how serious the Scots are about
grudges. This is one violent instance of many over the several centuries of clan rule
(“The Highland Clans of Scotland”).
The final blow that took away the power of clans was the Jacobite Rebellion of
1745, led by Prince Charles Edward. It was the last of many unsuccessful attempts to
reinstate the descendants of King James II on the British throne (Morrill). The Jacobite
army was, and still is, greatly associated with the Highland clans because Prince Charles
and his soldiers donned tartan to create a sense of uniformity. Prince Charles also used
common clan traditions as a recruiting tool: by using the imagery they were familiar
with, Charles was able to gain the loyalties of many Highland Clans. Because of this, the
same imagery became reviled by the British government (Riding).
When the Act of Proscription was passed in 1746, the dress of Highlander clans
became illegal, including tartan and badges (Riding 17). It was a drastic change for a way
of life that had been passed down through hundreds of generations. While it is not
mentioned whether or not the clans of Brigadoon supported Prince Charles, they were
certainly affected by the results of his uprising. The community of Brigadoon holds
tradition very dear, and a miracle like the one created by Mr. Forsythe is perfect for
preserving the clan tradition in pristine condition.

Further Resources:
Map of the Clans
From the National Library of Scotland, this map was created very close to the
time period. It has the regions of each clan color coded and you can zoom into the
map very close to get a detailed look.
Url: https://maps.nls.uk/scotland/rec/864
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The Clans of Brigadoon

Not every clan in Brigadoon has the same structure. For example: the Dalrymples
are an armigerous clan, meaning they have been granted the right to bear arms but does
not have a clan chief. Below I have written little snippets about each family and included
links containing basic info (crest, tartan, etc.) about each clan. The list is organized
alphabetically:

Anderson-Their motto is “Stand sure” and their badge is an oak tree. Url:
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-anderson/

Beaton- The origins of this family lies in the Macbeth and Bethune families, who
were hereditary physicians of Clan MacDonald. Url:
https://www.houseofnames.com/beaton-family-crest

Brockie- this name is actually has its origins in the Normans and English, with
the Brockie ancestors living in Essex. There is of course the chance that some of
the family members migrated up to Scotland. Url:
https://www.houseofnames.com/brockie-family-crest

Dalrymple-as previously stated, this is an armigerous clan, so it has a lot of

similar attributes to other clans just without the chief. Their motto is “Firm” and
their crest contains a rock. Url: http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-
dalrymple/

MacGregor- Their motto is “My race is royal” and their badge is pine. Url:
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-macgregor/

MacLaren- This clan was rather war-like and often got in conflict with other
clans. Their rallying cry and motto is “Boar’s rock” which likely has its from a
possible ancestor, Lawrence of Achtow, where the actual Boar’s rock is located.
Url: http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-maclaren/
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