As far as whom I would cast in the different roles, I think someone like Kathy Bates or Frances McDormand would make a good Mrs. Hale. Mrs. Peters could be played by someone like Frances Conroy, the actress who plays the mother on HBO's "Six Feet Under." She is a slim, nervous looking woman, as the stage directions describe. Meg Ryan could work too. The only direction given for the male actors is that two are middle aged, and the third is younger. For the attorney, Matthew McConaughey, Joaquin Phoenix, or Edward Norton would be perfect. For the other two men, there are a few actors that come to mind. John Goodman, Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey, or George Clooney could play either role very well. .
Of the choices tragedy or comedy, Trifles is most definitely a tragedy. It deals with a serious topic, murder, and it arouses both pity and fear in the reader. It does not, however, end with the downfall of the tragic hero. In this play, the tragic hero would have to be Mrs. Wright, but she does not die. To the contrary, the ending of the play leads the reader to believe that she would be set free. This detail might oppose the idea that the play is a tragedy, but there are no comic elements present at all.
The setting of this play is in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. All the action onstage takes place in the kitchen, which is described as "gloomy" and in general disarray. Dishes aren't done, the counter is only half wiped off, and other half-done chores. It is a chilly day, but there is a fire going in the stove, although it doesn't help to cheer the mood. The mood is tense and somber, and the tension increases throughout the play.
Trifles is a whodunit type of murder mystery. This play is a one-act, but that does not mean there is little action. The story is of several people returning to a murder scene the day after the murder. The County Attorney, Mr. Henderson, and the Sheriff, Mr. Peters, with Mr.
