Publication Date

1989

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Arnold, Richard L., 1928-

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Theatre Arts

Abstract

Spring 1912. In a town in Germany, Isador Straus walks down the street and enters a jewelry store. He reappears carrying a satchel. Across the street, two men discuss what they have seen and that the satchel must contain diamonds. Six men and the Tzar are sitting in the Russian Imperial yacht, at anchor at the same coastal town, discussing what has been reported to them. Earlier that year, Russian police had discovered that three Jewish families have combined their fortunes to purchase diamonds to smuggle out of Russia. Tzar Nicholas II orders the diamonds intercepted and returned to Russia. A plan is devised to obtain the assistance by intimidation of Isador Straus's valet, Ivan Solvang, to steal the satchel during the voyage on the TITANIC across the Atlantic Ocean. The Tzar's agent, Stefan Thomas, and Ivan attempt to remove the satchel from Isador Straus's room. Isador Straus attempts to maintain the safety of the satchel. Eventually the TITANIC sideswipes an iceberg and each individual makes the decision as to his future. The black satchel becomes the object of focus during the death throes of the TITANIC. The sole survivor of the story characters, Stephan Thomas, completes the voyage to New York and attempts to close the arrangement with the Tzar. He is surprised there by another agent of the Tzar who refuses to believe Thomas' story of the fate of the diamonds. Stefan Thomas is forced to kill the other agent and depart into oblivion.

Extent

xi, 162 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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