In the Interests of the Brethren: A One Act Masonic Drama

Loosely inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s 1917 short story of the same name, this is the drama of a young man who has put Freemasonry behind him as a bitter tasting memory. He long ago left disillusioned on the eve of his father not becoming Masterof the Lodge, and who would also leave to soon diebroken. Now, after meeting an old bookseller who shelters a life-changing secret, the manfinds himself unexpectedly attending lodge again. He reluctantly is forced to face his father’s death and the question of what it means to be a Mason in what is a unique Masonic play. This is the first play by a Maine Mason that uses Masonry as its central theme, takes place in the present day, discusses contemporary issues of lodge life, and can be performed for the public. Playwright Aaron Joy is a music writer who has been involved in Masonry in his home of Portland, Maine. His theater work spans on and off stage in the U.S. and Japan, including directing Off-Broadway and tech at San Francisco’s Jon Sims Center.