Top Girls Lesson Plan

Why does Churchill set this scene earlier than the rest of the play?

There is a big reveal in the last scene, that Marlene is actually Angie's mother, but that wasn't a time-specific reveal – in other words, it was not necessary to go back in time to learn this.

Churchill more or less tells the story backward. First, we see the "top girls" celebrating Marlene's promotion. Then, we get a look into how Marlene conducts her business and why she is seen as successful. After that, Mrs. Kidd comes to complain to Marlene about her promotion and even asks her to quit, regressing. Finally, in the last scene, Churchill shows the conditions that were necessary for Marlene to...