The Conscious Lovers: every role by lines, words, and stage time

Richard Steele. 16 speaking roles, 23,392 words, about 167 minutes of speech.

The Offbook team

Oct 8, 2026

Bevil Jr. has the most to say in The Conscious Lovers: about 509 lines and 4,495 words, 19.2% of the play. Steele’s sentimental comedy follows Bevil Jr., who is promised by his father to one woman while he quietly supports and loves another, Indiana. Bevil Jr. leads with about a fifth of the words. Indiana is the second-largest part, yet she speaks in only 2 of 11 scenes, and the servants Tom and Phillis have parts nearly as large.

Speaking roles: 16
Scenes: 11
Words: 23,392
Speech time: 167 min

Every role, largest first

Role	Lines	Words	Share	Minutes	Scenes
Bevil Jr.	509	4,495	19.2%	32.1	5
Indiana	283	2,477	10.6%	17.7	2
Tom	276	2,467	10.5%	17.6	6
Phillis	241	2,146	9.2%	15.3	4
John Bevil	236	2,068	8.8%	14.8	4
Mr. Sealand	211	1,849	7.9%	13.2	3
Myrtle	196	1,733	7.4%	12.4	5
Humphry	179	1,478	6.3%	10.6	4
Isabella	123	1,075	4.6%	7.7	2
Cimberton	113	960	4.1%	6.9	3
Mrs. Sealand	104	917	3.9%	6.6	3
Lucinda	112	915	3.9%	6.5	3
Bramble	52	476	2%	3.4	1
Boy	25	209	0.9%	1.5	2
Target	16	112	0.5%	0.8	1
Servant	2	13	0.1%	0.1	1

Who speaks in which scene

Darker cells mean more words in that scene. Use it to plan rehearsal calls, or to see how long an actor waits between entrances.

Role	1.1	1.2	2.1	2.2	3.1	4.1	4.2	4.3	5.1	5.2	5.3
Bevil Jr.
Indiana
Tom
Phillis
John Bevil
Mr. Sealand
Myrtle
Humphry
Isabella
Cimberton
Mrs. Sealand
Lucinda
Bramble

The longest speeches

Speech	Scene	Words	Lines
Bevil Jr.: “I put on a serenity while my fellow was presen…”	Act 4, Scene 1	378	38
John Bevil: “Ay, he followed us till the gentleman who led …”	Act 1, Scene 1	192	20
Bevil Jr.: “His fears were just; for there I first saw thi…”	Act 1, Scene 2	188	19
Bevil Jr.: “These moral writers practise virtue after deat…”	Act 1, Scene 2	182	19
Bevil Jr.: “Well, this is another instance of the perplexi…”	Act 2, Scene 1	181	19
Lucinda: “I shall soon know as much as you do; leave me,…”	Act 3, Scene 1	162	17
Phillis: “What a deal of pother and sputter here is betw…”	Act 4, Scene 3	144	15
Indiana: “Well, be not so eager. If he is an ill man, le…”	Act 2, Scene 2	141	15
Tom: “Well, Phillis! What, with a face as if you had…”	Act 3, Scene 1	140	14
Indiana: “If you say this from what you think of me, you…”	Act 5, Scene 3	136	14

Small roles that can be doubled

These pairs of small roles never speak in the same scene, so one actor could play both. Check entrances and silent appearances in your script before you cast it this way.

Isabella and Bramble
Isabella and Target
Cimberton and Servant
Mrs. Sealand and Servant
Lucinda and Servant
Bramble and Boy
Bramble and Servant
Boy and Target
Boy and Servant
Target and Servant

Questions actors ask

Who has the most lines in The Conscious Lovers?

Bevil Jr., with about 509 lines and 4,495 words, 19.2% of everything spoken in the play. Indiana is next, with about 283 lines (10.6%).

How long is The Conscious Lovers?

The full text has 23,392 spoken words, about 167 minutes at 140 words a minute before pauses, scene changes, and cuts. Most productions cut the text, so running times vary.

How many speaking roles are in The Conscious Lovers?

16 named roles speak in this edition, across 11 scenes. 3 of them have less than 2% of the words, which is why small parts are often doubled.