The wide expanse of Dickens’ novel on the riches and hardships of the Industrial Revolution is triumphantly brought to life in his skillful adaptation of Hard Times for a cast of four. The nineteen or so main speaking parts are portrayed by two actors and two actresses, each of whom also takes a share of the passages of direct narration; the various interior and exterior settings can be simply but effectively suggested with a minimum of props and furniture.2 women, 2 men