Synopsis

Six Ironic Comedies - The Female of the Species & The Legend of Alcestis & Family Values & Twenty Years Later & The Would-be Opera Singer & Society Wife

Six Ironic Comedies - The Female of the Species & The Legend of Alcestis & Family Values & Twenty Years Later & The Would-be Opera Singer & Society Wife $18.99

Norman Beim

Published by New Concept Press

The Female of the Species - M1,F1

The comic and dramatic turns of a marriage that begins in 1950 and ends in the seventies ...

Wilma and Everett are young and in love. As Everett business venture prospers and the couple have two children their characters evolve. Everett is distracted by the business, Wilma's by the children. As the children mature Wilma finds that the marriage is now a prison

The play is primarily a humorous look at the evolvement of women in society

The Legend of Alcestis - M6,F2

When Death comes for Admetus, the king of Thessaly, Apollo interferes. He makes a bargain with death. The king's life will be spared if someone is willing to take his place. No one is, of course. The king's devoted wife finally volunteers. Hercules comes to the rescue, and Death finds a substitute, the ancient nurse

This is a comedy about human foibles, modern in tone, told in a witty and sophisticated manner

Family Values - A One-Act Trilogy M3,F3

In Act One (The Outing) at a birthday party for his father, Gordon Bennet comes out to his parents and ex-wife, enraging his domineering mother

In Act Two (Family Values) Gordon's parents and ex-wife are invited to a farewell dinner at Gordon's apartment. Gordon is supposedly in remissioin with an HIV infection. Actually the disease is not in remission but Gordon does not want to keep his lover back from leaving on an archeological expedition. He hopes his ex-wife, who is still in love with him, will help see him through and she does

In Act Three ( The Final Battle) Gordon has passed away. His parents arrive at his apartment where his ex-wife has been in charge. His lover arrives and the conflict between his mother and the lover and ex-wife, who are friendly, comes to a head. Old wouinds are revealed and scores are settled. This is a poignant story of the results of the AIDS epidemic, told with great sensitivity and understanding

Twenty Years Later - M2,F3

In New York John Gordon, a swinging bachelor, comes across Fay Cousins, the woman who rejected him twenty years ago, to marry his wealthy friend, Jimmy. John gave up his dream of being a farmer when he was rejected by fay, and made his way into the fast lane. John is reunited with Fay's family, the husband (his old friend), the mother and the daughter. Things get complicated when Fay tries to rekindle the old love, while her daughter has developed crush on John. Things take a surprising, but happy turn

The Would-be Opera Singer - M4,F3

Enrico, a successful business man, is haunted by the fact that he never pursued a singing career. His world is turned upside down when his young son and his daughter rebel, and refuse to continue to pursue an operatic career. Everyone is made miserable until it is revealed that the son of his best friend, who is going to marry his daughter, has just received a contract to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. But at the final curtain we see that poor, Enrico, still regrets not having had a singing career

This is an hilarious comedy with all the poignant bickering and frustration of close knit families. The charcters are colorful and Enrico is an outrageous character, straight out of Moliere

Society Wife - M5,F3

This play is inspired by Moliere's "George Dandin" ...

George Dingle, a middle aged millionaire business man is married to a young social beauty. He discovers that a nearby playboy is making a play for his wife. His wife, who is actually, quite innocent, tries to communicate with her elderly husband, who isn't used to married life and finds it hard to relate. He tries to set a trap to catch her being unfaithful but the plot backfires

This is a light frothy farce with a wink and a smile at poor, confused human beings

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