Synopsis
The Riot Act
Published by Dramatists Play Service
4 Male 5 Female
The sons, all members of the New York City police force, are far from pleased by this parental tyranny, but filial duty (and their mother's good cooking) conspire to keep them in line - at least to outward appearances
But natural impulses and the urgings of their various fiancees begin to tell. It turns out that one son has already married his sweetheart in a secret, civil ceremony, and while he has been fearful of revealing this fact to his rigidly Catholic mother, his wife's approaching motherhood soon forces the issue
When the truth is known Katie orders her son from the house and, despite the fact that her first grandchild is born soon after, refuses to acknowledge his existence
Before long another of the impatient girls threatens to accept a rival proposal and, to add to the growing confusion, a Puerto Rican urchin becomes embroiled in Katie's increasingly tangled affairs
Despite her dislike for his kind Katie is drawn to the boy, and in her zeal to help him soon finds herself of all things, in trouble with the police. For the widow of a policeman this is a disturbing turn of events, but beneficial too in the happy transformation it works in Katie. She adopts the boy, forgives her son and starts life over with a lighter heart
This warm-hearted comedy of a domineering Irish mother and her three bachelor sons introduced a fresh and lively writing talent to the Broadway scene
" an amusing, light-hearted evening of entertainment" -NY News