"THE CURIOUS SAVAGE"  April 6 - April 22, 2012

                   a Comedy by John Patrick

Show synopsis: 

Mrs. Savage has been left ten million dollars by her late husband and wants to make the best use of it, in spite of the efforts of her grown-up stepchildren to get their hands on it. These latter, knowing that the widow's wealth is now in negotiable securities, and seeing they cannot get hold of it, commit her to a "sanatorium" hoping to "bring her to her senses." But Mrs. Savage is determined to establish a fund to help others realize their hopes and dreams. In the sanatorium she meets various social misfits, men and women who just cannot adjust themselves to life, people who need the help Mrs. Savage can provide. In getting to know them, she realizes that she will find happiness with them and plans to spend the rest of her life as one of them. But when the doctor tells her there is no reason why she should remain, she hesitates to go out into a hard world where people seem ready to do anything for money. The self-seeking stepchildren are driven to distraction by their vain efforts to browbeat Mrs. Savage, but she preserves her equanimity and leads them on a merry chase. At last her friends conspire to get rid of her stepchildren, and through their simple belief in the justice of her cause, they enable Mrs. Savage to carry out her plans. The last scene, a farewell party, is a delightful fantasy where each "guest" in the sanatorium realizes at last some hopeless dream for something he was never able to realize. The dominant mood is high comedy, and the audience is left with a feeling that the neglected virtues of kindness and affection have not been entirely lost in a world that seems motivated at times only by greed and dishonesty. 

Rated: All Audiences
Director:
Mary K. Hallen

Producer:
Allenda Jenkins
THE CAST

Guests of The Cloisters:

Julie McNutt as Florence - Polite, somewhat ‘proper’ patient. She believes her 5 year old son, John Thomas, lives with her at The Cloisters.

Sean Hall as Hannibal - Friendly, but somewhat serious. Overweight perhaps. A statistician before becoming a guest at The Cloisters.

Shealyn Christie as Fairy May - Young, flighty but intelligent. Needy.

Bob Foster as Jeffrey - Young, handsome but mired in self doubt and recrimination. Crippled by his own fears.

Suzanne Maris as Mrs. Paddy - Older, somewhat brutish. Has chosen not to speak expect for occasional rants against anything and everything.

The Family:

Kent Junge as Titus Savage - A US Senator of dubious reputation. Serious, over-bearing. Not overly intelligent.

Kevin Meyer as Samuel Savage - A District Judge who has the distinction of having more decision over-turned than any other judge. Swallowed up by his brother’s shadow.

Anjelica Sistrunk-Glasgow as Lilly Belle Savage - A bitter, humorless, controlling socialite with more husbands than Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Joyce Napoletano as Ethel Savage - The stepmother of the three Savage children. Trying to live a meaningful life. She is clever and has a clear vision of what she thinks is important in life. Possess a good sense of humor.

The Staff:

Keziah Benson as Miss Wilhelmina - Kind, gentle and efficient, Miss Willie is responsible for most of the direct patient care. She is friendly, loving, but no push-over.

Fred Conley as Dr. Emmett - The doctor in charge of The Cloisters. He is solid, dependable, and compassionate and pretty much the only stable person (except for Miss Willie) in the play.