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The Curious Savage
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SynopsisMrs. Savage has been left ten million dollars by her late husband and wants to make the best use of it, in spite of her grown-up stepchildren’s efforts to get their hands on it. Knowing that the widow’s wealth is now in negotiable securities, and seeing they cannot get hold of the fortune, the stepchildren commit her to a sanatorium, hoping to “bring her to her senses.” At the sanatorium, called “The Cloisters,” Mrs. Savage meets various social misfits. In getting to know these men and women, Mrs. Savage realizes that she will find happiness among them and plans to spend her life at The Cloisters, but when the doctor tells her there is no reason to remain, she hesitates to go out into a world where people seem ready to do anything for money.
The self-seeking stepchildren are driven to distraction by their vain efforts as Mrs. Savage sends them on a merry chase. Her friends conspire to get rid of her stepchildren, and through their simple belief in justice for her cause, they enable Mrs. Savage to carry out her plans. Character DescriptionsMrs. Ethel P. Savage: (60+) Referred to as "Mrs. Savage" for the majority of the play, she is a witty, kindhearted, blue haired woman with a shifted viewpoint of humanity. The events of the play are centered around her and her decision to hide the money which she has inherited from her late husband from her greedy stepchildren, to give away to those less fortunate or to fulfill others' random, yet important life long dreams.
Florence Williams: (20's-40's) The elegant "mother" of The Cloisters, she believes she has a five-year-old son named John Thomas. Fairy May: (20's-30’s) Fairy is a compulsive liar who is obsessed with having others love her. She is generally unkempt throughout the play, and is also very childlike. Jeffrey: (20's-30's) Once a military pilot, Jeff was shot down in the war, surviving a crash that killed all his men. He now believes that he has a scar on his face, which he constantly hides from others. He plays the piano, but is too shy to do so around other people. Hannibal: (20's-40's) Hannibal, once a statistician, was fired and replaced by an electronic calculator. He has then taken up the violin, which he wrongly believes he can play beautifully. He is a kind man with a vast array of knowledge stored in his sometimes-sarcastic head. Mrs. Paddy: (40's-60's) Mrs. Paddy paints with the quality of Hannibal's violin playing. She paints only seascapes. The other patients say that Mrs. Paddy stopped talking when her husband told her to "shut up" one day, and she hasn't spoken since. She only speaks to announce what she hates. Titus: (40’s-50’s) The eldest step-son of Mrs. Savage, Titus is the least popular senator in congress. He is sober, humorless, and direct. Titus also has a temper that tends to come out most when dealing with his mother. Lily Belle: (40’s-50’s) Lily Belle, the middle step-child, was once married to a Slovak prince, and has remarried five times since then. A celebrity heiress, she is arrogant, chic, and self-assured. She is also very selfish and is constantly putting forth the effort to make sure others are respecting her. Samuel: (40’s) The youngest step child of Ethel, Samuel has the distinction of being the judge with the most overturned decisions in the U.S. He walks in the shadows of his siblings, offering a sassy, short comment every once in a while, only to be shot down. Dr. Emmett: (30’s-60’s) The staff doctor for this wing of The Cloisters, Dr. Emmett is kind, warmhearted, and he works hard to help his patients. Miss "Willie" Wilhelmina: (20’s-30’s) Miss Willie is an administrative assistant and nurse. She is married to Jeff, but struggles to pretend not to be because he doesn't remember her. He is the reason she is working here, but she is nonetheless extremely kind and understanding towards all the residents of The Cloisters. |
