THE STORY: Susan lives entirely for Susan. She is bored by her husband, Barre, and stays away from him, complaining that he drinks too much (which he does because of her distance). She also keeps her daughter, Blossom, at arms length, sending her to boarding school. Yet husband and daughter adore Susan and are wretched without her. When Susan discovers a new religious cult, she is as excited as she always is about her latest fad. So she goes straight to a house in the country where she knows she will find her closest friends. While Susan expounds on her new found views to these friends, Barre arrives, just intoxicated enough to believe Susan means what she says about “salvation and regeneration,” and sincerely asks her to help him. Susan isn’t expecting to be called upon to actually practice what she preaches. But Barrie promises that if she will keep him and Blossom with her for the summer, he will stop drinking—and if he slips he will give Susan the divorce she wants. She is astounded, but reluctantly consents. She begins her hard job resentfully, but to her astonishment finds she likes it, as the lonely daughter develops into a happy girl, and Barrie becomes his former best self. She finds that her own happiness is connected to theirs, and that she has found her God through this. Under this rippling and vivacious comedy lies a deep spiritual intent.
