THE STORY: The action takes place in a small village in southern Italy, in the home of the gruff, lazy Briglio and his long-suffering wife, Concetta—whose unmarried sister, Domenica, has become, apparently, a permanent (and barely tolerated) addition to the family. However there is hope for the future, as the wife of the mayor, Don Carluccio Benvenuto, has died, and Domenica is the only eligible replacement in the town. Inevitably the upright Don Carluccio comes calling (with his brood of eight motherless children), but the strong-willed Domenica does not capitulate—at least not immediately. How she deals with this sudden appearance of “romance” in her hitherto barren life is both touching and funny, and filled with the innate warmth and wisdom so characteristic of life “Italian style."
An inventive and masterful piece of comic writing, which deals with the “miraculous” occurrence of romance in the life of an aging Italian spinster. Selected for inclusion in
Best Short Plays.
Included in the collection
April Fish and The Wooing of Lady Sunday.
