Vanilla (1988)

Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Play script

English

An ex-sex worker, Clelia Climber, married to a toxic-waste tycoon throws a million-dollar party in their swank New York apartment. The surprise guest turns out to be Miralda Sumac, the wife of the deposed dictator of the semi-mythical country named Vanilla and herself shortly due for arraignment by the American Government for racketeering. In an ironic twist, the Climbers' servants happen to be Vanillan exiles who hijack the party and stage an impromptu trial of Miranda Sumac with her peers as the jury (The Guardian). Inspired by Imelda Marcos's indictment for misappropriating public funds and the bail hearing which ensued in 1988, this two-act play draws upon Restoration drama and the comedy of manners tradition to satirize the apolitical ultra-rich and in the process deliver a commentary upon authoritarian cruelty.

Date of Composition: November 1988 - November 1988 Confidence Level

Linked Works

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Linked Places

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Publishers

N/A on (Unknown)

Play remains unpublished.

Characters

Clelia Climber (Age: Not specified, Female)

A hostess.

Frank Climber (Age: Not specified, Male)

Husband of Clelia.

Jesus (Age: Not specified, Male)

The butler.

Maria (Vanilla) (Age: Not specified, Female)

The maid and wife of Jesus.

Lucy Lucre (Age: Not specified, Female)

Indicated in dramatis personae to be 'The richest woman in the world'.

Count Gigolo (Age: Not specified, Male)

Lucy Lucre's lover.

Amanda Tattle (Age: Not specified, Female)

A gossip columnist.

Miralda Sumac (Age: Not specified, Female)

Indicated in dramatis personae to be 'A mystery guest'.

Resources

No resources have been added to this work record yet.

Sources

Vanilla: A Play In Two Acts

Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Vanilla: A Play In Two Acts. Unpublished word-processed manuscript, 86 pp., n.d.

Personal correspondence

Telephone Interview with Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Interview with Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Telephone Conversation (2018)

Recording

Information about dates of composition taken from interview with playwright, Basil Chiasson for the Pinter: Histories and Legacies project 16/10/2018.

The Guardian

Michael Billington, Vanilla - The Lyric, The Guardian Arts Section, 18/5/1990, p.36

Newspaper review

The summary has been taken and adapted from Billington's production review.