A Strange, Sad Comedy

Set on a crisp November day in 1864, the story opens in the faded grandeur of Corbin Hall, a Virginia plantation where Colonel Archibald Corbin clings to a gentleman’s composure despite the chaos of war. The Colonel, with his long white hair and unruffled mustache, surveys his shabby library while the house hums with the chatter of Aunt Tulip, the scullion Nancy, and a procession of batter‑making boys. Beneath the polite veneer lies a family still mourning a lost son and a twelve‑year‑old granddaughter, Letty, who clutches his hand with unspoken urgency.

When the inevitable news arrives—Yankees are on the move—the Colonel’s calm turns into a practiced performance of dignity, directing his staff with a mix of gentle scolding and dry humor. The scene balances the absurdity of half‑understood rumors with the stark reality of a plantation on the brink, hinting at how this stoic gentleman will navigate loyalty, loss, and the absurdities of a war‑torn world.