Love and tea: A comedy-drama of colonial times in two acts

In a modest New England parlor just weeks after Lexington, the play opens on the household of Miss Lavinia Boltwood, a fierce spinster whose devotion to tea borders on obsession. While the town’s women have pledged to boycott the taxed beverage, Lavinia furtively pours herself a cup, setting the stage for a gentle clash between personal habit and patriotic duty. The domestic setting, bright with period details and the comic presence of Mandy, the household slave, makes the political undercurrents feel immediate and intimate.

Enter Betty, Lavinia’s spirited niece, who discovers her aunt’s secret indulgence and sees an opportunity to push her own wishes—namely a marriage to the ardent young Minuteman, William Dickinson. Their scheming unfolds amid witty repartee, gossiping neighbors, and the ever‑watchful eyes of the community, blending humor with the simmering tensions of a colony on the brink of rebellion. The result is a lively comedy‑drama that balances lighthearted antics with a glimpse of the era’s larger struggles.