The convolvulus: a comedy in three acts

In a sun‑drenched living room on Gramercy Park, the genteel but bewildered Jane entertains a parade of odd visitors—Dill, the self‑styled butler‑to‑be; Jack, a twenty‑year‑old with a penchant for green kid gloves; and Gloria, the unmistakably middle‑class American. Their banter jumps from teacups to tangled family histories, with Dill announcing a forthcoming marriage that no one seems to have planned and Jack hinting at a mysterious will that could upend everyone’s expectations.

The conversation quickly spirals into a farcical hunt for a long‑lost brother, a ticking‑clock inheritance, and a series of mismatched romantic proposals. Jack’s father, a minister who despises matrimony, has left a condition that forces the heirs to locate the missing sibling within a year, or lose the fortune altogether. Amidst this, Jane wrestles with her own failed engagements while Gloria delivers a cryptic letter that promises to further complicate the already tangled web.

All the while, the play’s sharp wit and brisk dialogue keep the tension light, offering listeners a bright, character‑driven comedy that satirizes social conventions and the absurdities of a family caught between duty and desire.