The Old Maids' Club

Lillie Dulcimer is a remarkably bright and unconventional teenager who spends her early years turning the ordinary into the absurd. She keeps a diary that reads like a miniature manifesto, documenting everything from the petty ennui of Sunday afternoons to her wildly romantic fantasies about telegram‑carrying boys and dashing French officers. By the time she reaches her teens, Lillie has already authored a series of tongue‑in‑cheek “children’s” treatises that parody the great philosophers and poets, cementing her reputation as a prodigy with a flair for satire.

Against a backdrop of meddling relatives, suitors, and a father eager to arrange a lucrative marriage, Lillie decides to channel her restless intellect into something of her own making. She founds the Old Maids’ Club—a whimsical gathering where like‑minded women can swap witty observations, dissect the “algebra of love,” and lampoon the conventions of society. The opening act follows her playful rebellion, setting the tone for a delightfully irreverent exploration of friendship, intellect, and the art of turning everyday grievances into literary gold.