The Man from Home

A breezy Italian seaside setting opens the play, with the Hotel Regina Margherita perched on a cliff overlooking the sparkling Bay of Naples. The curtain rises to the sound of mandolins and a lively “Fisherman’s Song,” while the sun‑lit terrace is dotted with wicker tables, lemon groves and the occasional swirl of hotel staff. The atmosphere feels both elegant and relaxed, inviting listeners to picture the bright Mediterranean air and the distant silhouette of Vesuvius.

Into this picture step a colorful cast: a good‑natured maître d’hôtel, a brisk French secretary, and a parade of titled guests—from an American Midwesterner to a British Earl and his aristocratic sister‑in‑law. Central to the intrigue is a mysterious Grand Duke who insists on traveling incognito, demanding to be addressed as “Herr von Gröllerhagen.” The gentle clash of languages, customs, and hidden identities sets the stage for a witty comedy of manners, where polite deference and playful confusion mingle against the backdrop of sun‑kissed Sorrento.