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Overview

Synopsis

When her mother dies after an expensive illness and a lifetime of bad choices, tentative but tenacious young Jackie is left with a mound of debt. One glimmer of hope: a stamp collection, potentially valuable, is among her assets. Philip, the brusque and arrogant stamp dealer to whom she takes the collection, won’t even take a look without his $2000 fee. Charming Dennis, a former stamp collector and small-time grifter down on his luck, who just happens to be hanging out in Philip’s shop, is only too willing to look at Jackie’s collection. Discovering two Mauritius “Post Office” stamps, the “crown jewel of philately”, in the old album, he is overjoyed. Dennis assumes that unassuming Jackie will be easy to scam, and contacts Sterling, an incredibly rich and remorselessly violent “international businessman” who is an obsessive stamp fancier, promising him an easy purchase. Meanwhile Jackie, whose secret well of rage and resourcefulness makes her no-one’s “lamb”, runs into obstacles of her own: her educated, refined, estranged, much older half-sister, Mary, claims the stamp collection as her own -- an inheritance from her paternal grandfather -- and refuses to sell, citing it’s inherent spiritual and cultural value. Will Jackie change her luck and her life? Will Dennis let his increasing interest in Jackie interfere with his trickster persona? Will Philip’s ancient grudge against Sterling play a role? Theresa Rebeck’s Mauritius is a tightly paced, surprising comedic thriller, a look at a seedy and rarified world of philatelic subterfuge, with a dark center of family pain.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Mature Audiences (M)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2006
Genres
Drama, Dark Comedy
Settings
Contemporary, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
Time & Place
Philip’s stamp store, a coffee shop, Jackie’s house
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Samuel French
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Jackie

Lead

Female

Spoken

Dennis

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Philip

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Sterling

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Mary

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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