Overview
Synopsis
The Curious Savage is the story of an elderly widow named Mrs. Savage, whose husband has left her $10 million dollars. She intends to give the entire fortune away to people who wish to pursue their “foolish dreams,” but her stepchildren strongly object. To prevent her from doing away with their family’s wealth and ruining their legacy, they have her committed to a sanatorium called The Cloisters, and it is among the gentle residents there that she finds her true family. The Curious Savage is a warm comedy that compares the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients with the greed and hostility of so-called “normal people.” It opened in New York on Broadway in 1950 and played 31 performances with star Lillian Gish in the titular role.
Show Information
- Book
- John Patrick
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1950
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- the cloisters sanatorium
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Songs
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
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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