Author Rosemary Poole-Carter calls this 2-act play a "Southern King Lear" dramatized from folklore. Ole Daddy is tired of running the plantation and decides to let one of his three daughters take over. But which one? He decides to ask them to tell how much they love him. After the two oldest gush with false sentiment, the youngest falters, not knowing how to express her honest feelings of filial love. Her answer: "I love you more than biscuits love butter." So Ole Daddy gives his plantation to the two oldest. They promptly turn the youngest, Candra, out into the swamps. And before long they turn Ole Daddy out, too. Candra meets a "magic woman" who gives her a cloak covered with Spanish moss—the Mossy Cape—and magical things happen.

Sound familiar? The author has cleverly blended the King Lear legend and the Cinderella story. This is a sometimes moving, sometimes humorous, but always gripping play which will serve as an introduction to the Lear legend for elementary and junior high students and a stimulus for high school and college students and adults to read, or re-read, Shakespeare's heart-breaking tragedy. Unlike the tragedy, this one ends happily. A party with dancing, a servant who serenades his employer, and some magical events call for music. For all theatres and audiences of all ages.

From the author: In preparation for writing Mossy Cape I read every version of the folktale I cound find, and then I re-read King Lear. Several versions of the Lear legend use the expression 'I love you more than meat loves salt.' But I wanted to come up with my own expression and give it a Southern flavor. I decided that 'I love you more than biscuits love butter' was right for this play. None of the folk tales mentioned a companion for Lear/Ole Daddy, someone for him to talk with, so I took another look at Lear's fool to create Talbot.

The synopsis of scenes seems to indicate numerous set changes, but this need not be a problem for theatres without revolving stages and elaborate fly-loft equipment. As described in the Production Notes in the appendix of the playbook, the set changes may be made on any type of stage rapidly and unobtrusively without delaying the action. Cast size may be increased by adding more servants and ball guests. A smaller cast can result by doubling Ruby and Garnet as Biddy and Lucy. The original cast was made up of adults, teen-agers, and junior high students; however, the delightful characters may be all adults or all teen-agers.

Set, simple props to represent the scene or alternating action on the apron to reduce time for changing scenes; Time, some years ago.

See also: Choose Your Own Music Musicals