Walt Lewis

Happenchance: an Easing of the Reins Walt Lewis

Publisher Marketing: The theme is forgiveness in the farcical tangle of events that permeate this family play. ARTHUR and his preteen granddaughter DANIELLE live in a modest loft-style country residence with THERON who is her estranged quirky father and son-in law to ARTHUR. ARTHUR is a retired Police Captain who imagines himself as head of this troubled family and a promising playwright. He's playful with DANIELLE but beneath his exterior facade lies his obsession that she willingly become the wordsmith that he imagines himself to be. He struts about doing dramatic Shakespearean character manifestations to win her approval. While alone in his room he soliloquizes reflectively linking Shakespeare to his police experiences. Thus, he reveals an inner craving to make sense of such happenings and to release sorrow for his past mistakes with his daughter LILY who abandoned DANIELLE and THERON. DANIELLE loves to dance and play word games with the encouragement of her eccentric and beloved grandpa. She creates a touching poem about her imaginary bookworm that she affectionately nicknames "Boregoo" as she imagines it ingesting dictionary words that she dislikes. THERON is obsessed with finding treasures with his metal detector. He's an Amateur Radio Operator who thinks he's been thwarted from helping the victims of natural disasters. His chancy detection of a wealthy family's heirloom sets up a chain reaction of possibilities. ADAIR comes to the loft, at ARTHUR'S invitation, to claim his family's heirloom. He's so pleased with its finding that he offers THERON a position as his country estate Caretaker. LILY stirs up possibilities for forgiveness and reconciliation when she returns, anonymously, as ARTHUR'S invited guest, with a surprise gift for her daughter DANIELLE. This academic dramedy portends a series of chancy stirrings with suspenseful outcomes - by Happenchance.