THE STORY: Having decided to “come out of the closet,” David returns to his parents’ Florida home with his lover, Butch, determined to reveal his homosexuality. But while his mother, Julia, and his dotty grandmother, Bunny, seem unruffled by his declaration, his father, Filmore, a rich and very conservative Bible publisher, may be another matter. And, to add to the complications, David is hopeful that he will be able to persuade his father to back an Off-Broadway show starring Butch—a female impersonator who poses as “Margorilla” the Spanish spitfire. As Butch is auditioning his act for the others Filmore suddenly arrives and, as luck would have it, is immediately smitten by the fetching “senorita.” Furthermore, Filmore, who is running for mayor, senses that “Margorilla” could help him to gain the Spanish vote—which is substantial in Florida. Inevitably the two young men are not only drawn into Filmore’s campaign, but succeed beyond his wildest hopes, and while the grateful Filmore agrees to back his son’s show he insists that he will do so only if David and “Margorilla” agree to marry. Needless to say the resultant complications multiply hilariously, until Bunny inadvertently snatches off Butch’s wig, abruptly revealing the truth to the shaken Filmore. Fortunately, however, tolerance (with a little help from some appropriate biblical quotations) prevails and, in a touching, final scene, father and son, for the first time, come to know—and accept—each other for what they really are.
A truly funny play by one of the theatre’s masters of comedy. Filled with the warm, zany humor, offbeat characters, and bizarre situations that mark this author’s work, the present play deals with the hilarious predicament of a young man who has come to declare his homosexuality to his family, only to have his resolve eroded when he (and his lover) are unexpectedly drawn into his father’s mayoral campaign.
