Synopsis
A Royal Affair
Published by Dramatists Play Service
3 Male 4 Female
How will her neighbors know she is good to her children if they don't receive these things? Hilda seeks escape in her fantasies of one day meeting royalty, and even perhaps serving tea to Queen Elizabeth
Hilda diligently reads HOLA! magazine to keep up with the goings on with royal families around the world. Her fantasies escalate, until Rene, Edna's gardener who has fallen in love with Hilda, puts her in touch with Luz, a medium (in love with Rene) who can help Hilda meet her royals
With Luz's help, Hilda calls upon Marie Antoinette and her lover, Axel Fersen, who appear and take over the lives of Hilda, Edna and Rene. The problems that arise with royalty in the house add to the confusion and the hilarity as Hilda must make a decision about what to do with her life
She must decide whether to stay in the U.S. and marry Rene or else be deported, since Luz, hoping to win Rene back, has reported Hilda, Antoinette and Axel to the immigration authorities, or to go back home on her own after receiving word that her children are acting like "adults" - the kind she does not want them to imitate
In the end, Hilda's experience with royalty, fantasy and love help her decide to go back home on her own to be loved by those for whom she wanted so much. After living with Hilda, Edna makes new strides to enjoy her life, and Rene finds he is re-attracted to Luz, who is ready and waiting
"Luis Santeiro has written a delightful fable about a dreamy woman and her rich fantasy life, which helps her straighten out her troubled reality. It's wacky, light-hearted fare, and the most accomplished of the three comedies by Santeiro - a nine-time Emmy winner " - NY Newsday
" Mr. Santeiro poke[s] fun at popular romance in all its dimensions: sex, class, social customs, history, heaven and more. And the play draws the audience right into the tumult " - NY Times