Rose Briar

About the show

The play was never published; this synopsis is compiled from contemporaneous newspaper and magazine reviews. Act I (Interior of Restaurant Pompadeur Caberet, at night.) This is a high class establishment with socially prominent customers. The set shows a small orchestra and "stage on a stage", which consists of risers leading to a series of open archways with curtain screens. Patrons, waiters, and entertainers swirl about the floor between numbers. The Valentines are there, along with Paradee. He is attentive to Mrs. Valentine, who misunderstands his sympathetic manner for romantice interest. She ignores her husband, who displays nervous behavior indicating emotional upset. Miss Nicely performs an interesting solo dance to music. Both men are momentarily diverted, Valentine to the music and Paradee to the girl. Later, Rose Briar appears on the risers in ornate Court of Versailles costume, singing Give Me That Rose (Madame Pompadour), and Valentine perks up. She returns in a simpler outfit to sing Love and the Moon, and Valentine is noticeably affected. Mrs. Valentine gets an idea; she summons her lawyer Mr. Little, and he, with the caberet managers, tell Rose she must go to Mrs. Valentine's country home that weekend if she wants to keep her job. (Curtain) Act II (Drawing room of Mrs. Valentine's home, the next weekend afternoon.) Rose now learns from Mr. Little what is expected of her: to lure Mr. Valentine into a compromising situation, so Mrs. Valentine can obtain a divorce. The reporter Miss Sheppard and Crecelous are present to testify to any unseemly behavior. At first Rose goes along with it; Valentine means nothing to her and she needs her job. But with time she conceives a dislike for Mrs. Valentine. She also realizes that Paradee isn't really interested in Mrs. Valentine, while Mr. Valentine's neurotic behavior is all due to Mrs. Valentine's coldness to him. Rose decides to compete with Mrs. Valentine for Paradee. (Curtain) Act III (Same as Act II, that evening.) Paradee now becomes the target of two battling women. Rose makes fun of Mrs. Valentine's proclivity for baby talk and incessant claims of persecution, but also helps clear up her mistaken impression of Mr. Valentine's infidelity. Eventually Paradee falls for his former love Rose, and Mrs. Valentine reconciles with her husband. (Curtain)