St. Louis Youth

Dinner Drama

Saturday, October 25, 2008

by Alex Waddell

The drama entitled “The Duke of Deception’s Perilous Plight” took place in a little village called Perception’s Pointe, otherwise known as the church activity room. This was the story of the Duke of Deception and the Princess of Perception as put on by the St. Louis young people.

Between acts, the guests were served a three-course dinner of Parisian salad, chicken, rice, and steamed broccoli, made by the guest chef, Dayle Lee, and a dessert of carrot cake.

The first act begins with the Duke of Deception consulting his secretary, Shirley Shorthand, who is secretly in love with him. The duke wants to make the Princess of Perception fall in love with him, which will solve all his “financial…I mean, romantic problems.” He ends up going to Mango the Magician, who makes a love formula for him to use on gifts for the princess. After putting the formula on a gift, the Duke gives it to a delivery boy. Of course, there has to be a hero in the story, so enters Sir Thomas Talks a Lot, who is also in love with the princess. He intercepts the gift and gives it instead to one of the princess’ maidens, causing the maiden to fall in love with the duke.

The second act begins with the Duke of Deception again trying to win the Princess of Perception’s heart…and her fortune. This attempt also fails and adds another maiden to his personal “fan club.”

In the third act, the duke tries one more time to win the princess. As the duke is warning the delivery boy that this final gift, a love letter, must go directly to the princess, his secretary stumbles across the formula. She reads the instructions, gasps in surprise, and spills some of the formula on a hankie. Then the duke goes to visit the princess to propose, but when he walks into the garden, he sees the love letter in the hands of the last maiden. Being totally fed up, the Duke of Deception runs crying all the way back to his office, trailed by the three maidens. The secretary gives him the hankie to dry his eyes, and then he falls in love with her! The secretary, duke, and the three maidens all skip happily away, followed at a slower pace by the Princess of Perception and Sir Thomas Talks a Lot, gazing adoringly at each other.

So ended a successful evening, if the laughter heard, coupled with the many “Good jobs” from friends and family, were any indication.