THE SOMERSET PARTNERSHIP - full-length - a love story about love and betrayal

Set during Prohibition, The Somerset Partnership follows Thomas Whitmore, a privileged Boston banker, and Maria Santos, a Cuban American smuggler, who forge an unlikely business alliance that transforms into enduring love. In March 1923, Thomas arrives at Maria's Key West operation, proposing a deal: his legitimate storage facilities and banking connections in exchange for her smuggling expertise. Both are...

Set during Prohibition, The Somerset Partnership follows Thomas Whitmore, a privileged Boston banker, and Maria Santos, a Cuban American smuggler, who forge an unlikely business alliance that transforms into enduring love. In March 1923, Thomas arrives at Maria's Key West operation, proposing a deal: his legitimate storage facilities and banking connections in exchange for her smuggling expertise. Both are positioning for Prohibition's anticipated repeal, but their partnership quickly becomes
personal. When federal agents close in by October, both face ultimatums—Thomas's father demands he abandon his criminal associations or lose his inheritance, while rival smugglers threaten Maria's operation. Choosing love over safety, Thomas and Maria accept arrest together rather than betray their bond. Their cooperation with authorities earns reduced sentences and helps dismantle violent competitors. Sixteen months later, they've built Somerset Importing Company, a thriving
legitimate business and are expecting their first child. More than a love story, the play explores how true partnership can bridge any divide when both people are willing to transform for each other, creating a new model of the American Dream based on shared growth rather than individual ambition.

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THE SOMERSET PARTNERSHIP - full-length - a love story about love and betrayal

Character Information

  • THOMAS WHITMORE
    Harvard-educated banker from a Boston old-money family. Ambitious but constrained by family expectations. Transforms from a privileged heir to a genuine partner through his relationship
    with Maria. Sees the end of Prohibition coming and wants to position himself in the legitimate liquor trade.
  • MARIA SANTOS
    Cuban American smuggler operating between Key West and Miami. Sharp, fearless, and pragmatic. Built her operation from nothing after competitors killed her fisherman father. Transforms from an isolated criminal to a community builder.
  • CHARLES WHITMORE
    Thomas's father, an old Boston banking patriarch. Former legitimate liquor importer. Wants to restore the family business but won't risk a scandal. Represents traditional values and family pressure.
  • ELENA VASQUEZ:
    Maria's lieutenant and closest friend. A former nurse who turned to smuggling after losing her job.
    Serves as Maria's conscience and voice of caution. Eventually pursues education and becomes a teacher.
  • DETECTIVE FRANK MURPHY
    Irish American federal agent. Honest but pragmatic. Represents the law's complexity during Prohibition - knows the futility of enforcement but does his duty. Later becomes a private investigator.
  • JIMMY COSTA
    Maria's young boat captain. Hotheaded and ambitious. Wants to expand operations faster than Maria
    thinks wise. Represents the next generation's impatience. Eventually marries and finds legitimate work.
  • HELEN ABBOTT
    Thomas's Boston society fiancée. Well-meaning but sheltered. Represents the world Thomas is expected to inhabit versus the one he's drawn to. Ultimately releases Thomas from their engagement.
  • CAPTAIN LUIS HERRERA
    Veteran Cuban boat captain who taught Maria the trade. Wise, weathered father figure who warns
    about the costs of the business. Represents wisdom and continuity between old and new worlds.