Felled by too much syrup at a political fundraiser, the Abbot Severance is visited by several of his disciples, whose problems he addresses with glib attention. As each leaves depleted by his words, he regains strength. Amid the social bustle of a Christmas Eve fundraiser at the Crêperie, he navigates the growing political chasm between the Right to Pursue Happiness Party and the incendiary Anti-Estrangement Party. An explosion there compels him to penetrate beyond the surface of his life, culminating in Act III's surreal parade of more expansive visions for himself and his society.