Humor abounds in this politically aware romantic comedy, which calls for a cast of 2 males, 3 females.

Bessie, a young Bostonian, renowned for her wit and beauty, meets Lord Lambeth at her sister Kitty’s “cottage” in Newport, Rhode Island. She is socially conscious and intellectually curious; he, a handsome, visiting English nobleman, who takes for granted his entitled position. She is obsessed with Lady Jane Grey, the beheaded nine-days’ queen of Tudor England; he has little interest in history, including his own family’s role in it. She “tutors” him, encouraging him to read; he introduces her to Gilbert & Sullivan (a relevant G&S verse introduces each scene). They flirt, they argue, they fall in love.

He must return home. Bessie soon joins Kitty on a trip to London. There the romance picks up again. Bessie must decide whether she can find happiness in their love within Lambeth’s restrictive aristocratic society.

Loneliness and finding love wherever you can are the dominant themes of Tar Beach. An elderly, successful author, Peter Berlin, confides in his estranged daughter, Lilith, his memories of a devastating childhood experience. They are visiting Tar Beach, the ersatz summer beach club atop a Brooklyn temple, where 75 years ago, Peter’s story unfolds.
Sent home from camp for reputed misbehavior, 8-year-old Peter is lonely and bored. Having no friends around, he seeks attention from his parents, Lill and Little Sam, who are too busy socializing to attend to his needs. Only “Uncle” Izzy, Little Sam’s best friend, enjoys Peter’s company, teaching him about Zionism and playing games with him. Peter adores Izzy, a handsome ne’er-do-well with a lovely voice. When Peter comes
across Lill and Izzy kissing, his world falls apart. While trying to explain his feelings to his imaginary friend, a
seductive female angel, Peter urinates on the Sanctuary floor, upsetting the temple elders, especially Little Sam, who hopes to be elected temple president. Lill divorces Little Sam, whom she never loved, and leaves the unreliable (and married) Izzy, who then takes off for Los Angeles, where he can sponge off other friends. Peter loses his beloved Izzy, his real father, as he learns. His home life is disrupted when Little Sam moves out and again when Lill finds a new romantic partner, soon to become another unsatisfying husband.
Back in the present, Lilith seeks a senior residence for the aging Peter, who vehemently opposes this. She is
contemplating marriage with her long-time companion, who, we discover, has ties with Izzy. Lilith comes up with an alternate plan for Peter’s living arrangement that will enhance their newly awakened bond.

Adela is determined to prevent her recently widowed father, Major Chart, from remarrying. She enlists her brother, Godfrey, in her quest. But Godfrey has secretly made a disastrous marriage, which he regrets. Major Chart helps Godfrey dissolve his marriage but loses his own forthcoming marriage because of Adela’s scheming.

After a painful tooth-pulling, Tom attends school. There he meets Becky, the new girl. They like each other instantly but find conversation awkward. Tom convinces Becky to get engaged to him. He gives her his tooth to wear around her neck when no one is looking.

Separated from the prince and living in London with her mother, Christina plunges into the anarchist movement. She becomes involved with three of the revolutionaries: a young, idealistic bookbinder, who volunteers for a dangerous mission; the leader of the London chapter, with whom she starts an affair; and a revolutionary hero, who is coordinating worldwide terrorist activities. Christina’s meddling in this dangerous world spells disaster, this time for all three men.

Royalty:
Influenced by her ambitious mother, the exquisitely beautiful and enlightened Christina seeks a husband: only affluent, noble bachelors need apply. She falls in love with a gifted sculptor for whom she is posing, but she rejects his offer of marriage, questioning his ability to provide her with luxuries. Fearing the disclosure of a dark secret that will ruin her marital ambitions, she marries a lovesick Italian prince whom she despises, which brings about dire consequences to both the prince and the sculptor.

Revolution:
Separated from the prince and living in London with her mother, Christina plunges into the anarchist movement. She becomes involved with three of the revolutionaries: a young, idealistic bookbinder, who volunteers for a dangerous mission; the leader of the London chapter, with whom she starts an affair; and a revolutionary hero, who is coordinating worldwide terrorist activities. Christina’s meddling in this dangerous world spells disaster, this time for all three men.

The one thing Sally, an impoverished, elderly black woman, still enjoys in life is looking out her window and keeping tabs on her neighborhood. When the view is blocked, Sally takes vengeance.

Claiming he needs a quiet place to write, Walter, an American scholar summering in Venice, seeks to lease rooms in a neglected old mansion in an out-of-the way section of the city. Juliana, an elderly invalid, lives there with her shy, middle-aged niece, Tita. The women question Walter’s motives, but needing money, they rent him rooms.

Walter is, in fact, searching for letters written to Juliana years ago by the famed poet Jeffrey Aspern. Vaguely suggesting the possibility of a romantic involvement, Walter attempts to enlist Tita’s help. Fearing the aunt will burn her papers before dying, Walter tries to pry open the desk drawer that holds them. Juliana appears suddenly; after denouncing him as a “publishing scoundrel,” she falls into her niece’s arms.

Walter flees Venice in shame. When he returns, he learns that Juliana has died. Tita, hopelessly in love with him, persuades herself that her aunt wanted her to offer Walter the love letters in return for his marrying her. Walter turns her down but later reconsiders and returns to Tita. It is too late, however; Tita tells him she has burned the papers “one by one.”