Black Chiffon

By Lesley Storm

Robert and Alicia are a solidly respectable middle-aged couple, with two children in their twenties: Roy and Thea. The future looks bright: Thea is happily married and heavily pregnant; Roy is engaged to marry Louise in three days’ time. Yet, underneath the placid surface of middle-class life, some disturbing currents swirl. Robert, who has often been absent because of his work for much of the upbringing of his children, is resentful of and resented by, his son. In compensation, Alicia loves Roy in a profoundly possessive way. All these stresses come bubbling to the surface when Alicia is arrested for stealing in a department store. Oddly enough, she has fingered a black chiffon nightie, not an item of apparel that she would normally wear. What follows is a psychological thriller in which Robert asks Dr. Hawkins, a psychiatrist, to help with Alicia’s defence in court. After an emotional interview with her, brilliantly written by Storm, Hawkins feels confident that he can argue that her mind has been disturbed by recent stress.

Photos

Cast