Belinda: An April Folly in Three Acts

This charming Edwardian comedy captures the giddy logic of love in springtime. Set in the picturesque hills of Devonshire, A.A. Milne weaves a delightful tapestry of romantic misunderstandings among a small circle of acquaintances gathered for an April weekend. Belinda Tremayne, a widow of considerable wit, finds herself caught between two very different suitors: the dependable Harold Baxter and the more mercurial Claude Devonish. Meanwhile, her daughter Delia navigates her own romantic entanglements, and the household hums with the particular energy of people whose feelings are both obvious and hilariously misunderstood. What makes "Belinda" endure is Milne's sharp ear for dialogue and his understanding that the funniest things in life are the truths we won't admit. The play demonstrates why Milne was a successful West End playwright before Winnie-the-Pooh came along: his characters deceive themselves as much as they deceive each other, and the comedy emerges from the gap between what we feel and what we can say. Perfect for a leisurely afternoon, this is a gentle Folly in every sense.