Synopsis and Character List for "Vice"

Here's a synopsis and character list for my new play "Vice." What do you think? Sound like anything you might want to see?

SYNOPSIS OF “VICE”

“Vice” is a tragedy in three acts with a fourth act satyr play. “Vice” is about a very liberal family, including two promiscuous daughters and a gay son, who move into a conservative, religious community. The community tries to change the family, but the family is not only resistant, but openly defiant at times, while the parents try to persuade the townspeople that each should live and let live. Their neighbors, however, have to deal with them on a more personal level, and so begin to engage in ever more drastic methods to change their ways. When one of the neighbors’ sons starts seeing the family’s gay son, this is the last straw. The play ends with the neighbor calling forth satyrs, which he considers demons, to punish everyone. Indeed, the play ends with seven of the ten main characters murdered.

In Act I, Carter James, his wife, Nancy, and their children, Britney, Lindsey, Albert, and Barney, have moved into a new house. The neighbors, Sam Nidal, his wife, Allie, and their sons, Ben and Randy, decided to check out who these new neighbors are. They do not like what they see.

In Act II, The James family are confronted by the town’s Elders. The parents first try to deal with the townspeople and reason with them, but eventually, they have to tell their children that the townspeople do not approve of their actions, especially the promiscuity of the two teenage girls and their gay son, Barney. Act II ends with a home invasion that results in the two girls being raped and Barney being beaten badly “to teach them a lesson.”

Act III takes place in the Nidal home, where the audience learns that it was the father and his two sons who were the home invaders. Sam decided to have the James’ over for dinner to try another approach to changing their ways, but after he learns his son has been seeing Barney, his plans take a more sinister turn. When the James’ come over, it is only the parents and the two daughters. Albert is off at college, but Barney is missing. It turns out that Sam has killed Barney and has fed him to the James family.

The final act, Act IV, is a satyr play. Sam has let the James family go, but follws them out of the house. The Jameses discover their house on fire. Sam calls for satyrs, who emerge from the enflamed house and grab all four women, including Allie, and drag them into the enflamed house to rape them. Ben joins the satyrs. Randy, appalled at what is happening, runs off. The satyrs emerge to say all the women, and Ben, are dead. They then turn on Sam, who is then beaten to death with a shovel by Randy. Albert returns in time to see everything end, and the satyrs proclaim their eternal devotion to him, saying they follow the one who is the strongest. Thus, they leave when Albert tells them to. In the end, the only ones left are Carter, Albert, and Randy. They leave as both houses burn to the ground.

CHARACTERS

Carter James – Ideologically, a very liberal man; husband of Nancy James; father of Britney, Lindsey, Albert, and Barney.

Nancy James – wife of Carter James

Britney James – a promiscuous teenaged girl.

Lindsey James – a promiscuous teenaged girl.

Barney James – a promiscuous gay teenaged boy.

Albert James – a moody teenaged boy.

Sam Nidal – neighbor of the James family; a very conservative, very religious man who thinks there is no boundary over which one can step to protect people from vice.

Allie Nidal – wife of Sam Nidal

Ben Nidal – Sam and Allie’s elder son.

Randy Nidal – Sam and Allie’s younger son; Barney’s boyfriend.

Elders – town elders who confront the James family.

Satyrs – half-men, half-goat