Play Explores Eccentricity

Mrs. Savage was caught lighting matches in her seat at the opera. She did it because her faithful teddy bear had lost an eye and she wanted to find it. But her “loving” children use the incident to show that she’s dangerous so they can get get her committed. The catch? Mrs. Savage has $10 million in negotiable bonds and plans to give it away to help people get the foolish things they have always wanted.

What results is the improbable plot of “The Curious Savage,” a play by John Patrick being performed at the Glendale Centre Theatre. The play explores the question of what is eccentricity, what is insanity and ultimately, what is really sane? “I think it has a message-story along with the humor,” said Allan Dietlein, the theater’s executive producer and owner. “I think in a day such as ours, we need a little understanding.”

In the play, Mrs. Savage sends her children, Titus, a senator, and Lilly Belle, a society queen, on wild-goose chases in search of the hidden bonds, just to see how foolishly they will act. During her brief stay in an asylum, she befriends her fellow inmates, who help her see herself as she really is, even though they cannot see their own true selves.

The play was originally produced by the Theatre Guild in New York City in 1950, with former silent screen star Lillian Gish as Mrs. Savage. Glendale performances are at 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays through Feb. 15. There will be matinees Saturday and Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $8.50 Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday matinees; $11 Friday and Saturday evenings, and $7.50 for seniors on Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees. The Glendale Centre Theatre box office is at 324 N. Orange St., (818) 244-8481.