Lst weekend, I went down to San Diego to see my sister Carolyn in a play at the Old Globe Theater. The play was “Sir Patient Fancy,” a Restoration comedy by Aphra Behn. Behn is generally considered to be the first professional female writer.
“Sir Patient Fancy” involves two neighboring noble families: the Fancys, headed by the hypochondriac (and cuckold) title character, and the Knowells, headed by Lady Knowell. (My sister played the latter role, and she did a great job.) The play lasts over two and a half hours (and that’s after being shortened!) but there is always so much going on that the time passes quickly. The dialogue is very funny, and the various subplots all tie together in a farcical manner.