Act One. The aged widow of Alexander Temple, the late great composer from the heyday of the American Musical Theatre, summons her plain, middle aged daughter Marcie Sklar home to New York from her home in New Mexico. The still beautiful Gloria Temple lives in a world of privilege, cared for by a doting servant, and sought after for interviews about her famous husband and his work. She is enormously rich as a result of his ever popular songs and musical comedies. Gloria asks her wary daughter to remain with her in New York to take over the Temple Arts Foundation. Marcie refuses to do her mother's bidding and live in her famous father's shadow, devoting her life to his memory rather than her own work as an artist. The women have been at odds throughout their lifetime. Marcie was the rebellious daughter of a critical, perfectionist mother. A disappointed Gloria leaves the apartment with her nurse/companion for her medical checkup at the hospital, as Marcie comes upon a cache of unmailed letters hidden in the desk drawer in the library. These angry letters, written by Gloria, ventilate the rage she cannot show towards those who have hurt her; letters never meant to be mailed.

One of these unmailed letters is directed at Gloria's doctor who has told her that she is dying, yet refuses to intervene and help her with her estranged daughter. When Gloria finally returns from her hospital visit, Marcie, moved by her mother's plight, quietly agrees to stay and run the foundation. A joyful Gloria rests, and Marcie begins to read through the remaining letters, some marvelously amusing, some deeply tragic, all provide a fascinating key to her mother's life and character. We hear some of these letters read aloud by Marcie, others enacted by Gloria in the limbo of the library, as the two perform an intriguing duet that brings the past to life. It is now that Marcie discovers how her mother has been secretly corresponding with Marcie's adopted sister who eloped with Marcie's husband years before. An enraged Marcie mails all her mother's angry letters to the world, determined to avenge herself on her deceitful mother by this furious act of mischief.

In Act II Gloria is forced to confront the recipients of her scorn, the bewildered survivors who received the letters. All the Temple family relationships are brought to light, the chronic infidelity of her husband, the suicide of her homosexual son, and the price that Gloria has paid for loving a great but self absorbed artist. When Gloria finally learns of Marcie's role in sending the letters, the two women have the showdown of their lives, but ultimately forge a truce in their lifelong battle, “a caesura between the lines” as a quiet peace settles over the dying woman and her now becalmed daughter.

December Fools takes place in one setting, the Park Avenue apartment of Gloria Temple in the course of three days. There is a small cast of six characters who inhabit this world. It was developed in a series of readings at the Abingdon Theatre in New York, where it will have its premiere as a full production in 2005.

Inquiries about performance rights to December Fools should be addressed to Nicholas Yellen or Selma Luttinger, Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency, 212-840-5760.