▁the ▁dry ▁goods ▁store ▁run ▁by ▁a ▁middle - aged ▁woman ▁named ▁Lady , ▁whose ▁elder ly ▁husband ▁is ▁dying . ▁Lady ▁has ▁a ▁past ▁and ▁pass ions ▁of ▁her ▁own . ▁She ▁finds ▁herself ▁attract ed ▁to ▁Val ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁new ▁life ▁he ▁seems ▁to ▁offer . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁tempt ing ▁ant id ote ▁to ▁her ▁lov eless ▁marriage ▁and ▁b oring , ▁small - town ▁life . ▁The ▁play ▁describes ▁the ▁aw ak ening ▁of ▁passion , ▁love , ▁and ▁life   – ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁its ▁trag ic ▁consequences ▁for ▁Val ▁and ▁Lady . ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁de als ▁with ▁passion , ▁its ▁repr ession ▁and ▁its ▁attempted ▁recovery . ▁On ▁another ▁level , ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁about ▁trying ▁to ▁live ▁bra v ely ▁and ▁honest ly ▁in ▁a ▁fallen ▁world . ▁The ▁play ▁is ▁re ple te ▁with ▁l ush , ▁po etic ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁imag ery . ▁On ▁the ▁stage , ▁the ▁opening ▁sections ▁seem ▁somewhat ▁lack ing ▁in ▁dram atic ▁movement , ▁but ▁the ▁play ▁pick s ▁up ▁power ▁as ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁developed ▁and ▁it ▁moves ▁to ▁its ▁clim ax . ▁Val , ▁representing ▁Or phe us , ▁represents ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁energy ▁and ▁er os , ▁which , ▁buried ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁comprom ise ▁and ▁every day ▁m und an ity , ▁have ▁the ▁trag ic ▁power ▁to ▁create ▁life ▁an ew . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Dol ly ▁and ▁Be ul ah , ▁two ▁g oss ip ing ▁house