Emperor's New Crème Brulee

One-Acts 45

By: Lavinia Roberts
Cast: 3 M, 6 F, 8 flexible, opt. extras (Doubling possible.)
Performance Time: Approximately 45 minutes, 40 pgs

COMEDY. Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” An English biscuit manufacturer has its sights set on stealing the dessert recipes of the most celebrated Parisian restaurant so that they can develop the desserts into mass-produced snacks sold in gas stations around the world. Two British con artists arrive at Emperor’s Restaurant and pretend to be world-renowned French chefs who have discovered the secret to the making the world’s finest crème brûlée while studying with monks in Tibet. They convince the restaurant’s owner and staff that their recipe is so divine that only a true connoisseur can taste or see their masterpiece. Delighted to offer such a heavenly dessert on the menu, the restaurant’s owner invites only the most prestigious Parisians to sample the dessert. When the patrons arrive, they are proudly presented with empty dessert dishes. The patrons eagerly “taste” the crème brûlée and offer rave reviews. It is only Emile, the restaurant’s lowly dishwasher, who realizes something is fishy…and it isn’t the bouillabaisse!

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Lavinia Roberts is an award-winning playwright and educator. She has a MA in Theatre Education from New York University and an MFA in Playwriting from Southern Illinois University. Roberts has been a theatre teacher for more than a decade. She is an Assistant Professor and Murphy Fellow in Theatre Arts at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.