Splendora

In a small town in East Texas called Splendora, people still talk about Timothy John Coldridge, the young man who ran away fifteen years ago, never to be heard from again. They also talk about Splendora’s new arrival, Miss Jessica Gatewood, a lady of Victorian dress and speech hired to run the county bookmobile who’s taking up residence in the house of Timothy John’s deceased grandmother, Esther Ruth. Within weeks, Jessica captivates the town; her style is emulated by the Splendora Ladies Study Group, and she is lauded for her municipal restoration efforts. Only one person, Sue Ella Lightfoot, suspects, “There’s something mighty slippery beneath those frills and flippery,” and makes a startling discovery: Jessica and Timothy John are one and the same person. As Timothy John begins to fall in love with Brother Leggett, Splendora’s assistant pastor, it’s clear that he must reconcile himself with his hurtful past so that he can finally leave Jessica and Splendora behind.

Splendora was the recipient of the 1995 Richard Rodgers Production award and features music by Stephen Hoffman and lyrics by Mark Campbell.