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Three Women and Mr. Clifford, Part 1​/​The Private Secretary

from Ruth Draper and Her Company of Characters: Selected Monologues by Ruth Draper

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One of Draper's most imaginatively constructed monologues, "Three Women and Mr. Clifford" paints a pellucid portrait of Anthony Clifford, a 1920s captain of industry, through the eyes of the three most significant women in his life: his secretary, his wife, and his mistress. It is a particular favorite of the actor and director Simon Callow. "In seeing the women," says Callow, "you experience the most vivid realization of Mr. Clifford himself. You know that man inside out by the time it's over."

Written in 1929, when Draper was in the throes of a passionate affair with the Italian poet and anti-Fascist Lauro de Bosis, "Three Women and Mr. Clifford"—particularly the depiction of the mistress, Mrs. Mallory—offers a glimpse into Draper's own feelings on affairs of the heart and whether they can survive "the challenge of everyday life." De Bosis, who was 26 to Draper's 43 when he first met the actress in 1928, was killed in a daring anti-Fascist maneuver in Italy in 1931.

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Ruth Draper Brooklyn, New York

Ruth Draper was the undisputed queen of the one-woman theater in the 20th century. Throughout nearly forty years as a professional performer, Draper filled theaters all over the world through her unique ability to transform herself into a vast array of characters. Draper composed more than fifty monologues over the course of her career, seventeen of which are available here. ... more

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