Overtones and undertones

It would be so cool and chaotic if life was really like the world in Overtones. This is a play about your inner self literally fighting to surface, but your forced exterior comes through. It is a very artistic concept…having another person inside of your head. This comedy of manners reminded me very much of The Importance of Being Earnest, in the exchanges between Harriet and Margaret. They really genuinely dislike each other on the inside, yet they are being so sickeningly polite on the outside. Even though they don't like each other, however, they both want something from the other. Harriet wants to spend time with her long lost lover and Margaret's husband, John. Margaret wants Harriet to have her portrait done by John and pay him a large sum of money because they are in deep financial trouble. Yet, even with their mutually beneficial interests, both women are too proud to come right out and say what they want. Their inner selves are going insane, but on the outside they are completely composed. Both are flaunting their feathers and lying about living very extravagant perfect lives, when in reality neither women are happy at all. Both women get what they want in the end, but only after a long series of social mind games. I like that the author used Hetty and Maggie as the names of Harriet and Margaret's undertones. Their undertones are the casual, familiar, genuine, informal versions of themselves, thus they receive more casual nicknames. It was an excellent choice on the part of the playwright. I would be extremely interested to see how this play would come to life on stage. I imagine that this script would present some very specific challenges, such as making it clear that the overtones and undertones are the same people, even though they would be played by two different actors. I think this would be an interesting show to put on here at LSU, honestly. Small, all female cast. Perfect.