Ever notice how countries which have their names tied synonymously with magic are also mired in poverty and related conditions? (i.e. Haiti, which in the movie "The serpent and the rainbow" was said to be (paraphrased) "95% catholic and 100% voodoo".) This particular show, the only one I've heard yet from a female RMT playwright (Nancy Moore) takes place in another country, Ceylon - today called "Sri Lanka" - which is said to have "marvelous things (such as magic, described by the woman in the lead role in the play)" and indeed has great natural beauty but has had a disproportionate share of squalid conditions. The lady around whom the play is centered is an American who falls in love with a wealthy British expatriate who owns a tea plantation on the island. He has a staff of servants including a manservant who mysteriously always seems to know where his master is. She immediately becomes distrustful of the servant, and is constantly asking her husband to be about Ceylonese legends of magic and "hexes" - death spells. In fact, she starts to see evidence of them (apparently she's done some reading up), evidence which is confirmed by the servant, who tells his master that the lady needs to leave the plantation a s a p. Listen to it, and keep an ear on what's happening...there are some interesting plot twists in this one.

An episode about the supernatural goings-on in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Or maybe it isn't the supernatural, merely the workings of our own imagination! This episode reminded me how far we have come in terms of combating racism and building acceptance for other cultures. The locals in the story are treated with condesention and suspicion... Master and Slave relationships. There is a line that is something like, "walking around barefoot like the locals in a dirty sari." Taking that all as a symptom of a less tolerant past, the story itself was good. A young woman in Ceylon lets her curiosity about the supernatural become an obsession to the point of paranoia. She goes to extreme lengths to convince others of what she believes is happening to her with unfortunate (of course) consequences.

This is an excellent episode- contains moody atmosphere, mysterious supernatural events. My favorite actress Rberta Maxwell adds her beautiful voice. Nancy Moore wrote several really good episodes, and this is one. I posted my List of Best CBSRMT Episodes on the " Return to Shadow Lake" Episode Page, but forgot this one- this is definitely on the list.

After marrying the English owner of a tea estate in Ceylon, Lisa Peters becomes fascinated by devil dances, fire walking and other native magic. When told that her husband’s male servant may become jealous of an upstart American giving orders in the household, Lisa fears he might practice some black magic on her. She becomes terrified when she finds a scorpion in her shoe, is attacked by a bat, and is nearly killed by a falling statue of Buddha.

I love these radio plays, but this one just went on too long. It was an interesting story of local customs involving witchcraft. The bride's complaining just went on and on, I couldn't take it any longer. I know it was part of the plot, just way too much of it.