The Chopin Playoffs

The time is 1947, and Stanley Rosen and Irving Yanover, lifelong friends now approaching young manhood, find themselves pitted against each other on two fronts. Both are piano prodigies, and will be rivals in a forthcoming, and prestigious, competition. And both, unfortunately, are smitten by the same girl, the lovely Fern Phipps, who (to the dismay of both the Rosen and Yanover families) is not even Jewish. But friendship wins out over ambition when both boys contrive to play poorly in the competition—so that neither will win. Also, as Fern has decided to award her favor to the winner of the piano contest, that problem is dealt with as well. And, again, all is put forth with such good humor and warmth that the play, like the others in the trilogy, becomes a lesson in the value of simple, family virtues and the essential brotherhood of man.