The Sculpture of Time

The Sculpture of Time—Synopsis

Lois Foyt and Jon Foyt

A present-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winters Tale

Our ninth novel is a 21st century adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winters Tale set in present-day Northern California, specifically in the exclusive Bohemian Club in San Francisco and in the equally exclusive Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio 70 miles to the north on the banks of the Russian River.

The juxtapositions and our characters are:

Leontes, King of Sicily: Our character is Henry Witherspoon III, King of the Trans World Insurance Company world-wide empire in San Francisco and an iconic member of that City’s Bohemian Club. His castle-like headquarters sit high atop the Pyramid Tower office building overlooking the Golden Gate.

Polixenes, King of Bohemia: Our character is Craig Overman, King of his world-wide Redwood Hedge Fund, headquartered sixty miles to the north in his castle in Monte Rio overlooking the Russian River and adjacent to the infamous Bohemian Grove.

Hermione, Henry’s wife and Queen: Our character is Maria, perceived by Henry to be having an affair with his boyhood chum, Craig Overman. In a fit of rage and wanton mental behavior, Henry decrees her death. That same day Maria is murdered by her attending physician at Henry’s command and, so Henry believes, along with her new-born baby. Years later, in Henry’s remorse, he has Maria’s likeness sculpted into a life-size golden bronze statue that stands next to his throne in his office suite. In the story’s conclusion, does she return to life, as Shakespeare would have us believe?

Craig’s wife and Queen: Our character is Camilia, former San Francisco call girl and mother of Armand. She confides her secret background as she befriends Ashley.

Perdita, the daughter: Our character is Ashley, the baby saved from death by a repentant Dr. Moses and promptly left by him on the doorstep of an antique shop at the entrance to the Bohemian Grove, a shop run by two gay men, Reginald Queen and Christophe King, who adopt the infant, name her Ashley and raise her through her sixteen years in a motherless realm. Ashley, as she develops to maturity, becomes the vibrant focal point of the novel.

Florizell, Craig and Camilia’s son: Our character is Armand, Prince of Bohemia, who is about to graduate from the local high school, hoping to wed Ashley if he can overcome his father’s admonition not to marry out of royalty’s realm. Yet in the dénouement, Ashley does indeed become royalty in our novel, as she does in Shakespeare’s The Winters Tale.

The play’s clown: Our character is Silver Beard, a Viet Nam hippie living in Monte Rio, who decries the influence of corporate America—as represented by the rich and famous men attending the Bohemian Grove—over the lives of the common people. With his lover, Flower Girl, in tow, Silver Beard conducts an armed nighttime raid on the opening “High Jinks” ceremony, sneaking into the Bohemian Grove. Road kill!

Our other players: Our introduced characters: Eduardo, Henry’s administrative assistant. His lover, Lupe, Craig’s administrative assistant. Unbeknown to the others, they collude as the plot moves into the dénouement.

Dr. Ramses Moses, Henry’s intimidated personal physician, who commits the dastardly deed against the pregnant Maria but then repents, sparing her baby and making sure she is safely hidden away in Monte Rio. Dr. Sharon Schnepp, who reports to Henry the updated and true DNA of his baby.