The Duchess Without a Voice

In 1853, Archduchess Sophie of Bavaria decided it was time for her beloved son, Franz Joseph, to take a wife and start producing heirs. Rather than trust such an important union to Fate--or worse, Romance--she sent for her sister Ludovika's docile older daughter, Helene, to come to the court for a once-over and a quick proposal of marriage. Accompanying Helene and their mother on the journey was the 15-year-old Elisabeth. Free-spirited and beautiful, is it any wonder that the Emperor of Austria took just one look and realized he had found his soul mate. This one-act drama intercuts between two conversations that would ultimately change the course of history--the volatile exchange between Ludovika and Sophie (the latter who abhors losing) and Helene and Elisabeth (the latter who dreads winning).