The Suffield Players -- Photo Gallery/What the Butler Saw, page one

What the Butler Saw, May 2009, page one


Geraldine Barclay (Rayah Martin) is applying for a secretarial position at a country sanitorium. Dr. Prentice (Dana T. Ring), head of the clinic, has finished with the written portion of the interview and moved on to the physical examination.	He persuades Miss Barclay to completely undress and lie down on the couch and would have continued the examination if not for the unexpected appearance of his wife.


While her husband is in the wards, Mrs. Prentice (Dorrie Mitchell) brings in Nicholas Beckett (Steve Wandzy), a pageboy at a seedy hotel. He has steamy pictures of them engaged in lewd behavior and wants a job at the sanitorium in exchange for the negatives.	After his wife leaves, Dr. Prentice attempts to return Miss Barclay's dress, but Mrs. Prentice comes back in and demands the doctor give the dress to her. It seems that while at the hotel, her own dress was stolen.

With wife and dress gone, Dr. Prentice is interrupted again by the sudden appearance of Dr. Rance (Bruce Showalter), a government mental health inspector. He discovers the naked Miss Barclay.	Dr. Prentice convinces Dr. Rance that Geraldine is a patient who thinks she's a secretary. Dr. Rance insists on conducting a full examination and takes her off to the wards to shave her head.


Dr. Prentice attempts to hide the rest of Geraldine's clothes. When Mrs. Prentice bursts in again, the doctor feigns great illness to get her out of the room.	Alone with Dr. Rance, Mrs. Prentice lists her suspicions that her husband is losing his sanity.

The doctor and his wife argue about her telling tales out of school. They are interrupted by the pageboy returning Mrs. Prentice's dress. The doctor learns of the blackmail photos. He agrees to talk to Nicholas about a job.	During the interview, the front desk calls to say a policeman is here. Nicholas is certain they are after him and pleads very strongly to be allowed to sneak away. Dr. Rance is convinced that Dr. Prentice should be certified.

Dr. Prentice has an idea: Nicholas will pretend to be the missing secretary. This will get Dr. Rance off Prentice's back, and enable the pageboy to escape notice from the policeman.	Sergeant Match (Larry Chiz), thinking he was allowed in, enters. Actually, he was allowed, but Dr. Prentice hasn't finished getting all of Geraldine's clothes to Nicholas. He demands that the sergeant wait in the garden.

After getting the shoes to Nicholas, Dr. Prentice allows the sergeant in. Whoops! Geraldine, escaping from the wards, comes in just as the sergeant does. Hiding her as best he can, Dr. Prentice orders the sergeant out the other door.	Geraldine has recovered her undies, at least. With everyone else out of the room, she grabs the the pageboy's uniform and attempts to leave. Movement in the next room sends her back behind the screen.