Island Shakespeare Festival: The Lucky Chance

Aphra Behn’s “The Lucky Chance,” also known as “An Alderman’s Bargain,” is a Restoration comedy that explores themes of love, marriage, and infidelity. The play revolves around two young couples, Julia and Gayman, and Leticia and Belmour, who are entangled in a series of romantic misadventures and misunderstandings. Julia is forced into a marriage with an older man, Sir Cautious Fulbank, while still in love with Gayman. Meanwhile, Leticia contends with her own unwanted marriage to Sir Feeble Fainwou’d. Through witty dialogue and clever plot twists, Behn critiques societal norms and highlights the pursuit of personal happiness amidst restrictive conventions.

Aphra Ben is known as the first woman in the world to make her living solely off of writing.  When her husband passed away in 1665, she turned to writing to support herself.  She died in 1689 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

This is the festival’s second year working with “Expand the Canon” to feature classic plays written by women and underrepresented genders.

ISF champions the pay-what-you-will model. If you’re flush, pay it forward. If you have less, you are always welcome to the show, no matter what you can afford. $35 per seat ensures program sustainability.