C. G. Gardiner

Melting Pot Blues C. G. Gardiner

The play is set in Washington, DC. Thomas "Tom" Crossdale and his wife, Mavis, are immigrants from the fictional Caribbean country of St. Sabastian. They have two children; Faith and Winston. The father, Tom, is unhappy and wants to return to St. Sabastian. This is a source of tension within the family. Matters come to a head when Mavis confronts Tom about his long history of infidelity. She demands that he change his ways or leave their home. He leaves. Over the next year, the family dynamics change dramatically. With Tom out of the house, and practically out of their lives, Mavis becomes the bedrock of the family. And it becomes clear that the family can survive without Tom; but without the family Tom is adrift and alone. As the family prospers without him, Tom is overtaken by homelessness and illness. And as events unfold, shocking family secrets are revealed.