Her Voice

“Rose will be who I want. She will do what I want, where I want, and how I want it done. That is the purpose of children.” New York City, 1962. 15 year old ROSE DEVRIES unexpectedly finds herself at the open grave of her overbearing, narcissistic mother, CAROLYN DEVREIS MULLER. Standing in the midst of tearful mourners, dry-eyed ROSE, gratified by an odd feeling of freedom, smiles. 1947, a posh Manhattan Party. We meet 30 year old CAROLYN DEVRIES, oozing seductive charm and knock-em-dead looks amidst a cluster of handsome men and jealous glares. She zeroes in on that night’s target: ADMIRAL TALLEY, 60s, be-ribboned, respected and rich. Shortly into her smooth introduction, she feels ill, excuses herself with a smile. Something isn’t right. Forward to DOCTOR VAUGHN’s office, CAROLYN is shocked to find out she’s pregnant. Adopt it out? Perish the thought! Might be fun to have something all her own. Three months pregnant, CAROLYN, ever thinking of her glamourous image, heads far from Manhattan to AUNT DOT’s farm for her confinement. When baby is born, CAROLYN has no motherly inclinations. Make her stop crying, no breast feeding, let me rest! Doesn’t even name the baby. CAROLYN’S best friend ARMAND, elegant, handsome and gay, comes for a visit. He holds the baby, pink like a rosebud, and she is christened ROSE. Back in her elegant Manhattan apartment, CAROLYN begins life with baby, which consists of shoving ROSE into the arms of NANNY as CAROLYN continues her social whirl. As CAROLYN husband-hunts through a string of wealthy, often eccentric, lovers, ROSE is variously dropped off at AUNT DOT’S, dumped at a home for troubled children, or just left for a few hours at the local diner. The diner owner, MARGARET, a mother herself, senses ROSE’S unhappiness, and befriends her. ROSE craves her mother’s love, yet is so hurt by CAROLYN’S selfishness that she tortures CAROLYN in daring “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle” type fantasies in her imagination. Flash forward to ROSE at 12. CAROLYN has a bead on another rich older man, the EARL. She’s off to England without ROSE, who manages to get CAROLYN to allow her to stay at MARGARET’S house. ROSE has a wonderful time, singing pop tunes with MARGARET’S daughter, KATE. In England, CAROLYN discovers the EARL is very married, but there she meets FRED MULLER, American, 60s, King of the Toilet Brush and proud of it. Although vulgar, he’s wealthy, smitten with CAROLYN. Her looks are fading, she needs security. They are engaged. Back home, CAROLYN shows up at MARGARET’S house unexpectedly, horrified to find her daughter singing crass pop tunes, forbids her to see MARGARET or KATE ever again. Alone in FRED’S mansion, ROSE, bored, goes exploring. She accidentally breaks a valuable statue for which ROSE is sent to a Girls’ Boarding School, where she is bedeviled by the other students and so harassed by her narcissistic mother, that ROSE attempts suicide. After which, CAROLYN shunts ROSE off to a Convent Boarding School, with instructions to discipline ROSE firmly: Her mother’s words sting: “You’re really not good at anything, are you Rose? Not even killing yourself.” The Convent, however, turns out to be a haven, where ROSE discovers her gift for song and reconnects with her friend, Kate, who helps ROSE realize that what her mother thinks doesn’t matter. ROSE starts to find herself. The fateful night comes when CAROLYN confronts her vulgar, drunk husband who, in a fit of rage, kills her. ROSE discovers that she inherits half her stepfather’s estate. She’s wealthy. But with no father on her birth certificate, social services will be called. Desperate, ROSE asks MARGARET to become her guardian. MARGARET agrees. ROSE dreams of Julliard. Under the tutelage of an A-List New York singing coach, friend of ARMAND’S, she auditions for Julliard. The auditioners are impressed. KATE is impressed too, and confesses her growing deeper love for ROSE who is surprised but pleased, to find that she feels the same way. ROSE has found her future, found her love and found her Voice.