The Honeymoon Stage TheatreWorks New Milford Opens Noël Coward’s Classic Comedy ‘Private Lives’ for the Holiday Season

NEW MILFORD , CONN. (November 17, 2016) – On Friday, December 2, TheatreWorks New Milford will premiere legendary playwright Noël Coward’s classic stage piece Private Lives. The curtain rises at 8:00 p.m. on a five-week run.

In this sophisticated comedy of manners, divorcees Elyot and Amanda (Jonathan Jacobson, Litchfield; Vicki Sosbe, New Milford) unwittingly book adjoining rooms while honeymooning with their new spouses. Realizing they’ve made a pair of mistaken marriages, they attempt to escape their partners. Under cover of darkness, they flee their honeymoon suites for Amanda’s Paris flat. When they are discovered later by their jilted lovers, all four individuals find themselves in the most compromising of situations.

“Private Lives is Noel Coward’s theatrical masterpiece,” said director and set designer Frank Arcaro of Roxbury. “The brilliantly written roles are catnip for actors and audiences alike. Written in 1930, it is that rare work…fun, crazy, insightful…that feels completely fresh almost 100 years later.”

Rounding out the ensemble cast are three outstanding area actors: Anna Fagan (Stamford), J. Scott Williams (Brookfield), and Christina Vandewater (New Milford).

In addition to Mr. Arcaro, the show’s crew consists of producer Glenn R. Couture, lighting designer Scott Wyshynski, and stage manager Kathy Bolster.

Private Lives made its London debut at The Phoenix Theatre on September 24, 1930. The first Broadway production premiered at The Times Square Theatre on January 27, 1931. After that, the play received seven Broadway revivals, the most recent of which was in 2011, starring Kim Cattrall and Paul Gross. The New York Times called the play “gorgeous, dazzling, [and] fantastically funny.”

Private Lives runs December 2,3  9,10  16,17,18  30,31  January 6,7. Curtain time is 8:00 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, with a 2:00 p.m. Sunday matinee on December 18. Tickets for all shows are $23 for reserved seating. Students and Military personnel with ID will be admitted for $18.

On New Year’s Eve, December 31 at 8:00 p.m., there will be one gala fundraising performance with hors d’oeuvres and an open bar of wine, beer, and soft drinks. The ticket price for this event is $75.

On Thursday, December 1, Senior Citizens are invited to a free dress rehearsal at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m. is TheatreWorks’ Pay-What-You-Want night. At this performance, you name the price for your ticket.

Reservations can be made online at theatreworks.us or by calling the box office at (860) 350-6863.

TheatreWorks is an award-winning, non-Equity theatre company named Best Community Theater in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine. TheatreWorks is located at 5 Brookside Avenue,  just off Route 202 (next to the CVS), in New Milford, CT. Parking is located behind the Catherine E. Lillis Administration Building at 50 East Street, New Milford.