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Season > "Design for Living"
"Design for Living"
January 25 - February 24, 2007
By Noel Coward
Directed by
John McMullen
Town Hall Theatre Company presents Noel Coward’s Design
for Living-- a romantic comedy with a twist. Set
in Paris, London, and New York City in the early 1930s
when the world was sinking in Depression while War was
on the horizon, Coward tells the story of a seemingly
inseparable bohemian triad: a playwright; a painter; and
the woman they both adore, Gilda, who is an interior
decorator. They love one another, but jealousy is
another thing entirely! Who will end up with whom?
Full of Coward’s sparkling quips and witty dialogue,
Design explores deeper themes of feminism, polyandry,
love between men, and sexual freedom. Perhaps modeled
on Coward's own relationship with the famed actors
Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (who starred with him in
the original production), Design for Living vicariously
indulges our curiosities about how love among the
artists actually works.
“Remember the song 'Torn Between Two Lovers'?"
asks director John McMullen. "We all know that
risqué French phrase “ménage a trois.' But it’s
almost always portrayed as two women and a man.
What if we explored the other side of that?
“One of the jobs of the artist is to discover
new forms of art," McMullen continues. "When one
considers one’s life to be a work of art, the
design—or redesign—of that life is doubly
fascinating. What if we could design a new
model for coupling—or trebling—or domestic
arrangements? Perhaps our job with this play is
to allow the audience to imagine a world where
the rules were made to order. But this is a
comedy, as are most plays about marriage, so
have a good laugh—and maybe it will tickle your
imagination as well as your risibility.”
About the Cast and Crew:
Molly Benson (Gilda) is a recent transplant from
Los Angeles. Past roles have included Amy in
Company, Anna in Closer, Lady Percy in
Henry IV,
Bianca in Desdemona, Emma Goldman in Assassins,
and most recently Bonnie Lee Bakley in the
award-winning original musical, Blake...da
Musical (potentially going to Broadway next
spring). Molly was formerly a member of the
L.A. sketch comedy group Old Man Buckle, and has
worked in many independent films.
John Hale (Otto) last appeared on the Town
Hall stage as the lead in the award-winning 2001
production of Neil Simon's Fools. Favorite
roles include Marc in Art (ActNow!), Big Chief
Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (CCCT),
Lloyd in Noises Off (CCCT 2004 and 2005), Taylor
in K2 (Masquers), Putnam in The Crucible (SF
Playhouse), The King in The King & I
(Pleasanton Playhouse); and various roles in
Macbeth, As You Like It, and Hamlet at CenterREP
and Marin Shakes.
Carson Creecy IV (Leo) studied acting at
UC Berkeley, the Moscow Arts Theatre School USA
in Boston, and George Morrison's New Actors
Workshop in NYC. He lately portrayed The
Merchant in Brecht’s The Exception and the
Rule with the Custom Made Theatre Company in
SF; other roles include The Beadle in Getting
Married directed by Barbara Oliver, and
creating the part of Rem for Joe Goode's
Disaster Series.
Steve Schwartz (Ernest) is a past backup singer
for Johnny Mathis. Recent roles include
Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady at Coastal
Rep, Max Detweiller in The Sound of Music at the Hillbarn Theatre, Chief Inspector Hubbard in
Dial M for Murder with Act Now at the Dean Lesher Center, and Ben in
Death of a Salesman as
at the Altarena Playhouse.
Our Town Hall Theatre audiences will remember
Henry Perkins (HENRY) who portrayed (so
memorably!) both Eddie and Dr. Scott in this
season's "Rocky Horror Show." And we are pleased
to welcome back Maureen-Theresa Williams
(Miss Hodge/Grace), who played Maria in the Town
Hall/Butterfield 8 co-production of "Twelfth
Night", as well as the perpetually pregnant
Edith Potter in "The Women". Roy
Landaverde and Nancy Baranski are
also featured in "Design for Living."
Director John McMullen studied directing with
Tony-winner Mel Shapiro, head of acting at UCLA; he
studied acting with the Oscar-nominee William Hickey
and Uta Hagen at HB Studio in NYC. He regularly acts
and directs locally. He has won awards for acting,
directing and playwrighting in several Bay Area
theatre community competitions, and has written
three plays. He lately directed Proof at the
Masquers in Point Richmond, and Twilight: Los
Angeles, 1992 and Our Town at Los Medanos College.
Performance dates for "Design for Living":
| January/February 2007
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| sun |
mon |
tue |
wed |
thu |
fri |
sat |
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25
8 p.m.
preview
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26
8 p.m.
preview
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27
8 p.m.
open
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| 28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
Feb 1
8 p.m.
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2
8 p.m.
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3
8 p.m.
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4
2 p.m.
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5 |
6 |
7 |
8
8 p.m.
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9
8 p.m.
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10
8 p.m.
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11
2 p.m.
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12 |
13 |
14 |
15
8 p.m.
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16
8 p.m.
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17
8 p.m.
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18
7 p.m.
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19 |
20 |
21 |
22
8 p.m.
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23
8 p.m.
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24
8 p.m.
Close
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Ticket Prices for "Design for Living" |
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Adult prices
Preview, 8pm: $18
Thursday, 8pm: $24
Friday, 8pm: $29
Saturday, 8pm: $29
Sunday Matinee, 2pm: $25
Sunday Evening, 7pm: $25
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Senior prices
Preview, 8pm: $15
Thursday, 8pm: $20
Friday, 8pm: $25
Saturday, 8pm: $25
Sunday Matinee, 2pm: $23
Sunday Evening, 7pm: $23
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Youth prices
Preview, 8pm: $13
Thursday, 8pm: $19
Friday, 8pm: $21
Saturday, 8pm: $21
Sunday Matinee, 2pm: $20
Sunday Evening, 7pm: $20
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Youth - 17 and under
Senior - 62 and better
Student Rush: 15 minutes before
curtain, Student ID and $12 cash
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