Theatre People, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, USA

Theatre People, written by playwright Paul Slade Smith adapted from Ferenc Molnár’s Play At The Castle, performed at the Westport Country Playhouse (WCP) in Westport, Connecticut may be the best medicine for whatever ails you. Directed by Mark Shanahan and starring an impressively talented cast of Erin Noel Grennan, Isabel Keating, Michael McCormick, Mia Pinero, Michael McCorry Rose, and Rodolfo Soto, the play had the opening night packed-house audience laughing out loud all evening. A brilliant play, a gorgeous set design, and acting by an extremely talented and credentialed cast made for a perfect and most enjoyable evening of theatre. Bravo! The play Theatre People runs until April 12, 2025.

Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders), Michael McCormick (Arthur Sanders) – Theatre People

We had the pleasure of seeing Theatre People on opening night, and it was a thrill to see the Westport Country Playhouse (WCP) filled with theatre patrons out for an evening of great theatre. While the saying is “laughter is the best medicine,” it actually holds true. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can “enhance your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain, and can activate and relieve your stress response.” After experiencing Paul Slade Smith’s hilarious, laugh-out loud often and with great gusto farce of a play we believe it safe to say that we, and the rest of the audience, had a sumptuous dose of medicine in the guise of laughter.

Rodolfo Soto (Oliver Adams), Michael McCormick (Arthur Sanders), Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders) – Theatre People

The gorgeous set design by James J. Fenton transported the audience to 1948 to an elegant mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, where husband and wife playwrights Arthur and Charlotte Sanders played by Michael McCormick and Isabel Keating, and their friend and budding novelist Oliver Adams played by Rodolfo Soto, have traveled to hear a concert by Margot Bell played by Mia Pinero and Victor Pratt played by Michael McCorry Rose, where they are not warmly welcomed by the stern and grumpy housekeeper Olga played by Erin Noel Grennan.

Erin Noel Grennan (Olga), Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders), Michael McCormick (Arthur Sanders), Rodolfo Soto (Oliver Adams) – Theatre People

A brilliant script by Paul Slade Smith and expert directorship by Mark Shanahan transfixed the audience with the best of farce in a series of misunderstandings by zany characters beautifully performed by the talented ensemble. We had the pleasure of seeing Michael McCormick in a prior farce, Room Service, at the WCP, and knew of his deft comedic capabilities, and he proved once again that this Broadway veteran hit the mark each and every time.

Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders), Mia Pinero (Margot Bell), Michael McCorry Rose (Victor Pratt) – Theatre People

In Theatre People, Michael McCormick plays Arthur Sanders, who together with his wife Charlotte, played by Broadway veteran Isabel Keating, whom we had seen in Mark Shanahan’s A Sherlock Carol during its debut in New York, and again at the WCP, are a powerhouse playwright couple who are between plays and desperately need a new play produced, the sooner the better to stay financially solvent.

Erin Noel Grennan (Olga), Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders) – Theatre People

Enter Oliver Adams, a young novelist whose parents are friends of the Sanders, comedically played by the talented Rodolfo Soto, whom we had previously seen in the musical, In The Heights at the WCP. The plot is that Charlotte and Arthur want to have Oliver’s novel produced as a play, however before they can have the play produced, they need Oliver to have his novel published. In true farce fashion, this is where the fun and games begin, as Oliver is hesitant to sign the publishing contract because he wrote the novel about the love of his life, Margot Bell (played by Mia Pinero), who is naturally unaware of his devotion and about the novel he wrote about their time together.

Mia Pinero (Margot Bell), Michael McCorry Rose (Victor Pratt), Erin Noel Grennan (Olga), Rodolfo Soto (Oliver Adams), Michael McCormick (Arthur Sanders), Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders) – Theatre People

Situation comedy plays heavily as the Sanders and Oliver are in the guestroom directly next to the guestroom occupied by Margot Bell, who is unaware of their presence, since they arrived a day early, and can be heard in the throws of passion with Victor Pratt through the walls. A distraught Oliver now refuses to have his novel published and eats the contract obliterating the Sanders’ chances of producing it as a play.

Mia Pinero (Margot Bell), Michael McCorry Rose (Victor Pratt) – Theatre People

What to do, what to do, is exactly what they do – the Sanders must find a way out of this misunderstanding and get Oliver to sign the publishing contract and hopefully set love back on its precarious feet again. Erin Noel Grennan as the unhospitable and put-upon housekeeper Olga is about as good as it gets, as she delivers her lines or using her body to convey what her words cannot in true screwball comedy fashion. Mia Pinero as the beautiful Margot Bell and Michael McCorry Rose as the dashing Victor Pratt play off each other, and the other cast members, with great aplomb.

Michael McCormick (Arthur Sanders), Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders), Mia Pinero (Margot Bell) – Theatre People

From the beginning until the grand finale when the cast took their bows to a standing ovation by the appreciative patrons, Paul Slade Smith has demonstrated that he is a talented playwright to watch. Theatre People is his third play, and he is currently working on a new play.

Isabel Keating (Charlotte Sanders), Michael McCormick (Arthur Sanders) – Theatre People

As it was the opening night a reception followed in the Barn, where cast and crew and patrons gathered to share another laugh or two, to converse about the play, and to soak in the good feeling that accompanies an evening of great fun. Theatre People is presented by arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, a division of Broadway Licensing Global. The play, Theatre People, is performed in two acts with one intermission and runs until April 12, 2025.

Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!

Theatre People – Cast

Theatre People – Creative Team

Theatre People Schedule: The play runs until April 12, 2025. Sundays at 3:00 pm, Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, Wednesdays at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, Thursdays at 7:00 pm, Fridays at 8:00 pm. Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Runtime is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

For additional information or to purchase tickets, please call the Box Office at +1-203-227-4177, email them at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org, or visit the website at https://tickets.westportplayhouse.org/events.

Special Dinner & A Show: Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse is located on the Playhouse campus and is offering a special pre-show three-course pre-fixe menu for theatre patrons. Reservations are required. Please call Gabriele’s at (203) 454-4922 to make your reservation. Be sure to tell them you are attending the show to access the exclusive menu and price!

Please visit the WCP’s website for other dining options: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/dining/

A Sampling of Westport Country Playhouse’s Upcoming Performances Schedule for 2025

About the Westport Country Playhouse

“Founded in 1931, the mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater of the highest caliber and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; the New Works Initiative, a program dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new live theatrical works; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round.”  

“The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Shanahan; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; the New Works Initiative, a program dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new live theatrical works; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; youth performance training through Broadway Method Academy, Westport Country Playhouse’s resident conservatory program; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round.” 

The Westport Country Playhouse, named as “Theatre Company of the Year” in December 2013 by The Wall Street Journal, opened on June 29, 1931, in a transformed 1835 cow barn, which has, and continues to attract, a “who’s who” of prominent actors.

Looking at the framed posters of the past shows lining the lobby walls is like entering an encyclopedia of the arts. A few of the renowned actors who have appeared on the stage there include Ethyl Barrymore, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Tallulah Bankhead, Gloria Swanson, Don Ameche, Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy, Jane Fonda, Danny Aiello, Blythe Danner, Jill Clayburgh, Richard Dreyfus, Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Lynn Redgrave, Gene Wilder, and Westport residents Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.

Westport Country Playhouse
The Howard J. Aibel Theater Center
25 Powers Court
Westport, Connecticut 06880
United States
Box Office: +1—203-227-4177
Toll-Free: 1-888-927-7529
Website: www.WestportPlayhouse.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestportCountryPlayhouse
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wcplayhouse @wcplayhouse

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