Festival Theatre | St. Croix Falls, WI - News

On Golden Pond to Transform a Black Box Theatre into a Nostalgic Summer Cabin

9/20/2016

After closing “My Name is Rumpelstiltskin” to a sold out crowd on Sunday afternoon, Festival Theatre is preparing to open “On Golden Pond” by Ernest Thompson next Saturday, October 1st at 7:30 PM. The cast of the play features faces new and familiar to Festival Theatre.

Ed Moersfelder plays Norman Thayer, the aging patriarch of the story. Most recently seen as Grandpa in “The Grapes of Wrath” and Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol”, Moersfelder has graced the Festival Theatre stage since 2008 and always brings great life and depth to his characters. He is joined by Robbye Lewis as Ethel Thayer. Lewis joined Festival this summer as Ouiser in “Steel Magnolias”. Daniel Olson returns to the stage as Bill Raye, after bringing life to the doomed Mr Boddy this summer in “Clue, The Musical”. Liam Gallagher is the youngest of the group, playing the teenage Billy Raye. Gallagher has performed with Festival numerous times, most recently as Al Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath”. The cast also includes a few new faces to Festival Theatre, including Jessica Passaro as Chelsea and local writer Greg Marsten as Charlie.

“It's been fun to watch the relationships of these characters grow in rehearsal.” Jaclyn Johnson, the director of the production explained, “Each actor brings a well rounded, fully developed character to rehearsal, and watching this group interact on stage has lead to some really exciting discoveries. I'm looking forward to see how this story continues to grow as we quickly approach opening!“

The show centers around Ethel and Norman Thayer's return to Golden Pond for their forty-eighth year. Norman cannot shake from the morbid humor that heart troubles and a failing memory have caused in him. As Ethel and Norman struggle to meld their differing outlooks, an unexpected gift arrives when their daughter drops off her boyfriend’s teenage son before a trip to Europe. The boy becomes the spark that both needed to move forward and all are brought closer together as a family.

“The script is tight and well paced, and though it is witty and light at times, there are a deep emotional set of stories that are honest and real.” elaborated Johnson, “Working with this team of designers and actors to bring this story to life on stage is a gift which I am greatly enjoying unwrapping.”

Tickets for “On Golden Pond” are $26 for adults and $13.50 for youth (ages 5-25). One performance is already sold out, so get your tickets soon. Purchases can be made through Festival Theatre’s Box Office, located at the Franklin Square Black Box downtown St. Croix Falls, through the website FestivalTheatre.org or by calling(715)483-3387.

Ed Moersfelder as Norman Thayer in rehearsal for “On Golden Pond”

Monroe Crossing Returns to St. Croix Falls

9/2/2016

Bluegrass fans take note – Monroe Crossing is returning to St. Croix Falls with Festival Theatre this fall. The high-energy, heart-stirring concert will take place at Alliance Church of the Valley on Saturday, September 24th, beginning at 7:30 pm. “Monroe Crossing has become one of our favorite staples in Festival’s music line-up” says Peter Weber, Technical Director at Festival Theatre. Festival Theatre couldn't resist the opportunity to bring the band back to St. Croix Falls, this time at Alliance Church of the Valley.

Named in honor of Bill Monroe, “The Father of Bluegrass Music,” Monroe Crossing dazzles audiences with an electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and heartfelt originals. Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements, and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites here and across the United States and Canada.

Based in Minnesota, the group plays an average of 125 shows a year at major venues and festivals, frequently for non-bluegrass audiences — and people often comment that they’d never really liked bluegrass music until they attended a Monroe Crossing concert!

Among their many honors, Monroe Crossing was selected to showcase at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association Convention and they were inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2007. The only bluegrass band ever nominated as “Artist of the Year” by the Minnesota Music Academy (MMA), Monroe Crossing won the 2003 MMA “Bluegrass Album of the Year” award. The group also took home four awards — for Female Vocalist, Guitar, Mandolin and Banjo — at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s 25th Anniversary Awards Banquet.

Carolyn Hegeler, from the Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association, sings the praises of Monroe Crossing, “Where to begin with Monroe Crossing? In every way, they are shining professionals. Their instrumental prowess, strong lead and harmony vocals, varied repertoire with original songs/tunes, artful arrangements, and their warm and relaxed stage presence all made for a perfect evening of wonderful entertainment.” Hegeler continued, “ If you haven’t heard Monroe Crossing in concert yet, do it the first chance you get!”

Tickets are now on sale for Monroe Crossing’s return to St. Croix Falls, and are $26 in advance and $31 at the door. Purchases can be made through Festival Theatre’s Box Office, located at the Franklin Square Black Box downtown St. Croix Falls, through the website FestivalTheatre.org or by calling (715)483-3387.

My Name is Rumpelstiltskin in Rehearsal

8/22/2016

Back row: Rachel Kuhnle, Sidrah Edwards, Michaela Cabreana, Izzy Nelson, Elliana Naegelen, and Brecken Styles. Middle: Cade Anderson, Marguerite Minich, Tristan Bodin and Olivia Dodge. Front row: Ella Anderson, Katelyn Knapp, Abby Ruona and Shaw Styles. (Not pictured, Cooper Thorsten).

Although Festival Theatre’s summer repertory season closed last weekend, rehearsals have already begun for the September Youth and Family Series Production of My Name is Rumpelstiltskin adapted by Vera Morris. Fourteen youth actors have been cast in the production, and are working alongside guest artists Shelly Whitehead and Rachel Kuhnle. Shelley Whitehead is directing the production after appearing in Clue, The Musical and Steel Magnolias this summer. Rachel Kuhnle is returning to Festival to play the Miller's Widow in Rumpelstiltskin after performing in A Streetcar Named Desire and Little Shop of Horrors last summer.

This clever adaptation of the classic Brothers Grimm tale follows Rumpelstiltskin as Griselda, a four hundred year old witch, tells him he must possess a child of royal birth to become the most powerful force in the kingdom. The wizard plots and schemes and spreads the word that Laura, the miller’s daughter, can weave straw into gold. Since the kingdom is bankrupt, she’s whisked off to the palace and ordered to spin and spin. With Rumpelstiltskin’s help she delivers the gold. She has a high fee to pay — her first born child. When Laura marries the prince and produces an heir to the throne, she has twenty-four hours to guess the wizard’s name or lose her child.

The youth cast is made up of a mix of talented new and returning actors, including Abby Ruona of St. Croix Falls as Rumpelstiltskin and Sidrah Edwards as the ever-powerful witch Griselda. Elliana Naegelen and Cade Anderson will play opposite each other as Laura and Prince Tom. Brecken Styles leads the court as Queen, with Ella Anderson as the Jester, Olivia Dodge as the Prime Minister, Shaw Styles as the Nursemaid, while Michaela Cabreana and Izzy Nelson play Katherine and Charlotte. The cast is rounded out by Cooper Thorsten as the Huntsman, Tristan Bodin as the Apple Seller and Marguerite Minich as the Customer.

My Name is Rumpelstiltskin is proud to be a part of Take Me To The River with Art Reach St. Croix, where you can experience the intersection of arts and nature in the St. Croix Valley as you explore the region's art fairs, festivals and open artist studios.

Don't miss out on this great production at the Franklin Square Black Box opening Friday, September 9th at 7:30 PM. Tickets for Festival Theatre’s Youth and Family Series are $13.50 for Adults and 18.50 for youth ages 5-25, seating is limited so patrons are encouraged to order tickets in advance. Festival Theatre is currently located at the Franklin Square Black Box at 125 N. Washington St, Saint Croix Falls, WI. The Box Office can be reached online at FestivalTheatre.org or by calling (715) 483-3387.

Steel Magnolias and Private Lives Final Weekend at Festival Theatre

8/15/2016

This weekend marks the end of Festival’s 2016 summer season. While Clue, The Musical has performed its closing performance to a sold out crowd, Private Lives and Steel Magnolias’ final shows are still to come. WhilePrivate Lives and Steel Magnolias are different in most respects, they each offer something unique to the public;Private Lives is hilarious and original while Steel Magnolias is heartfelt and allows the audience to connect to the characters in numerous ways. There is still time to purchase tickets to laugh and cry in each final show this weekend. The final performance of Private Lives is at 2:00 Sunday, August 20th. You have two chances to see the final show of Steel Magnolias at 7:30 PM on Thursday, August 18th and Saturday August 20th.

While many of Festival’s guest artists for the summer are getting ready to leave, this weekend’s shows are not the last you will see of this summer’s artists. Shelley Whitehead, Robbye Lewis and Daniel Olson will be appearing at Festival Theatre this fall. Rehearsals are already underway for the Youth and Family Series production of My Name is Rumpelstiltskin, which includes 15 local youth actors and is being directed by Shelley Whitehead (Mrs. White in Clue and M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias). Robbye Lewis (Ouiser in Steel Magnolias) and Daniel Olson (Mr. Boddy in Clue) will also be returning for roles in this October’s production of On Golden Pond.

While the summer is at a close, Festival’s artists are already hard at work for upcoming shows starting September 9th, and like this summer, are sure not to disappoint.

Auditions for youth roles in A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas and On Golden Pond are taking place this weekend. Interested Youth should contact the Box Office immediately for information about how to register. Tickets for Festival Theatre’s Theatre Series are $13.50 for youth ages 5-25 and $26.00 for adults. Festival Theatre is currently located at the Franklin Square Black Box at 125 N. Washington St, Saint Croix Falls, WI. The Box Office can be reached online at FestivalTheatre.org or by calling (715)483-3387.

Audiences Connect to Steel Magnolias at Festival Theatre

8/8/2016

Steel Magnolias has stayed true to 80’s southern charm in its manifestation on Festival’s stage this summer. The “alley style” seating arrangement puts the audience closer to the women on stage -- and these women are animated, authentic, and comical with and unique southern personalities; the audience is able to partake in the fun and feel like they are in the next styling chair.
Festival’s re-creation of playwright Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias has the same laugh-through-the-tears validity as the film, but its atmosphere and unique group of local cast members sets it apart. The cast members each demonstrate a personal flare for their characters, which makes this Steel Magnolias show one that remains fresh. Interim Artistic Director, Andrew Bradford Benson, highlights the multi-generational feel Steel Magnolias has and reflected that “it's so lovely to see mature women tackling roles with such depth and substance.” Director Jennie Ward mirrored Benson’s sentiment, and shared how wonderful it has been to work with the cast, “We deeply benefitted - as humans and as artists - from the collective experience of so many different perspectives on life as a woman - from college student to young professional to working parent, to grandparent, to widow and beyond. As in the play, each of us occupies a very specific time of life *now*, and sharing that with each other was a great blessing.”
Not only do the actors benefit from their amazing work backstage, the audience plays an intimate role in this alley-style production. Elizabeth Albers, who plays Shelby in the production, mentions how every show feels unique based on the audiences’ reactions to certain climactic moments in the show. Robbye Lewis, playing Ouiser, added, “Every performance is different.” Since the space is small and intimate, the cast members can hear every sob and gasp that audience members make. While the actors immerse themselves in their roles, they also pull a lot of their tears, outrage, and joy from the people surrounding them.
When you watch Steel Magnolias this summer, Ward asks that you “try to see the play for itself, with clear eyes.” Remember to treat Truvy’s beauty parlor as a beacon of refuge. While comedy is incessant, so are some of the deepest emotions we all go through at difficult points in our lives. Steel Magnolias is a testament to the raw and sweet emotions, the faults and the successes, the profound and the facile, the squabbling and the loving – it is a testament to the art of community.

Final Performances of Private Lives and Annual One-Act Play Readings

8/3/2016

Andrew Bradford Benson, Elizabeth Albers, Josh Weisenburger and Marjorie Gast in Festival Theatre’s Private Lives

Since opening in July, Festival Theatre’s production of “Private Lives” by Noel Coward has delighted audiences with its witty repartee, timeless scenarios, costumes, set, and improperly hilarious emotional outbursts.

The cast and crew of “Private Lives” have enjoyed producing this british comedy. Marjorie Gast, who shines in the role of Amanda, opposite Andrew Bradford Benson’s Elyot, has loved every minute of the process. “The thrill of portraying such a beautifully vibrant, witty, and adventurous character has been a delightful challenge,” said Gast. The quick changes of love and hate between the reacquainted couple resonate with audiences and provide uniquely passionate characters for the actors to explore. Elizabeth Albers, Festival Theatre’s Arts Education Coordinator, plays Sibyl, Elyot’s new wife, in the production. “Her brain operates in a completely different way than mine. She is one of the most honest and emotionally available characters I have ever played,” Commented Albers. “This cast has been great to work, they all make me laugh everyday,” Albers continued. “We have so much fun telling this hilarious story and I feel lucky to be working alongside these professional artists.”

There are only three performances left of Noel Coward’s “Private Lives” at Festival Theatre, Thursday, August 4th at 7:30 PM, Saturday, August 13th at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, August 21st at 2:00 PM. Performances take place at the Franklin Square Black Box, and seating is limited, so patrons are encouraged to order tickets in advance. The Box Office can be found online at FestivalTheatre.org, by calling (715)483-3387 or by stopping by the Franklin Square Black Box in Downtown St. Croix Falls.

In addition to these few remaining shows in Festival’s summer season, Festival Theatre will hold its fifth annual One-Act Play reading on Wednesday, August 10th at 7:30 PM. A one-time only event, this is the culmination of Festival’s fifth annual One-Act Play contest. This year, three plays have been selected for reading. The plays, original submissions by playwrights with origins in, or ties to, Wisconsin and Minnesota, were selected based upon originality, quality of plot and dialogue, and creativity. At the reading, first, second and third place winners will be chosen by the reading committee and the impressions of audience members in attendance at the reading.

The three plays cover a broad range of subject matter. This year the finalists are “After the Bows,” “Twenty Minutes,” and “Until They Forget.” This annual event always proves to be an interesting and engaging evening at Festival Theatre. Tickets are $10 and seating is limited, reservations can be made online at FestivalTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at(715)483-3387.

Summer in Full Swing at Festival Theatre

7/26/2016

Photo; Mrs. Peacock wields the knife with an Audience Volunteer in Clue: The Musical

The summer is in full swing at Festival Theatre. With Steel Magnolias opening this past weekend, all three shows will be performing in a rotating repertory through August 24th. Private Lives and Steel Magnolias are being performed at the Franklin Square Black Box in downtown St. Croix Falls, while Clue: The Musical is being performed across the river at the Taylor’s Falls Memorial Community Center. Tickets are already selling out for the few remaining shows on Festival's schedule, so patrons are encouraged to call now for reservations.

Clue: The Musical is a family-friendly show that brings the traditional board game to life by inviting guests to watch and partake in a series of events leading to the impending murder of the doomed Mr. Boddy. What’s the catch? At the beginning of the show, three audience members choose the playing cards that decide who kills him, in what room, and with what weapon, with over 200 outcomes. Already, guests are describing Clue: The Musical as “Exciting fun” and “Wonderfully unexpected.” Clue: The Musical takes audiences back in time when board games were not just a past-time, but a way of life. Revel in the silly mystery that is Clue, and let it its twists and turns enthrall your senses.

Private Lives tells the story of Elyot and Amanda who divorced five years ago and have both recently married again. Problems arise when we learn they are both on honeymoons with their new spouses in adjacent suites at a resort in Southern France. When Elyot and Amanda learn of each other’s presence, old flames are ignited and a whirlwind of events take place that leave all involved in a tangle of emotions.Private Lives is being described as “hilarious” and an “intimate comedy, ” and features adult situations and comedy that some may not find suitable for young children.

Steel Magnolias is a heartfelt show about a group of women sharing gossip, friendship, and therapy at Truvy’s beauty salon. Audiences witness the intimate life of Shelby, a small-town beauty, who marries and starts a family while battling diabetes. She risks her life in order to have a child and the women are forced to examine their own mortalities and draw upon the underlying strength present in all of us to move forward while being forever changed. Steel Magnolias is the story of a group of unlikely women—although they sit next to one another in church and pass each other in the grocery store; they grow closer as they begin to share their lives and experience the commonalities between their deepest secrets.

Presented in a rare and exciting alley style set-up, audience members feel as if they are a part of the action. Through honest and heart-felt acting, strategic directing and a lovely story about life, live and lose, you'll want to pull up a glass of lemonade, pick a shade of nail polish, and get ready to make life-long friends with the women of Steel Magnolias.
Also, be sure to check out Improv every Friday night at 9:00 pm at the Franklin Square Black Box. The show lasts one hour and the café is open for those seeking refreshments during the show. The cost is only $5.00 per person.
The show consists of all Festival Theatre summer guest artists and the games vary, so you will see a different and unique show demonstrating how artists can build on their “on-the-spot” improv skills each week.

Tickets for all these shows are available online or from the box office at 715-483-3387. Join in the community celebrations of life, love, play and folly with the all artistic fun that Festival Theatre has created for its audience. Visit Festivaltheatre.org or call 715-483-3387 for tickets and showtimes.

Full Steam Ahead at Festival Theatre

7/26/2016

Peter Weber, Technical Director, Pamela Vlasnik, former General Manager, Seth Kaltwasser, new Interim Artistic Director, Jaclyn June Johnson, new Interim Artistic Director, Andrew Bradford Benson, outgoing Interim Artistic Director

The halls are never quiet around Festival Theatre, currently headquartered in the Franklin Square Black Box at 125 N Washington Street, across from Tangen Drug. Now in the midst of producing its 26th season of professional theatre in St. Croix Falls, the company has completed its temporary move out of the Civic Auditorium, where a much-anticipated renovation is underway. As construction launches on the 100-year-old performance space, the organization looks to its past and its future, bidding a fond farewell to two fearless leaders and welcoming a familiar duo back to the staff.

Jaclyn June Johnson, Festival’s previous Artistic Director, and Seth Kaltwasser, who recently served as Director of Development and Arts Education, will be returning as Co-Artistic Directors for the remainder of the 2016 season. They will continue in this shared role through next year, when they’ll manage the transition back into the renovated Civic Auditorium, the launch of the 2017 season, and the orientation of a new full-time Artistic Director later next year. While Johnson and Kaltwasser have continued to stay involved in Festival Theatre’s programming since their departures from the staff (in 2015 and 2014, respectively), both have explored theatre scenes in other parts of the Midwest during their time away.

For nearly a decade, Jaclyn Johnson’s presence and perspective have had a profound influence on the Festival Theatre experience. While she hasn’t been gone from the staff for long, she’s spent a busy year creating theatre around the Midwest! Since getting married on the Festival Theatre stage last August and leaving the staff at the end of 2015, she has served as a teaching artist and performer for Riverside Theatre in Iowa City and collaborated on an improv comedy show titled “Reality Ever After” with Under The Gun theatre in Chicago. Wisconsin has continued to be her home; she directedGrapes of Wrath for Festival Theatre this spring and is currently rehearsing a show in Milwaukee. What brings her back to Festival Theatre now? “It’s clear to me that this is a time to invest in the organization,” Johnson says. “With this current season happening in a new black box space, and the renovation at the Civic Auditorium, there are so many exciting opportunities and also so many new questions that need to be carefully considered. So, I’m thrilled to be coming back to this team. I first came to Festival Theatre in 2008 as an actor, and it’s always been evident that this company was fueled by the investments of a dynamic community of artists and local patrons. It’s been an honor to be a part of that community, and it feels good to be reinvesting during this critical time in the organization’s history.”

Since moving to Minneapolis at the end of 2014, Seth Kaltwasser has spent his time writing and performing. He’s also stayed busy on the administrative side of producing theatre, spending six months as the Assistant to the Artistic Director of Minneapolis’s Frank Theatre. He remained an active part of Festival’s 2015 Theatre Series, taking on the role of Seymour in last summer’s Little Shop of Horrors and joining Johnson in the fall production of Noises Off. Regarding his return to Festival Theatre, Kaltwasser said, “It’s an exciting time for the theatre, and an important time, so I was honored when the organization approached me to see if I had an interest in returning.” When asked about his thoughts on the Civic Auditorium’s renovation, Kaltwasser said, “My greatest hope is that the upgraded space will provide an opportunity for new local patrons to come by and check out the Festival Theatre scene. If we’re doing our job well, we are creating work that resonates in meaningful ways with the people who live and invest in this community. So, more than anything, my desire is that everyone in the St. Croix Valley develops or deepens a strong and positive association with their local theatre and the work that’s being done on the Festival Theatre stage.”

The decision to bring both artists back to Festival Theatre came after two current staff members, Pam Vlasnik and Andrew Bradford Benson, announced their departures. Vlasnik, who began her time as General Manager in February 2013, will be moving on to a new position in the St. Croix Valley and is excited to embrace her new status as “patron” to Festival Theatre. “There truly is never a dull moment on this staff, and I’m sure I’ll be able to take a lot of the improv skills I’ve learned here on to my next position!”

Benson, who took on the role of Interim Artistic Director in January of this year, has been a staple at Festival Theatre for several seasons. Ever since audiences were first introduced to Benson in 2012’s summer production of Man of La Mancha, he has been a constant asset to the Theatre Series, serving frequently as an actor, costume designer, director, and choreographer. For his next venture, he’ll assume a slightly different role -- as student. In the fall, he begins classes at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison. “Working at Festival over the course of five season has been a huge blessing,” says Bradford. “My first season here came at a time when I needed some artistic inspiration and it reignited my passion for what live theatre can do in and for a community. Without these past few years, I would not have had the courage to take this big leap and start my next adventure. For that, I will be eternally grateful.”

In the midst of all this change, Festival Theatre remains grounded in its mission of making the arts welcoming to all people. “There are a lot of moving parts right now, but so much of being an artist is learning to collaborate with others and to work creatively towards a deadline, so it all feels very positive and exciting,” said Kaltwasser. “The practical realities of adjusting to a new space and a new staff dynamic present plenty of challenges, but the individuals who make up the staff, board, and volunteer community of Festival Theatre are really inspiring and fun team members and I’m delighted to jump back into this theatre’s current.”

All the while, the work goes on. This Saturday, July 23rd, Steel Magnolias opens at the Franklin Square Black Box space. This much-loved tearjerker will run alongside the interactive mystery show Clue: the Musical, which performs at the Taylors Falls Community Center, and Private Lives, Noel Coward’s classic comedy about falling in and out of love, which can be seen at Franklin Square. For ticket information, and to hear about our weekly improv shows and the upcoming Youth Acting Intensive, please call the Box Office at 715-483-3387 or visit the web site at www.festivaltheatre.org for a full schedule.

Festival Theatre Presents: Improv Every Friday at 9:00 pm

6/28/2016

You are invited to witness improv night every Friday until August 12 at 9:00 pm at the Franklin Square Black Box. The show will last at least one hour and the café will be open for those seeking refreshments during the show. The cost is $5.00 per person.

The show consists of all Festival Theatre summer staff (including cast members you saw in Clue: The Musical and Private Lives) and the games vary each week, so you will see a different and unique show every week.
Festival Theatre uses Improv as part of the Interns Theatre training. Improv allows artists to build on their “on-the-spot” acting skills by being faced with opportunities to listen to other artists and execute enjoyable lines without previous preparation. So, please support the growth of Festival’s artists by coming to each Friday improv night this summer and enjoy the unscripted madness that leaves you asking for more.

Festival Theatre Presents: Private Lives on Saturday, July 2nd at 7:30 pm in the Franklin Square Black Box

6/28/2016

Festival Theatre would like to invite you to see Private Lives by Noel Coward starting July 2nd and endingAugust 21 at the Franklin Square Black Box. Tickets are $26.00 for adults and $13.50 for youth (ages 5-25). They may be purchased from the box office at festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com, or at 715-483-3387.

Directed by Cory Johnson a returning guest director of Festival's, Private Lives is the story of Elyot and Amanda who divorced five years ago and have both recently married again. Problems arise when we learn they are both on honeymoons with their new spouses in adjacent suites at a resort in Southern France. When Elyot and Amanda learn of each other’s presence, old flames are ignited and a whirlwind of events take place that leave all involved in a tangle of emotions.

Private Lives is host to some of Festival's resident company actors like interim artistic director Andrew Bradford Benson and arts education coordinator Elizabeth Albers. You will also find some of the summer company faces like Joshua Weisenburger and Marjorie Gast.

We offer you one rule of caution; this show contains language and situations that are not appropriate for young children. Stage manager, Abi Leveille, describes Private Lives as a “true romantic comedy” with its talented cast engaging in a unique interplay of comedic violence and sexual innuendos. The director of Private Lives is Cory Johnson, professor of theatre at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA and enjoys these plays that “poke fun at ‘people of leisure’ who have little else to do, but decide on where next to dine or travel. Characters in such plays often try to maintain the mask of social artifice while simultaneously revealing to the audience what lies behind such manners.” Diving into this world of privileged 1930s newlyweds brings the audience into a comedic world behind the superficial manners society expects of them. Keep Johnson’s thoughts in mind as you enjoy the irreverent dazzling of Private Lives.

Cory Johnson returns to Festival to direct this hilarious Comedy of Manners