“NOISES OFF” COMING TO UNITY THEATRE IN JUNE

  

Noises Off, an outrageous comedy by Michael Frayn, plays on the Unity Theatre main stage June 14th through July 1st. “Noises Off!” is a stage cue, used in plays to indicate noises occurring offstage. Don’t miss this uproarious depiction of what goes on (and what goes wrong) backstage during a theatrical performance. The play chronicles the rocky final dress rehearsal and subsequent disastrous performances of a farce called Nothing On. As the cast and crew of a third-rate touring company attempt to negotiate the farcical demands of the play-within-the-play, with fast entrances and exits, cases of mistaken identity, clothing quickly doffed and donned, a hilarious parade of backstage mishaps threatens to derail the proceedings altogether.  This play was the winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, was Tony nominated for Best Play, and The New York Times says it is “The most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy”. In 1992, Peter Bogdanovich directed a film adaptation of the story starring Carol Burnett, Michael Caine and John Ritter.

George Brock, the Theatre Program Coordinator/Faculty at Episcopal High School in the Houston area, returns to direct this lively, slapstick comedy.  He’s been at the helm of many Unity Theatre favorites such as The Odd Couple, A Tuna Christmas and Deathtrap. The cast of characters in Noises Off is as wacky as the plot. You’ll recognize Julia Traber as the forgetful Dotty. She most recently directed Becky’s New Car, Doubt and The Miss Firecracker Contest, and she has also performed in Boeing, Boeing, Educating Rita, The Matchmaker and The Heiress, among others. Justin O’Brien (All My Sons, the cross-dressing Leo from Leading Ladies, and Chapter Two) plays Lloyd, the temperamental director of the play-within-a-play, Nothing On. Greg Cote (Boeing, Boeing) is Garry who can’t seem to finish a sentence, and Heidi Hinkel (Becky’s New Car), plays Brooke, who is constantly searching for her contact lenses. Rounding out the stellar cast is Ally Oliphint (The Diary of Anne Frank and Blithe Spirit) portraying Poppy, the ever-emotional stage manager, and Foster Davis (How the Other Half Loves) as Frederick who gets nosebleeds easily. Jen Lucy (The Miss Firecracker Contest, A Piece of My Heart, and Almost, Maine, to name a few) returns to the Unity stage as Belinda, the reliable peacemaker who’s been on stage since the age of four. Blake Jackson (Unity debut) plays Tim, the over-worked assistant stage manager and Actor’s Equity Association member Ruddy Cravens (A Tuna Christmas) performs as Selsdon, a hard of hearing drunk constantly hiding his bottles all over the stage. Oh, and there are love triangles all over the place! Don’t miss the ridiculous way all of these characters interact and how this comical story unfolds.

Noises Off is the final play in Unity Theatre’s 2017-2018 Main Stage series, and runs for three weekends. It previews on Thursday, June 14th, opens on Friday, June 15th and plays Thursdays through Sundays, closing on July 1st.  Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 4:00 pm. Reserved tickets are $27. There are $19 tickets available for Preview on June 14th, student tickets are always $15, and all unsold seats are $15 at 15 minutes prior to any performance. A talk-back with the cast and crew immediately follows the Preview performance on the 14th, offering a chance to ask questions, share thoughts and chat with the folks that were involved in the production. Come to the theatre a half hour early to hear George Brock, the Director, share his thoughts on the play and his experiences with this production during the Director’s Chat prior to the show on the evening of Saturday, June 23rd.  Subscribers can begin making their reservations May 29th and tickets go on sale to the public on June 4th. Reservations can be made through the Unity Theatre Box Office at 300 Church Street, open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am until 2:00pm, by phone at (979) 830-8358, or by email to tickets@unitybrenham.org. Starting June 4th, tickets may be purchased online at https://Tickets.UnityBrenham.org. For more information, visit the website at www.UnityBrenham.org.   Story courtesy of Unity Theatre - Brenham.