Summer is the toughest time for Latham's
Curtain Call Theatre. As one of the
region's few year-round venues, Curtain
Call faces competition not only from
the Berkshires and Capital Repertory
Theatre's annual summer blockbuster,
but from the sun itself.
Founder and artistic director Carol
Max's solution this year is just as
it has been in past years -- farce.
"It's the perfect genre for nice weather,"
she says. "I usually try to do it
more in the spring and summer."
Robin Hawdon's "The Perfect Wedding"
opens, in its regional premiere, on
Friday, and Max promises that it fits
the form to a T.
"It's a basic farce," she says. "It's
very physical, it's based on misunderstanding
and it's plot-oriented rather than
character-oriented."
"A guy wakes up on the morning of
his wedding and there's an attractive
naked girl beside him -- unfortunately
it's not his fiancée. It all ensues
from there."
Hawdon -- who, at home, is an actor,
director and '60s sex symbol -- is
also the author of a wildly popular
adaptation of author Marc "Boeing
Boeing" Camoletti's classic "Don't
Dress For Dinner," which the company
has presented in the past.
"We were very successful with that
show," Max says. "It was one of our
biggest ever."
Hawdon, a Londoner, is also close
kin -- at least spiritually -- to
fellow Brit Ray Cooney, who has been
such a staple for the Old Loudon Road
playhouse, with broad comedies such
as "Run For Your Wife," "It Runs In
The Family" and "Tom, Dick and Harry."
Curtain Call's Resident director,
Steve Fletcher, will helm the show,
which, Max notes, boasts a cast studded
with newcomers, including a few Siena
College students.
She considers the show's star, Ian
LaChance, to be her secret weapon
of sorts.
"He's an amazing actor," she says.
"I can put him in a farce, I can put
him in a drama. Most actors don't
have that ability to do it all, but
he really does. He's really been a
good find for us."
Max will follow "Perfect Wedding,"
which runs through July 18, with another
comedy, which has a premise as broad
as Hawdon's, even if the shtick isn't
quite as loud.
Richard Vetere's "The Vows of Penelope
Corelli," which opens July 31, concerns
a marriage rather than a wedding.
Corelli's husband of almost 20 years
goes out for a pack of cigarettes,
and never returns. But when she wins
the lottery five years later, it's
"Honey, I'm home."
Max chuckles at her own description,
but it's clear she's a fan of the
piece, which is another regional premiere.
In addition, Max has released her
schedule for next season, and it,
too, offers a few regional premieres,
including Charles Morey's adaptation
of Feydeau's "The Ladies' Man" in
December and Lauren Wilson's "Chemical
Imbalance: a Jekyll & Hyde Story"
in January.
Pinter plays
No one would confuse Hawdon or Vetere
with Harold Pinter, but Max has been
there, too. One of Curtain Call's
most satisfying past productions was
Graeme McKenna's take on "Betrayal."
This week, in Lenox, Shakespeare &
Company kicks off a showcase of the
legendary playwright with "Pinter's
Mirror," a collection of one-acts
featuring longtime company members
Malcolm and Elizabeth Ingram. The
show, which runs through Aug. 11,
is directed by Eric Tucker.
At a glance
"THE PERFECT WEDDING"
When: June 12 through July 18; 8 p.m.
Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m.
Sunday.
Where: Latham Curtain Call Theater,
210 Old Loudon Road
Tickets: $20
Contact: 877-7529 or http://www.curtaincalltheatre.com
