The Santa Clarita Playhouse presents a radio-on-stage production of Orson Wells’ 1939 broadcast of Noel Coward’s Private Lives, at Canyon Theatre Guild on February 1st and 2nd at 8 p.m.
Noel Coward originally wrote Private Lives in 1930. Coward starred alongside theatrical luminaries Gertrude Lawrence and Laurence Olivier in the London run of the play. Noel Coward stated that it only took him four days to write his greatest play.
Orson Wells convinced the playwright to let him adapt the script for his Campbell Playhouse, formerly the Mercury Playhouse of the War of the Worlds fame. After rewrites, Wells compressed the quintessential cocktail comedy of two parts bad manners, one part dry humor and a dash of verbal repartee, shaken and served with a cynical twist, which is both entertaining and sophisticatedly sexy, into a one hour radio broadcast which aired April 21, 1939.
Santa Clarita Playhouse, as part of the Canyon Theatre Guild’s Five for Fun and Philanthropy series, reprises their adaptation of the Orson Wells’ broadcast, which they presented free to the public in June 2007. SCP chose to add a pre-show to the script that depicts the chaos and antics of a group of New York City audio performers in the Golden Age of Radio only minutes before they go on the air. Prima donnas, divas and a braggart scramble to choose the replacement for one of their actresses that “left for Hollywood.”
Producer Jason Johnson cast Lisa Wilcox, of Chastity Blade, Star Trek TNG and the Nightmare on Elm Street films, to portray the broadcast studio veteran diva who then in turn portrays Amanda, ex-spouse and verbal sparring partner of Elyot in Private Lives. “Lisa Wilcox brings a balance of complexity and elegance to Private Lives,” said the show’s producer and goes on to add that, Lisa’s Amanda “is the perfect oil to the acerbic Elyot in Noel Coward’s matrimonial tossed salad.” Wilcox stated that she is “quite thrilled to pick up a fork, rather than Freddy’s glove and spar in this scrumptious comedy.” “Miss Wilcox returns to her theatrical roots after founding the internationally successful jewelry company Toe Brights, which include celebrity clients such as Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore and Hilary Duff.
Proceeds from the performances of SCP’s adaptation of Private Lives benefits their student outreach program entitled Shake Hands with Shakespeare, which has been touring through out the elementary schools of SCV, Ventura and LAUSD. Shake Hands with Shakespeare, aligned with state educational standards, encourages children’s literacy development in a fun and engaging environment hosted by the Bard himself.
For more information on Santa Clarita Playhouse and their outreach programs, call 661-799-5953 or visit them at www.thesantaclaritaplayhouse.org . For tickets to Private Lives contact the box office at Canyon Theatre Guild 661-799-2700.