Now on stage at the historic Westport Country Playhouse is  “Native Gardens”.  A comedy about new neighbors who quickly turn on each other.  The show is playing February 18 through March 8. The iconic Playhouse is presenting this play as part of it’s 2024-25 “Season of Laughter”

Upon entering the theater on opening night we were struck by the amazing and complex stage décor.  The play is set in a historic Washington D.C, neighborhood and the set presents two houses side by side.  One house is brick and stone, with a beautiful rear deck of stone and a garden worthy of a layout in Home and Gardens magazine.  The other house is clad in wood with steps to the yard made of construction lumber.  The yard is devoid of landscaping with the exception of a large old oak tree which drops its leaves, acorns and branches onto the two yards. The contrasts will continue to the owners themselves.

The fine brick home is occupied by long time residents Frank and Virginia Butley.  Frank works for the federal government, and Virginia reminds us more than once she is an aerospace engineer working in a predominately male field.  They keep their home and yard immaculate and abide by the traditions of this historic neighborhood.  The new neighbors, Pablo and Tania Del Valle are millenials and their idea for their new yard is to bring in native plants in sharp contrast to the well manicured plantings of the Butley’s.

The well intentioned friendliness of the new neighbors meeting quickly dissolves into a comedic back and forth between the neighbors about a disputed property line.   The dispute over property rights the play quickly reveals the clash of taste, and issues of race, ageism, sexism, colonialism and class distinction.  Despite handling all these thorny topics, the play keeps the audience engaged with a light hearted and rapid fire comedy from start to finish.  The underlying tensions may be serious, but the lighthearted way in which they are approached  reveals in the end these are good people with good intentions that have gone astray. It is a very clever written and meaningful play.  

Native Gardens is the kind of relevant comedy we need today.  From the brilliant set design and relevant soundtrack, the play delivers a delightful comedic evening with wonderful performances. The opening night attendees approved with a rousing standing ovation.  A play that exposes the issues that divide us but wrapped in comedic brilliance which lifts the spirit and lightens your evening.

 The play is written by Karen Zacarías, who was recently hailed by American Theatre magazine as one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the U.S. Director is JoAnn M. Hunter. “Native Gardens” is the fourth production in the Playhouse’s 2024-25 “Season of Laughter.

The cast includes Paula Leggett Chase as Virginia Butley (Broadway: “Tootsie,” “On the 20th Century,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Curtains,” “The Pajama Game,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Damn Yankees,” “Crazy for You,” “A Chorus Line”; 2020 Drama Desk Featured Actress nominee for “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”; Tours: “A Chorus Line,” “Cabaret”; TV/Film: “The Sound of Music, Live”;

 Linedy Genao as Tania De Valle (Native of Hamden, CT; first Latina performer to originate the leading role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway musical; named to Variety’s “Broadway Actors to Watch List”; Broadway: “Bad Cinderella” as Cinderella, “On Your Feet!,” “Dear Evan Hansen”; Off Broadway: “Women on Fire”; Tours: “Dear Evan Hansen”; Regional: “Passing Through,” “West Side Story,” “In the Heights”; TV/Film: “Death Saved My Life.

Adam Heller as Frank Butley (Westport Country Playhouse: Script in Hand playreading “The Outsider”; Broadway’s “Some Like it Hot,” “It Shoulda Been You,” “Elf,” “Caroline, or Change,” “Victor/Victoria,” “Les Misérables”; Off-Broadway’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” and others; Goodspeed’s “Fiddler on the Roof” – Connecticut Critics Circle Award/Best Actor), “Rags”; other regional theatre includes “Chicago”- St. Louis Theater Circle Award, “1776,” “Gypsy,” “Falsettos,” “The Chosen”; NYU/Tisch).

 Anthony Michael Martinez as Pablo Del Valle (Off-Broadway: Classic Stage Co., 59E59, Vineyard Theatre, New Ohio, The Flea, Theatre Row. Regional: Great Lakes Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare,  more; Film/TV: “After Forever” Amazon Prime series; MFA: Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting in DC; resident teaching artist for Red Bull Theater.

Set design by Anna Louizos.

Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission.

For tickets and information https://www.westportplayhouse.org/

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Court Westport Ct.

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