“Theatre People!”, exclaims Olga the Maid as she expresses her frustration with the guests staying at a Newport Mansion. The crowd at the Westport Country Playhouse laughs in unison at the remark and it will be a night filled with constant laughter. The play draws its inspiration from past stage romantic comedies. It includes all the elements including an interesting scenario and setting, rapid fire dialogue and jokes, physical comedy, and a cast of memorable characters.
The people to whom Olga the Maid refers are the guests at the mansion that evening. This hysterical comedy is set in 1948 in a Newport mansion filled with characters that are a part of the theater: Charlotte and Arthur Sanders, a married playwright couple; Margot Bell, a celebrated vocalist and actress, Victor Pratt, a Broadway baritone; and Oliver Adams, a young, naive novelist. Rounding out the cast of characters as is Olga, the mansion’s housekeeper whose snide remarks and sarcasm delivered in a Russian accent deliver some of the best comedic lines of the evening.
The play begins with the playwrights Charlotte (Isabelle Keating) and her husband Arthur (Michael McCormick) entering a beautifully decorated bedroom suite in a posh Newport mansion. They immediately begin to describe the suite as if they were writing a play and even look out at the theater audience and stating this is where the audience would sit. This immediately pulls the audience into the action on stage. This play within a play is a very clever and effective technique. They are soon joined by Oliver the novelist (Rodolfo Soto) who is hoping to reunite with the woman he met once but whom he is madly in love. He wants to tell her about his novel that she inspired him to write, It is that very book that Charlotte and Arthur are desperate to make into a Broadway play. The subject of Oliver’s love is an actress and vocalist, Margot (Mia Pinero) who is at the mansion to sing. She is performing with the bombastic Victor Pratt (Michael McCorry Rose) whose ego is far greater than his talent.
When Oliver, Charlotte and Arthur overhear Margot and Victor in the next room, all their plans for the weekend become unraveled. In a wild attempt to salvage the hope to stage their play, and reunite Oliver and Margot, Charlotte writes an entire new 2nd act to their play based on Oliver’s book which he is hesitant to publish. Charlotte enlists the help of Olga the maid who enters and exits the suite injecting laughs into every appearance.
Theatre People has all the elements of a classic stage comedy including a great setting, over the top characters, clever writing, rapid fire dialogue, and brilliant comedic timing. Theatre People has it all and add beautiful set design and direction and you have an evening of non stop great comedy. With Broadway actors and Broadway quality set, lighting and sound, Westport Country Playhouse is the place to experience live local theatre.
The cast includes Erin Noel Grennan as Olga, Isabel Keating as Charlotte Sanders ( Broadway: Upcoming “Queen of Versailles,” “Doubt: A Parable,” “The Boy from Oz” – Tony, Drama League, Outer Critics nominations, Drama Desk and Theatre World awards. Michael McCormick as Arthur Sanders Broadway: 15 shows including “Wicked,” “1776,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Curtains,” “Chaplin”; National Tours: “The Producers,” “Les Misérables”; Off-Broadway: “Fly By Night,” “A Man Of No Importance” at Lincoln Center Theater; TV: “Blue Bloods,” ”Brain Dead,” “Elementary,” “House Of Cards”; 18 Broadway and Off-Broadway cast albums Mia Pinero as Margot Bell (Broadway: “Sweeney Todd” as Johanna/Beggar Woman, “West Side Story” as Maria. Michael McCorry Rose as Victor Pratt (Broadway/Tours: “Wicked,” “Anastasia,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” next season’s “The Queen of Versailles”; Film: Universal Picture’s “Wicked,” “Disenchanted” for Disney, and Rodolfo Soto as Oliver Adams (Westport Country Playhouse: “In the Heights” as Usnavi.)
Playwright Paul Slade Smith is an actor and playwright living in Brooklyn with his wife, who is a member of the “Theatre People” cast (Erin Noel Grennan). Smith’s play, “Unnecessary Farce,” is the winner of nine regional theatre awards, and has had over 325 productions throughout the United States, and in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, and Japan.
Director Mark Shanahan is Playhouse artistic director and Script in Hand curator. In 2024, he directed “The 39 Steps,” the Playhouse’s inaugural production for the 2024-25 season, as well as the Playhouse’s holiday offering, “A Sherlock Carol.” Mark also warmed up the crowd prior to the show by having the opening night attendees shout in unison “ We are Theatre People!”.
“Theatre People” running time is approximately two hours, including one 15-minute intermission. The first act is around 35 minutes with the second act being around 50 minutes. Single tickets start at $40 and are subject to change based upon availability.. For information on special offers, including discounts for students, senior citizens, educators, military and first responders, Indigenous peoples, professional playwrights, and groups, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes,
Do not miss “Theater People” now on stage at the historic Westport Country Playhouse!
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