Riverside Theatre Presents Noel Coward's PRIVATE LIVES

Riverside Theatre, led by Producing Artistic Director/CEO Allen D. Cornell and Managing Director/COO Jon R. Moses, present Noel Coward's uproarious comedy, Private Lives, which performs on the Stark Stage from January 31 - February 19, 2017. Private Lives is sponsored by Bobbie Olsen and Riverside Theatre's Patron Producers Group.

One of the most sophisticated, witty, and entertaining plays ever written, Private Lives remains one of Noel Coward's most successful comedies. Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet on the balconies of their adjacent rooms. As they relive the past, their original spark reignites and they impulsively runaway together to give their relationship another shot, much to the shock of the newlyweds they leave behind. After days of being reunited, Elyot and Amanda again find their fiery romance alternating between passions of love and anger. Will Elyot and Amanda remain together or will they return to their respective new spouses?

Playwright Noel Coward was born in 1899 and made his professional stage debut as Prince Mussel in The Goldfish at the age of 12, leading to many child actor appearances over the next few years. His breakthrough in playwriting was the controversial The Vortex (1924), which featured themes of drugs and adultery and made his name as both actor and playwright in the West End and on Broadway. During the frenzied 1920s and the more sedate 1930s, Coward wrote a string of successful plays, musicals and intimate revues including: Fallen Angels (1925), Hay Fever (1925), Easy Virtue (1926), This Year of Grace (1928), and Bitter Sweet (1929). His professional partnership with childhood friend Gertrude Lawrence, started with Private Lives (1931), and continued with Tonight at 8:30 (1936).

During World War II, he remained a successful playwright, screenwriter and director, as well as entertaining the troops. He even acted as an unofficial spy for the Foreign Office. His plays during these years included the extremely successful Blithe Spirit, This Happy Breed and Present Laughter. His two wartime screenplays, In Which We Serve, which he co-directed with the young David Lean, and Brief Encounter quickly became classics of British cinema.

In the post-war years, Coward re-invented himself as a cabaret and TV star, selling out a season in 1955 in Las Vegas featuring many of his most popular songs.

In the mid-1950s he settled in Jamaica and Switzerland, and enjoyed a renaissance in the early 1960s. Late in his career he was lauded for his roles in a number of films including: Our Man In Havana (1959) and his role as the iconic Mr. Bridger alongside Michael Caine in The Italian Job (1968).

Writer, actor, director, film producer, painter, songwriter, cabaret artist as well as an author of a novel, verse, essays and autobiographies, he was called by close friends 'The Master'. His final West End appearance was Song at Twilight in 1966, which he wrote and starred in. He was knighted in 1970 and died peacefully in 1973 in his beloved Jamaica.

Riverside Theatre's production of Private Lives will be directed by James Brennan and stars Jason Loughlin as Elyot Chase, Catherine Gowl as Amanda Prynne, Liana Hunt as Sibyl Chase, Spencer Plachy as Victor Prynne, and Andrea Gallo as Louise.

The design and production crew includes: Allen D. Cornell (Scenic Designer), Yael Lubetzky (Lighting Designer), Gail Baldoni (Costume Designer), Craig Beyrooti (Sound Designer), and Rebekah Church (Production Stage Manager). Casting was done in New York City by Wojcik / Seay Casting.

Private Lives performs January 31 - February 19, 2017 on the Stark Stage at Riverside Theatre. Tickets start at $35. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com.

Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30pm; Opening Night (the first Tuesday performance), Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm; with matinees on Wednesdays, select Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.

Performance Schedule:

January 31, February 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18 @ 8pm

February 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18 & 19 @ 2pm

February 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16 @ 7:30pm

The Stark Stage season also includes: Mame (March 7 - 26) and Saturday Night Fever (April 11 - 30).

The Waxlax Second Stage season includes: An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf (January 17 - February 5) and The Christians (March 21 - April 9).

Private Lives is sponsored by Bobbie Olsen and is presented by Riverside Theatre's Patron Producers Group: Lois Appleby, Linda Aronberg, Anita Astrachan, Carol Atkinson, Barbara Baldwin, David & Cynthia Bardes, Paul & Jayne Becker, Sam & Susie Bell, Dick & Sue Bergeman, Ted & Debbie Berghorst, Jerry & Anne Blatherwick , Este Brashears, John & Anita Brennan, Peter & Susie Brinckerhoff, Bill & Laura Buck, Tim & Carol Buhl, Bill & Karen Campbell, Don & Rose Ciampa, Jim & Dottie Currie, John & Sue Dobbs, Bill & Laura Frick, Mary Jane Grant, Herb & Ann Gullquist, Bill & Eva Gurley, Duke & Gael Habernickel, Robert & Pat Hall, Dick & Rosemary Haverland, Calvin & Sally Hills, Dave & Jayne Horner, Ronald F. Hunt, Allen & Ann Jones, John & Pam Kean, Paul & Nancy Knapp, Judy & Lou LaFage, Bill Lane, Doug & Julie Macrae, Whit & Betty MacMillan, John & Marilyn McConnell, Ray & Sonia McGowan, Brooke Megrue, Ted & Dawn Michael, Bob & Susan Morrison, Bobbie Olsen, Don & Connie Patterson, Michael & Kathie Pierce, Helen Post, Ted & Carol Price, Mike & Anne Rhoades, John Roberts & Juli Blunt, Ron & Nancy Rosner, Bill & Judy Schneebeck, Van Schreiber, Bill & Marlynn Scully, Ned & Emily Sherwood, Joe & Mary Alice Smith, Orin & Stephanie Smith, Dick & Stephanie Solar, Diana Stark and The Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, Charlotte Stifel, Dick & Barbara Stockton, Doug & Dhuanne Tansill, John & Tobey Taylor, Wat & Jane Tyler, Lorne & Heidi Waxlax, Pat & Carol Welsh, Ken & Liz Whitney, Gail D. Williams, and Don Wilson.

The 2016-2017 Season is sponsored by: Wilmington Trust, Fidelity Investments, Dale Sorensen Real Estate, O'Haire Fessler Group-Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Sea Turtle Real Estate, Indian River Medical Center, Northern Trust, Indian River Press Journal, 93.7 The Breeze, Vatland Honda, Marriott SpringHill Suites, and PNC Wealth Management.

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