Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Presents Private Lives 5/5-29

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) presents Noël Coward's quintessential comedy of manners, "Private Lives" May 5 - 29 at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Ill. "Private Lives" previews Thursday, May 5 at 8 p.m. Press opening is Friday, May 6 at 8 p.m.

The epitome of urbane wit and sophistication, this sparkling comedy takes place on the veranda of a hotel in Deauville, France, where a divorced couple (Elyot and Amanda), now remarried and honeymooning with their new spouses, discovers some very unwelcome neighbors - their exes! Fireworks ignite as their accidental reunion reveals the potential for a rekindled relationship. The New York Times observes "...(Coward's humor) is derived from an antic sense of the ridiculous and a shrewd observation of human behavior," and the Oregonian raves, "Never has rapier wit and screwball comedy, rebellious flippancy and sophisticated romance been so tightly woven as in 'Private Lives.'"

Originally performed by Coward himself and Gertrude Lawrence, over the years, "Private Lives" has been revived on Broadway six times, attracting a virtual "who's who" of prominent actors and actresses including Tallulah Bankhead, Brian Bedford, Tammy Grimes, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Joan Collins and Alan Rickman in the principal roles.

This stylish revival directed by BTE Associate Artistic Director and Glen Ellyn resident Amelia Barrett features ensemble member and Chicago's own RoBert Jordan Bailey in the role of Elyot, along with Western Springs' Brad Walker (Victor), Chicago's Erinn Strain (Amanda), Wheaton's Jennifer Dymit (Sibyl) and Woodridge's Mary Hobein (Louise).

The design team includes Michael W. Moon (set design), Barbara Niederer (costume design) Allison Greaves Amidei (hair/make-up), Jon Gantt (lighting design) and Galen G. Ramsey (sound and properties design).

Amelia Barrett (Director/BTE Associate Artistic Director and Acting Ensemble member) has acted in numerous BTE productions over the years, most recently playing Frankie in "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune." She is Associate Professor of Theater at COD where she most recently directed "Dark Play." She has appeared with regional companies such as Idaho Repertory Theatre, internationally at the Edinburgh Festival and in Chicago venues such as City Lit. Barrett holds a master's degree in fine arts from the University of Texas at Austin in acting.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $23 to $33. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information, call the MAC Ticket Office at (630) 942-4000, or purchase tickets online at www.AtTheMAC.org.

BUFFALO THEATRE ENSEMBLE
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) is rooted in the idea that an acting ensemble and company, who have a history of working together and have developed a sense of trust and community, can create better art.

BTE is committed to the American tradition of creating believable characters in the context of the production's style. Connie Canaday Howard (BTE Artistic Director) is a member of BTE's acting ensemble and has also directed numerous productions for BTE, with some favorites being "Rabbit Hole," "Noises Off," "Into The Woods," "Dancing at Lughnasa" and "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune." She is also Director of Theater at College of DuPage and has directed countless productions for the college department, including "The Heidi Chronicles," which received the award for best non-professional production in Chicagoland. Connie holds a master's degree in fine arts in directing, and has worked regionally with Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, City Theatre Company, Belvoir Terrace, Drama Workshop, Down River Dinner Theatre, Ingersoll Theatre, Charlie's Showplace, and tours of both theater and dance, as well as helping to create and perform several improvisational shows. Canaday Howard is COD's Outstanding Faculty for 2003-2004.

THE MCANINCH ARTS CENTER AT COLLEGE OF DUPAGE
The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage, located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, houses three performance spaces, an art gallery and classrooms for the college's academic programming. This unique facility has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and last year welcomed more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances.

The center offers free parking and group discounts and is home to Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and New Philharmonic. The result is a collection of touring, resident and student groups that foster enlightened education and performance opportunities to encourage artistic expression, promote a lasting relationship between people and art and enrich the cultural vitality of the community.

The MAC's extensive community outreach program includes pre-performance lectures, classes with visiting artists and the SchoolStage series, which provides students with interactive, educational arts experiences. Those and other efforts to increase community access to arts earned the MAC the Illinois Arts Council's Partners in Excellence designation, which recognizes 40 of the most significant cultural institutions in the state.

The mission of the McAninch Arts Center is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information on the McAninch Arts Center, visit www.AtTheMAC.org.

 

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