Noel Coward's DESIGN FOR LIVING Previews 1/28

First Folio Theatre's Season of Passion will continue this February with Design for Living, Noël Coward's comedic masterpiece of two men with a passion for the same woman, whose machinations lead to fireworks, love, and laughter.

The NY Times hails Noel Coward as "the master of impudence and tart whimsy, of plain words that leap out of the dialogue like shafts of laughter. "Directed by Alison C. Vesely, the production marks the return to First Folio's stage of two of its most popular Artistic Associates, Kevin McKillip (as Leo) and Melanie Keller (as Gilda).

Kevin McKillip has appeared in more than a dozen First Folio productions, including the Jeff nominated roles of Richard III, Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and Eustace Bassington-Bassington (in last season's Jeeves Intervenes). He has appeared with numerous Chicago area theaters including the Goodman (The Story), Court (Arcadia), and Famous Door (Early and Often and Ghetto), and spent a year with the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada.

Melanie Keller was last seen on the First Folio stage as Bella in Angel Street. Previously she appeared in Private Lives and The Importance of Being Earnest. Melanie is also a company member of Signal Ensemble where she performed as part of their Jeff nominated cast in The Weir. Design marks her return to the Chicago area theater after she, too, spent a year with the Stratford Festival, where she appeared in Romeo and Juliet and Love's Labors Lost.Other major roles are played by David Kovac (Otto), René Ruelas (Ernest), and Jeannie Affelder (Miss Hodge/Grace Torrence).

Rounding out the cast are Sarah Loveland (Helen Carver), Tyler Rich (Henry Carver) and Conor Woods (Mr. Birbek). All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate.

Mayslake Hall is a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coAl Baron Francis S. Peabody.

Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is currently in the process of being fully restored. Tours of the mansion and the restoration in progress are offered every Wednesday and Saturday mornings by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55).First Folio Shakespeare Festival is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and The Hinsdale Center for the Arts.

2 Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83, Oak Brook, IL www.firstfolio.org

Previews: January 28, 29, 30 @ 8:00Opening Night: January 31 @ 8:00Runs: January 28 - March 1
Performance Times: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 8:00Sunday matinees @ 3:00
Tickets:$28-30 adults, $23-25 Students/Seniors (Previews $18) Box Office: 630-986-8067

 

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