A Flea In Her Ear Comes To CRT 12/2-11

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present Georges Feydeau's A Flea In Her Ear, adapted by David Ives, December 2 - 11 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre on the Storrs campus. For tickets and information, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

THE PLAY

Mistaken identity, revolving beds and an improbable, hysterical plot provide the riotous foundation for Georges Feydeau's masterpiece bedroom farce set in the Frisky Puss Hotel. The amorous antics are unleashed with mathematical precision to create a fast and furious, sexy comedy featuring a suspicious spouse, a lusty lothario and a hot-blooded Spaniard - all chasing each other through this hormone-powered, rollicking romp.

Raymonde Chandebise misguidedly concludes her husband Victor is having an affair because of their recent declining romance and his suspenders mysteriously showing up in the mail. To prove her suspicions, Raymonde solicits her friend Lucienne to write an anonymous letter to her husband inviting him to a romantic rendezvous at a seedy hotel called The Frisky Puss. Victor misinterprets this letter and sends his best friend Tournel, a notorious womanizer, in his place. Hilarity ensues at The Frisky Puss Hotel where mistaken identities, revolving beds, and more secret liaisons lead to confusion and comic mayhem.

Director Art Manke said, "A Flea In Her Ear is a perfectly crafted farce that never fails to elicit gales of laughter whenever produced. I've wanted to direct it for a long time, and am delighted to have extraordinary designers and a brilliantly talented and very attractive cast bringing it all to life."
Dramaturg Dassia Posner said, "Feydeau's A Flea in her Ear, epitomizes the rhythm, vibrancy, and jubilant mischief of Paris's Belle Époque. Feydeau's hysterical and irreverent look at love captures the era when Paris was the pleasure capital of the world, while David Ives' witty new version leaves today's audiences breathless from laughter."

THE CREATIVE TEAM
Art Manke (Director) returns to CRT where he directed and choreographed Rent this past summer. He is a five-time winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his productions of a wide range of classics and new work. Credits include: South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Denver Center Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Magic Theatre, American Players Theatre, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz, among others. Mr. Manke is a co-founder and former artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within, L.A.'s acclaimed classical theatre company, where he staged the work of Shakespeare, Moliere, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Television credits include multiple episodes of Eve, One On One and Hannah Montana. He is a frequent guest lecturer at leading conservatories across the country and holds an M.F.A. from The American Conservatory Theatre.
The Creative team includes: Cassandra Beaver, Scenic Designer; Michelle Mann, Lighting Designer; Sachiko Komuro, Costume Designer; Steven Magro, Sound Design; Mary Costello, Stage Manager; and Dassia Posner, Dramaturg.

THE CAST

The cast will feature equity actor Leigh Miller (Camille). Most recently, Leigh collaborated and performed in a five person As You Like It set on Low-Flying Trapeze. Leigh also played Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons at The Arvada Center, Adam in the World Premiere of Yankee Tavern at Curious Theatre; James Keller inThe Miracle Worker , Lord Grey in Richard III at Denver Center Theatre Company; Happy in Chautauqua Theatre Company's production of Death of a Salesman, in a new play by Zayd Dohrn titled Sick, A Midsummer Nights Dream; Betty and Edward in Cloud 9, The Bloody Captain, The Porter, and Hecate in Macbeth at the National Theatre Conservatory Rep. Leigh has a MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory.

The cast will also feature graduate acting students Gretchen Goode as Raymonde Chandebise, Ryan Guess as Tournel and BFA acting student Tom Foran as Victor Chandebise.

Gretchen Goode (Raymonde) is a third year MFA Actor. She was last seen on the CRT stage as Emilia in Othello. Other CRT credits include All In The Timing (Betty/Kafka/1st Woman/Flo), The Comedy of Errors (Luciana), Galileo (Virginia), The Exonerated as (Sue/Sandra/Female Lawyer), and Pericles (Dionyza). She was seen last summer in the Bated Breath production of The Parkville Project at Playhouse on Park. Favorite roles include Stephanie in the graduate performance workshop production of Reasons To Be Pretty, Paulina in The Winter's Tale, Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker, Marty in Grease, Lucy in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also studied at the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts, and with Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Ryan Guess (Tournel) is a 3rd year MFA Actor. Most recent credits include: CRT - The Who's Tommy as Ensemble, The Comedy of Errors as Dromio of Syracuse, Galileo as Andrea Sarti, The Exonerated as Jesse Tafero/others, Hair as The Principle/Tribe, Pericles as Cleon and the Graduate Acting Production of The Winter's Tale as Prince Florizel. Ryan has a BA in Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University.

Tom Foran (Victor Chandebise) is a senior BFA actor from East Hartford. Previous CRT credits include: A Man for All Seasons (Attendant),The Skin of Our Teeth (Judge Moses/Defeated Candidate), Pericles (Fisherman), Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party (Tom

Hauser/Walter/Abe), Too Much Memory (Creon), Othello (Lodovico), and the D-Series production of Bandaid Boy (Doctor Q). Tom is also one of the founding members of Blunt Objects Theatre, a theatrical DIY punk troupe.

INFORMATION
Please call 860-486-4226 for tickets or for more information. Please call the box office or visit for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change.

Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m.

A free audience talkback will follow the performance on Thursday, December 9.

Ticket prices range from $11- $29.

CRT is the professional producing arm of the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. CRT productions are directed, designed by, and cast with visiting professional artists, including Equity actors, faculty members, and the department's most advanced student artists. The synergy between professional and advanced student artists creates extraordinary theatre and a unique learning environment.

 

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