MIXED COUPLES Opens 4/8 at Westport Community Theatre

WESTPORT COMMUNITY THEATRE presents the Connecticut premiere of a captivating romantic comedy, "Mixed Couples," that asks the question - what if the right person you married met the wrong person you didn't? Or did? The year is 1927 - and two couples meet for the first time since they were married. To each other... Bootleg liquor flows, and James Prideaux' clever, witty chess match, directed by Jessica Denes, revives verbal sparring to an art - with a twist. Running April 8 - 24, this weekend's performances are Friday, April 8 at 8:00 PM, Saturday, April 9 at 8:00 PM, and Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 PM.

The time is 1927, the place an airplane hangar in New Jersey where two couples wait for the fog to lift so their chartered plane can fly them to Washington. Their meeting is quite by chance, but also ironic, as it develops that the four had switched partners twenty-five years earlier, and haven't seen each other since. One couple has settled into suburban bliss, he a professor, she a housewife and mother; the other couple are Park Avenue types, he a rich, hard-driving businessman, and his wife (after all these years) still an aspiring actress. Cautious and civil at first, their conversation turns gradually bitchier (and funnier) as time hangs heavy and old enmities are revived. As their veneers crumble, it is clear that neither couple has benefited as much as they had expected from their marital switch, and that beneath their pretense lies aridity, although tempered by the witty hijinks they go through to convince themselves (and us) that all's well in their reordered worlds.

The extremely talented cast includes RosAnne Nelson, Janet Rathert, David Victor, Peter Wood and Andrew Morris. Produced by Sharon Huguet and stage managed by Michelle Blau, the set is designed by Raymond Stephens, light is designed by Jeff Klein, and costumes design is by Mary Kulcsar.
"Mixed Couples" runs April 8 - 24, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm, and Thursday, April 14 at 8:00 pm. Westport Community Theatre at Westport Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport. Tickets are $14 - $20; for reservations and information go to (203) 226-1983 or go to westportcommunitytheatre.com for directions. Groups of 10 or more enjoy a $2 per ticket discount, and there is a special "Student Rush" discount 15 minutes prior to performances for students of all ages with a valid student identification card.

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