Laguna Playhouse's FALLEN ANGELS Begins Tonight

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are delighted to present a new look at a hilarious classic, fresh off a critically-acclaimed run at the Pasadena Playhouse. Prepare to be intoxicated by FALLEN ANGELS, written by Noël Coward and directed by Art Manke. "This is a deliriously giddy look at a rarely produced play by the one-and-only master of the sophisticated comedy, Noël Coward," offers Wood. "We are thrilled to present this brilliant and wickedly fun production to our subscribers and audiences and we know they will leave our theatre as charmed by this production as we are!" adds Wareham. FALLEN ANGELS will open tonight, October 12 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, November 3, 2013 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Julia and Jane are the best of friends and happily married. But before they tied the knot, they each had a brief, torrid affair with Maurice, a charming, handsome Frenchman. While their husbands are away for a day of golf, guess who's back in town and requesting the ladies' company? FALLEN ANGELS is a champagne cocktail of wit, charm and high comedy that set the stage for the likes of female comedic duos such as Lucy and Ethel and LaVerne and Shirley. This is Noël Coward at his inimitable best - you'll laugh the night through at the farcical foibles of these fabulous FALLEN ANGELS.

Noël Coward (Playwright) Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise." Many of his works, such as Hay Fever,Private Lives, Design for Living, Present Laughter and Blithe Spirit, are cherished classics in the canon of the international theater. Coward composed hundreds of songs, in addition to well over a dozen Musical Theatre Works. His stage, film, acting and directing career spanned six decades, during which he starred in many of his own works. Coward won an Academy Honorary Award in 1943 for his naval film drama, In Which We Serve, and was knighted in 1969. In the 1950s he achieved fresh success as a cabaret performer, performing his own songs, such as "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", "London Pride" and "I Went to a Marvellous Party".

Art Manke (Director) With six of Noel Coward's plays on his resume - including the American premiere of Star Quality and a stage adaptation of the short story, Bon Voyage, Art Manke has earned the moniker, "L.A.'s Coward specialist" from the Los Angeles Times. Previously at The Pasadena Playhouse, he directed hit revivals of Private Lives, The Constant Wife and the aforementioned Star Quality. Mr. Manke 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. His staging of The Three Musketeers opened the Denver Center Theatre Company's current season, and his production of Sense and Sensibility just completed a successful run at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Mr. Manke is a co-founder and former artistic director (1991-2001) of the acclaimed classical theatre company, A Noise Within, where he directed the work of Shakespeare, Moliere, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival. American Conservatory Theatre. Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Laguna Playhouse, Magic Theatre, Mark Taper Forum. Seattle Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, American Players Theatre and Connecticut Repertory Theatre. among others. He directs for television, holds a B.F.A. from the University of Illinois and an M.F.A. from The American Conservatory Theatre.

The cast of FALLEN ANGELS will feature (in alphabetical order): Andrew Barnicle as Willie Banbury, Paul Boehmer as Maurice Duclos, Mary-Pat Green as Saunders, Colette Kilroy as Julia Sterroll, Katie MacNichol as Jane Banbury and Mike Ryan as Fred Sterroll.

The design team for FALLEN ANGELS is as follows: The Scenic Design is by Tom Buderwitz. The Lighting Design is by Peter Maradudin. The Sound Design is by Steven Cahill. The Costume Design is by David K. Mickelsen. The Production Stage Manager is Randall K. Lum.

FALLEN ANGELS will begin previews on Tuesday, October 8 and will open on Saturday, October 12 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, November 3, 2013 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Performances will be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm and 7:30pm; Sundays at 2pm. There will be additional performances on Thursday, October 10 at 2pm; Sunday, October 13 at 7pm; Sunday, October 20 at 7pm; Thursday, October 24 at 2pm and Thursday, October 31 at 2pm.

Tickets range from $36 - $66 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-ARTS (2787). Student discounts are available at the Box Office. Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext. 229. The box office is open Tuesdays - Sundays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (open until 8 pm on performance days). For more information on all shows and programming visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com. Laguna Playhouse is located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

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