Stage West Presents INTIMATE EXCHANGES Through 5/29

It's the garden of an English bungalow locally known as the Headmaster's Cottage, on the grounds of Bilbury Lodge Preparatory School. It's pretty typical of its sort, but it is about to serve as the jumping-off point for a wildly funny series of events, as Stage West presents Alan Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges, which will begin its run Thursday, April 28.

Intimate Exchanges is actually a total of 16 stand-alone plays written for two actors. All start with the same opening scene, and the scenes following that one are dictated by the choices made by the main characters: the unrepentant drunk Toby, his fed-up wife Celia, the Stendahl-quoting Miles, and his free-spirited wife Rowena. Their choices, and the consequences of those choices, lead to a roller-coaster ride of typical Ayckbourn hilarity and insight.

Stage West will be offering two of the variations, called "A Game of Golf" and "A One-Man Protest." Each of those plays has two possible endings, and both will be presented, one following the other, at each performance. And though audience members do not need to see both plays, director Jim Covault notes that there is even more enjoyment to be had by seeing how the different choices affect the paths taken and the eventual outcome.

In an interview about the creation of Intimate Exchanges, Ayckbourn said "Have you ever reflected  how those tiny decisions we make every day of our lives - (Shall I take a raincoat today?) can often require us to make further small decisions (Should I shelter in this doorway?), that lead to larger decisions (Shall I accept this stranger's offer of a drink?) which then demand a really big decision (Should we see each other again?), forcing you into those vast decisions (Shall we share our lives together?), that finally lead to the truly monumental decisions (Is it time we called it a day?)"

Alan Ayckbourn is noted for being a playwright who loves to dissect, in comedic fashion, the failures of relationships and family life. Intimate Exchanges expands all that exponentially. All 16 variations were performed at Ayckbourn's home base theatre in Scarborough, a feat of which the playwright said, "I described it as a celebration of acting when we first did it and Lavinia [Bertram, his leading lady] replied 'I think it's more of an orgy'."

Desmond Pratt of the Yorkshire Post said of the piece, "Do not dismiss this as a triviality of whimsy. It is Ayckbourn at his best and at his most sympathetic about the human comedy. Behind his two actors and his four scenes, he manages to conjure up quite exquisitely the extraneous and uncomprehending world outside."

Ayckbourn is a prolific and highly respected playwright, sometimes  called "the Moliere of the middle classes," whose works (70 full plays, and over 20 other revues and plays for children) have spanned some forty years.  Artistic Director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough from 1972 to 2009, he also spent two years as visiting director at London's National Theatre.  More than half his plays have been produced in the West End or at The National Theatre; at one point, Ayckbourn held the record for having the most professional productions of his work being performed simultaneously in the West End.  In 1997, he became the first playwright to be knighted since Terence Rattigan. Ayckbourn suffered a stroke in 2006, but later that year was directing his latest play at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.  His most recent work is this year's Neighborhood Watch.

Stage West is delighted to have two gifted actors to give life to these characters; playing the men will be Ashley Wood, whose most recent credits include Tom in Stage West's This, and Bernard in the Circle Theatre production of Boeing, Boeing. And Shannon J. McGrann returns to Stage West to play all the women; her recent credits include Catherine in Suddenly Last Summer at San Francisco's Shelton Theatre and Dr. Gorgeous in The Sisters Rosensweig at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas.

Set design will be handled by Jim Covault, with lighting by Michael O'Brien and scenic painting by Jon R. Kruse and Justin Rhoads. Costume design will be by Covault and Peggy Kruger-O'Brien, while Lynn Lovett contributes props and set decor.

Intimate Exchanges will begin with "A Game of Golf," previewing Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 and Friday, April 29 at 8:00 and continuing April 30 at 6:00 and May 1 at 3:00. "A One-Man Protest" will preview Thursday, May 5 and Friday, May 6 (times as above), continuing May 7 at 6:00 and May 8 at 3:00. After the first two weeks, the shows will run with 2 performances of one show and then 2 performances of the other (full schedule on following page). There will be two Sundays when both shows are performed, May 22 and 29, with the first show at 3:00, food service in between, and the second show at 7:00. The final performance for all will be Sunday, May 29. Performance times will be Thursday evenings at 7:30, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00, with Sunday matinees at 3:00. The opening night reception will be Saturday, April 30 following the play. Ticket prices range from $26 to $30, with discounts for students and seniors, and discounts for patrons wishing to see both variations. Preview tickets are priced at only $15. Pay What You Can performances will be Sunday, May 1 and Thursday, May 5. Food service is available 90 minutes prior to performances (reservations are necessary). Reservations and information are available through the Box Office (817-784-9378), or on the website, www.stagewest.org.

 

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