Photo Flash: Reston Community Players Presents FOX ON THE FAIRWAY

The award-winning Reston Community Players are proud to bring Ken Ludwig's The Fox on the Fairway back to the DC Metro area April 24-May 3. The stuffy atmosphere of a private golf club is the perfect setting for Ludwig's madcap adventure featuring mistaken identities, slamming doors, and hysterical hi-jinx. Check out photos from the show below!

Producers Bea and Jerry Morse are producing their fourth show for RCP and decorating their 26th RCP set. Bea and Jerry have received 8 WATCH nominations for set decoration and one WATCH award (set decoration for Present Laughter, another farce directed by Adam Konowe). The Morses said they were drawn to The Fox On The Fairway when it had its world premiere at Signature Theater in Arlington and knew then that when it became available that it would be a perfect show for Reston's audience.

"Ken Ludwig has made each character unique and gives each actor latitude to put his/her own spin on what the audience gets to see," said Bea Morse. "No one character steals the show. Each character has his/her golden moment."

"RCP has always done well with farces. Ken Ludwig's Lend Me A Tenor is RCP's all-time leader in gross revenues for a play," added Jerry Morse. "We hope lightning can strike twice. There are not many, or possibly any, communities where this play has been staged that have two golf courses and as many fanatic golfers."

Veteran director Adam Konowe said, "As with all farces, the biggest challenge is getting the physical and verbal timing just right. A farce can succeed or fail on this basis alone."

Stephanie Walsh, who plays sweet and slightly dim waitress Louise Heindbedder in Fox on the Fairway, previously appeared in another Ken Ludwig play, Shakespeare in Hollywood. "Farce can be really fun to do because you are basically playing a caricature of a person," she said. "This show also reminded me of the classic movie Caddyshack. I grew up watching that movie and was excited to be in a farce set around golf."

Bradley Dressler, who plays Justin Hicks, Mr. Bingham's new assistant and Louise's boyfriend said the director has helped the entire cast embrace the physical comedy aspects of The Fox on the Fairway. "With farce, it's not just about the lines, it's about what else is going on with the characters," he said. "It's about the blocking that makes it come together, like instead of walking across the floor, walk over the couch. Makes it funnier."

Kelly Thompson plays Muriel Bingham, the wife of the director of Quail Valley Country Club. "I am always drawn to comedy," she said. "I mean who couldn't use a few more laughs in their lives? And The Fox on the Fairway has some very funny moments."

Dina Soltan, plays Pamela Peabody, an insanely sophisticated woman, with an impeccable taste in fashion who is part of the executive committee of the Quail Valley golf club. "My favorite scene is Act 2, Scene 1, where Pamela really finds herself in the lime light in an extremely embarrassing and funny situation," she said. "The microphone remains on, while she is having quite an intimate conversation with another character. What I love most is that every single cast member has such a wonderfully comic streak about them that it makes this play terribly funny."

David Segal plays Dickie Bell, the Director of Crouching Squirrel Golf and RaquetClub. "I love comedy and fast paced comedy is so challenging," he said. "I had the pleasure of doing Lend me a Tenor some years ago, so am familiar with Ken Ludwig's style, and am always impressed by his use of language and double-entendre! The chaos scenes are truly wonderful and our director, Adam, does an exemplary job of keeping them from falling into insanity. After all, the audience has to be able to follow what is happening, otherwise you just have a bunch of crazy actors running around the stage!"

Zell Murphy, who plays Henry Bingham, the uptight director of Quail Valley Country Club, said, "Ken Ludwig is like the modern day Neil Simon. His writing is modern, crisp, quick-witted, hilarious, and, believe it or not, relatable to a certain extent. We have all experienced miscommunications, mistaken identities, missed opportunities, and extremely embarrassing situations. You don't have to play golf to appreciate The Fox on The Fairway."

Performances are April 24 and 25 and May 1, 2, 8, and 9 at 8:00 p.m., with a 2:00 p.m. matinees on May 3. The performance on May 1 will be a sign language interpreted performance.

Tickets can be purchased through www.restonplayers.org or by calling the CenterStage box office at 703-476-4500 x 3. All Reston Players mainstage productions are performed at CenterStage at the Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, Va. CenterStage is handicap accessible and offers listening devices for the hearing impaired.

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