Westport Country Playhouse's "Theatre People" Leaves Audience Roaring in Laughter

Audience members are in for a treat at Westport Country Playhouse's production of romantic comedy, “Theatre People,” running from March 25 through April 12. This wild screwball play is brimming with romance, misunderstandings, and surprises. The story is centered around a married playwright couple who are trying to concoct a surefire Broadway hit but create as much drama among themselves as on paper. "Theater People" was locally written by West Hartford native Paul Slade Smith, which is an adaptation of Ferenc Molnár’s, “Play at the Castle.” Director is Mark Shanahan, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director.

This outrageous farce takes place in a Newport, RI, mansion during 1948. Characters include Charlotte and Arthur Sanders, a married playwright couple; Margot Bell, a celebrated ingénue; Victor Pratt, a narcissistic Broadway baritone; and Oliver Adams, a young, insecure novelist; as well as Olga, an unabashedly unhelpful housekeeper.

Westport Country Playhouse has done it again with their impressive set design. The stage resembles the interior of a posh bedroom in a Newport Mansion.

L-R: Mia Pinero, Michael McCorry Rose, Erin Noel Grennan, Rodolfo Soto, Michael McCormick, Isabel Keating. Photo by Charles Erickson.

The cast includes Erin Noel Grennan as Olga (Westport Country Playhouse: Script in Hand playreadings of “Theatre People” and “The Outsider”; Regional: “Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” “Reckless” at Cincinnati Playhouse; “A Flea in Her Ear,” “The Man Who Came to Dinner” at Drury Lane; Isabel Keating as Charlotte Sanders (Westport Country Playhouse: “A Sherlock Carol,”; Broadway: Upcoming “Queen of Versailles,” “Doubt: A Parable,” “The Boy from Oz” – Tony, Drama League, Outer Critics nominations, Drama Desk and Theatre World awards;), Michael McCormick as Arthur Sanders (Westport Country Playhouse: “Room Service,” “She Loves Me”; Broadway: 15 shows including “Wicked,” “1776,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Curtains,” “Chaplin”; National Tours: “The Producers,” “Les Misérables”; Off-Broadway: “Fly By Night,” “A Man Of No Importance” at Lincoln Center Theater; TV: “Blue Bloods,” ”Brain Dead,” “Elementary,”and “House Of Cards”; Michael McCorry Rose as Victor Pratt (Broadway/Tours: “Wicked,” “Anastasia,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” next season’s “The Queen of Versailles”; Film: Universal Picture’s “Wicked”.

Erin Noel Greenan stole the show with her performance as Olga. Her comedic timing and lines left the audience howling. The cast did a fantastic job working off of each other to make this show hilarious.

Playwright Paul Slade Smith is an actor and playwright living in Brooklyn with his wife, actress Erin Noel Grennan, who is a member of the “Theatre People” cast. Smith’s play, “Unnecessary Farce,” is the winner of nine regional theatre awards, and has had over 325 productions throughout the United States, and in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, and Japan. His political comedy, “The Outsider,” had a record-making 34 productions in 2022, and was presented at Westport Country Playhouse last year as a Script in Hand playreading. Smith received a 2019 Helpmann Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Willy Wonka in the Australian premiere of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Director Mark Shanahan is Playhouse artistic director and Script in Hand curator. In 2024, he directed “The 39 Steps,” the Playhouse’s inaugural production for the 2024-25 season, as well as the Playhouse’s holiday offering, “A Sherlock Carol.” He also directed his own adaptation of “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” in partnership with Agatha Christie Ltd., which premiered at the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre. He is the author of “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” “See Monsters of the Deep,” the Off-Broadway and regional hit comedy “The Dingdong,” as well as numerous radio plays as creator of the White Heron Ghost Light series, featuring Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivey, Rhonda Ross, and other notables.

Creative team includes James Fenton, set designer; Annie Le, costume designer; Alyssandra Docherty, lighting designer; Jill Du Boff, sound designer; and Rebecca C. Monroe, stage manager.

“Theatre People” running time is approximately two hours, including one 15-minute intermission. The play is appropriate for age 14 and up; some suggestive content. Single tickets start at $40 and are subject to change based upon availability.

Performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. (No Wed. or Sat. matinees during preview week). Special series include Taste of Tuesdays (Mar. 25), Together at the Table (Mar. 26), Pride Night (Mar. 27), Opening Night (Mar. 29), Sunday Symposium (Mar. 30), Open Captions (Apr. 6), Backstage Pass (Apr. 9), and Thursday TalkBack (Apr. 10). For full details on “Theatre People,” visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/theatre-people/