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Present Laughter

By Noël Coward
Directed by Stanley Spenger

October 22 - November 20, 2004

The plot follows a few days in the life of the successful and self-obsessed light comedy actor Garry Essendine as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa. 

Amid a series of events bordering on farce, Garry has to deal with women who want to seduce him, placate both his long-suffering secretary and his estranged wife, cope with a crazed young playwright, and overcome his fear of middle-age (he has recently turned forty) and, by implication, his impending. The story was described by Coward as "a series of semi-autobiographical pyrotechnics".

 


Cast, in Alphabetical Order

Fred...............................................Christian Carter
Monica Reed.................................Maureen Coyne
Liz Essendine...................................Melanie Curry
Lady Saltburn............................Peggy De Coursey
Roland Maule........................................Dan Kurtz
Joanna Lyppiatt.............................Tanya Lazar-Lea
Miss Erikson..................................Kirsten Sawyer
Garry Essendine..............................Louis Schilling
Hugo Lyppiatt................................Steve Schwartz
Morris Dixon.......................................David Stein
Daphne Stillington............................Wendy Welch

Production

Director............................................Stan Spenger
Stage manager.........................................Fel Cruz
Assistant stage manager.........................Joy Loftin
Set design...............................Rose Anne Raphael
Costume design...........................Helen Slomowitz
Lighting design...........................Christine Dickson
Lead set construction.....................Christian Carter
Lead set construction.....................Bob Gudmundsson
Properties.....Joanne Bussiere, Rose Anne Raphael
Assistant costumer........Kathleen Clancy Edmunds
House manager....................................David Stein
Box office....David Fenerty, Margaret Gudmundsson,
and Bill Martinelli
Opening night gala..........Barbara and David Bradley,
Leanne Nhan
Illustration................................Rose Anne Raphael
Graphic design.................................Wendy Welch
Publicity..........................Ralph Miller, David Stein

Set Construction

David Fenerty, Tanya Lazar-Lea, Joy Loftin, Dave Poss, Rose Anne Raphael,
David Stein, Wendy Welch


Thank You

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is delighted to acknowledge the Berkeley Civic Arts Program and Civic Arts Commission's support in the form of a grant of $8,000.00 awarded in 2017. Also, a thank you to Theatre Bay Area for a grant of $2,500.00.

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Actors Ensemble of Berkeley - P.O. Box 663 - Berkeley - California - 94701 ¦ Our Answering Service: (510) 649-5999 ¦

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID #946139640, since 04-1967