Presents
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Written by
George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart
Theaterloft
545 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo
Reviews
Preview in BUFFALO NEWS
BUFFALO NEWS
"The play requires a large cast and breakneck pace. Under the direction of Jeanne Cairns, American Rep has produced a surprisingly smart and satisfying production.
Christopher Standart is perfectly cast and divinely hilarious as devious Sheridan Whiteside. His confident and deft comic performance as a man we love to loathe provides an anchor for this production.
Kelly Ferguson Moore is similarly marvelous as level-headed and unflappable Maggie. A practical girl, as comfortable with a small-town reporter as she is with Mahatma Ghandi or Noel Coward, her portrayal is lovable, affecting, and consummately convincing. We totally believe that she is the one person in the world who can melt self-centered Whiteside’s heart.
The play is chockablock full of delightful character roles and these have been filled with an abundance of talent.
Kathleen Betsko-Yale is wonderful as Mrs. Stanley, whose giddy delight at having a celebrity in the house is quickly worn down to beleaguered angst under the weight of his preposterous tyranny. Ronald J. Leonardi provides charming puff and bluster as Mr. Stanley, a man who is not destined to be the king of his own castle.
Lisa Ludwig is flawlessly over-the-top as glamorous man-trap, Lorraine Sheldon, the Broadway diva brought to Mesalia to bust things up between Maggie and her beau. Jeffery Coyle is charming as that beau, Bert Jefferson. Jon Kaczorowski provides zany glee as Harpo Marx knock-off, Banjo; and Doug Crane offers sterling English sophistication and mischievousness as Noel Coward clone Beverley Carlton. Darleen Pickering Hummert is otherworldly and perfect as Harriet Stanley. Jennifer Fitzery effectively slides into emotional breakdown as harried Nurse Preen.
It’s a big cast...The tremendous success of mounting this expansive and entirely enjoyable comedy. In addition to those mentioned, Tim Voit and Alaina Miller are appealing as the Stanley children; as are Daniel Greer and Lisa DelVecchio as the game Stanley family servants. Joy Scime, Jim Maloy, Ian Cap, and J.R. Finan also excel as a variety of characters."
Anthony Chase
ARTVOICE
Artvoice TV with Anthony Chase
AN OVERVIEW
This timeless theatrical piece is a perfect compliment to eggnog, mistletoe, repackaged gifts and holiday parties. Set in Mesalia, Ohio in the weeks leading to Christmas Day, this classic comedic play features New York City socialite and famed radio personality, Sheridan Whiteside (modeled after the famed Alexander Woolcott-pictured below). Whiteside is invited to dine with wealthy factory owner Ernest Stanley and his family. However, before he enters the home, he slips on a patch of ice and injures himself. The result is a prolonged stay that becomes increasingly zany as time progresses.
The center character in "The Man Who Came to Dinner", Sheridan Whiteside, is modelled after playwright, journalist, biographer and radio personality, Alexander Woollcott. Ahead of his times, Woollcott was loved and despised by millions who listened to his radio shows where he offered subjective opinions on public taste. Whether or not his listeners loved or hated him, all agreed he was to be respected for his power over public taste and so his celebrity status grew to great highs until his death in 1943.
Yet by the 1960's, he and his work had been virtually forgotten by the American public. However, Woollcott remains best known in the 21st century as the man who George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart based their center character after in "The Man Who Came to Dinner."
Kaufman and Hart based the character of Sheridan Whiteside on Woollcott as a direct result of a typical Woolcottian sojourn at Hart's famed Buck's county estate. He bullied the servants, complained about the food, invited his own friends to attend the Sunday dinner, and, adding insult to injury, wrote in Hart's guestbook, "...On my first visit to Moss Hart's house, I had one of the most unpleasant times I ever spent..."
Hart bemoning to his famed collaborator, Kaufman, about Woolcott's summer stay, innocently asked, "Wouldn't it had terrible if he broke his leg and had been on my hands for the rest of the summer?" The two looked at each other and immediately went to the typerwriter.
Many famous names of the 1930's are mentioned in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and several characters featured in the play are based on celebrities of the time. For example, Beverly Carlton (friend of Whiteside) is based on Noel Coward while Harriet Stanley (family member of Ernest) is based on axe-murderer, Lizzie Borden. Enriched by numerous cultural idols of the 1930's and complex fictional characters, "The Man Who Came to Dinner" is classic piece of American theater that must be enjoyed.
For more information on "The Man Who Came to Dinner" please Contact Us or call 884-4858.
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The mission of the American Repertory Theater is two fold. First, the mandate of The American Repertory Theater is to produce both classic and contemporary theatrical works and support a new generation of playwrights. These productions are purposefully created through the innovative exploration of these selected works, thereby enhancing the cultural and intellectual experience of the theatergoer. Second, the American Repertory Theater will serve as a catalyst for community dialogue and action that will result in sustained economic growth and increase the collaboration within all sectors of our community.
