WHAT THE BUTLER SAW to Open 8/1 at Theater at Monmouth

Joe Orton's frenetic farce, What the Butler Saw, opens at Theater at Monmouth on Friday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. The perfect blend of Oscar Wilde's wit, Monty Python's physical comedy, and Benny Hill's lewdness, What the Butler Saw bursts with mistaken identities, catastrophic complications, and rapid-fire dialogue. Orton's ribald examination of societal attitudes toward sexuality is a rampaging celebration of licentiousness and free-will.

According to director Brian P. Allen, What the Butler Saw requires a great connection between its actors. "Trust and familiarity among the cast are necessary in order to make the split-second timing of the show work," says Allen. "The six actors need to breathe as one, and...TAM's resident company atmosphere generates the environment required to pull off such a delirious farce."

When hedonistic psychiatrist Dr. Prentice attempts to interview secretarial applicant Geraldine from an under-dressed and horizontal position, things don't go according to plan. From this position, the farce is unleashed with continuous shifts into sexual and psychological exploitation, gender confusion, lost and mistaken identities, nymphomania, blackmail, and bribery. When government agent Dr. Rance arrives to inspect the clinic, chaos ensues and outrageous diagnoses and revelations (perfect for Rance's new book) come to light.

What the Butler Saw features James Noel Hoban as Dr. Prentice; Anna Doyla as Geraldine; Denise Cormier as Mrs. Prentice; Graham Emmons as Nicholas Beckett; Mark S. Cartier as Dr. Rance; and Max Waszak as Sergeant Match. Set design by Dan Bilodeau, costumes by Kathleen P. Brown, lights by Cecilia Durbin, and sound by Rew Tippin.

Performance Calendar: PREVIEW 7/31 at 7:30 p.m.; OPENING 8/1 at 7:30 p.m.; additional performance dates 8/2, 8/6, 8/15, 8/19 at 7:30 p.m.; 8/9, 8/10, 8/22 at 1:00 p.m.; 8/17 at 7:00 p.m. with post-show talk-back. Ticket prices range from $10-$30. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. For calendar and reservations, please contact the TAM Box Office at 207.933.9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.

Theater at Monmouth, founded in 1970, was named the Shakespearean Theater of Maine by the State Legislature in 1975. The theatre's mission is to present innovative approaches to Shakespeare and other classic plays through professional productions that enrich the lives of people throughout Maine. Since its founding, TAM has produced expertly crafted, engaging productions in its three-month Summer Repertory Season entertaining audiences from 36 states and through Education Tours annually reaching more than 15,000 students statewide.

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