Town Hall Theatre Closes Season with Oscar Wilde's AN IDEAL HUSBAND

Town Hall Theatre Company (THT) is excited to announce the final show in its 2016-2017 Season, the witty and "Wilde" AN IDEAL HUSBAND. Oscar Wilde's scintillating and timely comedy, AN IDEAL HUSBAND, will have 12 performances, including two previews, June 1 through June 24, 2017, at Town Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School Street, in Lafayette, CA. Tickets are $20 - $32, and are available through the Box Office at (925) 283-1557 or online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

THT will host three Special Events for AN IDEAL HUSBAND: A Wilde Opening Night, on Saturday, June 3, 2017; A Wilde Tea Party, with audience encouraged to wear costumes, on Sunday, June 11, 2017, following the matinee; and A Wilde Night at Town Hall, Wildean costumes also encouraged, on Saturday, June 17, 2017, before the evening performance. THT is excited to announce that Rêve Bistro in Lafayette is our show partner for AN IDEAL HUSBAND and will be offering small bites at each special event.

THT's production of AN IDEAL HUSBAND is directed by Susan Hovey, and features an impressive ensemble of local performers, Dennis Markam as Sir Robert Chiltern, Heather Kellogg as Lady Chiltern, DC Scarpelli as Lord Goring, Dana Lewenthal as Mrs. Cheveley, Amanda Leigh as Mabel Chiltern, John Blytt as Lord Caversham, Jennie Brick as Lady Basildon, Adrian Deane as Mrs. Marchmont, Emily Garcia as Lady Markby, Alan Coyne as Vicomte de Nanjac and Phipps, and Nathaniel Rothrock as Mason.

"I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself." Lord Goring, AN IDEAL HUSBAND

"Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike." Mrs. Cheveley, AN IDEAL HUSBAND

In Oscar Wilde's brilliantly witty comedy, fate catches up to politician Robert Chiltern when a mysterious woman produces a letter revealing a past misdeed. Is this a public scandal or private shame? One of the more serious of Wilde's social comedies, AN IDEAL HUSBAND focuses on the often corrupt underpinnings of wealth and power, how information and knowledge in politics hold sway, and how public and personal morality can collide. AN IDEAL HUSBAND also takes a good-natured poke at the institution of marriage, asking us if it is it truly possible to try to have an "ideal" marriage. In the end, Wilde's message is surprisingly benign: only love really matters, only love will lead to happiness.

A play about infidelity and intrigue, political and personal, AN IDEAL HUSBAND remains uncannily relevant more than a century after it was first performed in 1895. "I think the truly great writers and playwrights stick around because they find a way to show a very particular slice of life at a specific moment in time, all the while showing the very universal themes and motivations of the human condition," Director Hovey says. "Oscar Wilde does this especially brilliantly with AN IDEAL HUSBAND, which makes it topical, scathingly witty and thoroughly entertaining at the same time."

THT is thrilled to have a top-notch design team on board for AN IDEAL HUSBAND, with credits from theatres throughout the Bay Area, including Cutting Ball Theatre, TheatreFirst, Berkeley Playhouse, and 42nd Street Moon: BrIan Watson, scenic designer, Hamilton Guillén, lighting designer, Sandy Small, sound designer, and Hope Birdwell, costume designer.

AN IDEAL HUSBAND premièred at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket on January 3, 1895, and transferred to the Criterion Theatre on April 13, 1895. Unfortunately, after Wilde's trial for "gross indecency" began, the show's first run was cut short after 124 performances. There have been numerous revivals of the play, notably director Sir Peter Hall's London revival that successfully played Broadway in 1996 and, locally, Cal Shakespeare's 2008 revival.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Susan Hovey (Director) returns to Town Hall Theatre, having recently directed its productions of Harvey and God of Carnage. Ms. Hovey, a Bay Area native, has been doing theatre within this community since she was a child and has been honored to perform on stage and work behind the scenes in several capacities throughout the years including as producer, stage manager, sound designer and director. Her directorial credits for other theatre companies include Next to Normal, Crimes of the Heart, Godspell, The Heidi Chronicles, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Odd Couple (Female Version). She works as the Director of Wine Marketing and Design for a winery in Napa.

ABOUT TOWN HALL THEATRE COMPANY

Established in 1944 as the Dramateurs, Town Hall Theatre turned 73 this year, making it the oldest continuously active theatre in Contra Costa County. Town Hall Theatre was awarded Best Theatre Troupe 2016 in Diablo Magazines, Best of The East Bay, and is the past recipient of numerous Shellie Awards. Recently, THT received four regional 2016 Theatre Bay Area Awards for Play It Again, Sam, and two Shellie Awards for Angels in America: Perestroika. THT is also home to an extensive children's educational program, twice voted the Best Children's Theatre Company by Bay Area Parent Magazine. THT's 102-year old historical building is managed by the Lafayette Association (LIA).

The Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 4:00 to 6:00PM and Saturday 2:00-4:00 pm and can be reached at 925.283.1557. Information is also available at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

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