People's Light Ends the Season with Madcap Comedy MOON OVER BUFFALO
Laugh until your ribs ache with Ken Ludwig's madcap comedy Moon Over Buffalo at People's Light. This side-splitting summer confection centers on two fading stage actors who get one last shot at stardom, if they can just keep their act together. On the brink of divorce while touring Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives in repertory, George and Charlotte Hay learn that Hollywood director Frank Capra is coming to their matinee, and resolve to impress him at all costs. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong in this hilarious farce directed by Pete Pryor (Noises Off, Bach at Leipzig), playing from July 19 through August 13 in the Leonard C. Haas Stage. People's Light is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets, call 610.644.3500 or visit peopleslight.org.
Director Pryor finds a lot to relate to in this knockabout comedy. "George and Charlotte Hay, the beloved leading acting couple in Moon Over Buffalo, are about to enter the twilight of their season," he observes. "They're not spring chickens anymore. They've weathered the storms of life both on and offstage, and now they've arrived at a pivotal moment in their personal lives and their careers.
"I think the choices that George and Charlotte make on this journey will reverberate with, and hopefully tickle, anyone who has started a company, or followed a vocation, or pursued a passion," says Pryor. "Moon Over Buffalo is an opportunity to watch human beings behave in a ridiculously human way."
Producing Director Zak Berkman shares Pryor's enthusiasm. "Ken Ludwig's play is a terrific match for People's Light," he says. "It highlights Pete's comedic expertise, the camaraderie of our resident company, and the light-hearted, playful atmosphere of our beautiful campus in the summer."
The cast features veteran members of the Theatre's resident ensemble. David Ingram and Mary Elizabeth Scallen play the aging stars, George and Charlotte Hay. Julianna Zinkel appears as the couple's daughter Rosalind, and Christopher Patrick Mullen plays her fiancé, Howard, a local weatherman. Marcia Saunders plays Charlotte's mother Ethel. Kevin Bergen appears as Paul, the company stage manager, while Peter DeLaurier plays the company's lawyer, Richard. Frequent guest artist Tabitha Allen (The Matchmaker, Sleeping Beauty: A Musical Panto) plays Eileen, the troupe's ingénue.
Associate Artistic Director Pete Pryor directs. Returning guest Yoshinori Tanokura (Stargirl, Pride and Prejudice) designs the set. Resident artist Marla J. Jurglanis (The Matchmaker, The Mountaintop) creates costumes. Visiting artist John Hoey (Jack and the Beanstalk: An American Panto, Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris) designs lights, while frequent guest Christopher Colucci (Stella and Lou, Row After Row) designs sound. Resident artist Gina Pisasale dramaturgs the play, and long-time company member Kate Fossner stage manages.
Approximate run time of Moon Over Buffalo is 2 hours including a 15-minute intermission. This production will be best enjoyed by ages 13+.
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