COWARD'S HAY FEVER Continues The Saint Sebastian Players 37th Season

The Saint Sebastian Players (SSP) continue the company's 37th season with the farce Hay Fever by Noel Coward. Performances run February 16-March 11, 2018 at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey (enter on Marshfield), Chicago.

Hoping for a quiet weekend in the country with guests, novelist David Bliss and his wife Judith, a retired actress, find that an impossible dream when their high-spirited children Simon and Sorel appear with guests of their own. A houseful of theatrics waits to be ignited as misunderstandings and tempers flare. With Judith's new flame and David's newest literary "inspiration" keeping company as the children follow suit, the Bliss family lives up to its name as the "quiet weekend" comes to an exhausting and hilarious finale.

SSP company members Brittany Eude and Steven Walanka are co-producing and co-directing Hay Fever. Walanka has directed past SSP productions of the comedies Arsenic and Old Lace, The Sisters Rosensweig (both stage managed by Eude), Steel Magnolias and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. The cast includes SSP company members Eric S. Prahl as David, Natalie Reff as Sorel and Kate O'Connor as Clara, along with Sarah Allyn Althen, Kate Fitzgerald, Pete Giessl, Nicola Howard, Matthew Shultz and Sebastian Summers. Company members on the production team include Jim Masini as technical director, Emil Zbella as set designer, Robert-Eric West as costume designer and dialect coach, Aaron Harris Woodstein as sound designer and Nancy Pollock as properties manager. Jacob Lynch is lighting designer.

SSP's 2017-18 season concludes with the gritty Chicago comedy The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur April 27-May 20. SSP began producing theatre in 1982 at its original home, the St. Sebastian parish, located at the corner of Halsted Street and Wellington Avenue on Chicago's North Side. When the parish closed in 1990, SSP relocated to its current home, St. Bonaventure, at 1625 W. Diversey. During its history, the company has produced original and previously produced dramas, comedies and musicals; original audience-participation mysteries for special events; and the Monologue Matchup Competition, as well as provided support for smaller Sebastian Studio Projects produced by company members. For a complete production history, visit saintsebastianplayers.org/production-history/.

Performances of Hay Fever take place February 16-March 11, 2018, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, at Marshfield just west of Ashland, in Chicago.

There will be post-show conversations with members of the cast and production team after the Sunday matinees February 25 and March 4. Free parking is available in two lots. Full-priced tickets are $20; tickets for seniors, students with valid IDs at the door and children younger than 12 are $12. SSP is participating in Chicago Theatre Week 2018, offering $15 tickets to its February 16, 17 and 18 performances. Group rates also are available.All programming is subject to change. For information, call 773-404-7922 or visit saintsebastianplayers.org.

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