The Tarrant Actors Regional Theatre Kicks Off The New Year With Noel Coward's HAY FEVER

To kick off the 21st century's version of the Roaring Twenties this month, the Tarrant Actors Regional Theatre will present Noel Coward's classic 1920's British farce, Hay Fever, performed in the Sanders Theatre at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy Street, Fort Worth TX 76107. The production is directed by TART Artistic Director Allen Walker.

In this fast-paced display of Coward's legendary verbal wit, retired British actress Judith Bliss and her author husband, David, long for a quiet weekend with some guests in their English country manor-but find quiet an impossible dream when their high-spirited children, Simon and Sorel, appear with guests of their own. As the weekend progresses, a houseful of drama waits to be ignited as tempers flare and misunderstandings abound. 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 worth of Feydeau.

The cast features Laura M. Jones as Judith Bliss, Evan Faris as David Bliss, Karen Matheny as Sorel Bliss, Nicholas Zebrun as Simon Bliss, Jorge Martin Lara as Sandy Tyrell, Hannah Bell as Myra Arundel, Eric Dobbins as Richard Greatham, Laura Lester as Jackie Coryton, and Erika L. Durham as Clara. Olivia Dickerson serves as assistant director/stage manager, with technical direction by Bryan S. Douglas, scenic design by Ellen Mizener, lighting design by Branson White, costume design by Hannah Bell, properties design by Don Gwynne, and sound design by Allen Walker.

"Hay Fever has been delighting audiences for nearly a century," said Walker. "It is a wonderful romp through the foibles of human behavior, and is one of Noel Coward's most beloved scripts-largely due to his masterful use of verbal warfare and his subtle commentaries on societal norms and manners. I am incredibly honored to work with this outstanding cast and crew who have done an amazing job with this story, and have put together a production of which I feel Noel Coward would be proud."

Tickets are available now via TART's website, by calling the box office at (682) 231-0082 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by phone 24/7 with Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006. The play runs January 10-26, with performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. There will be an opening night gala reception after the performance on Friday, Jan. 10, featuring complimentary hors d'oeuvres along with champagne, beer and wine for guests age 21 and older.

For more information, visit www.thetart.org, or call (682) 231-0082.